With Pre-Summer Deals This Hot, Costa Rica is for the Cool Kids
The YouGetHere Vacation Rentals blog department would like to take a moment to issue our annual May Day Alert.
This notification, of course, pertains to all of the incredible deals currently available at our luxurious vacation villas in southern Costa Rica.
As we speak, rental prices in May are falling like ripe mangoes from a wet tree branch. These deals are so sweet, you’ll want to jump in soon and take a bite before things expire.
Just take a moment to browse this page, if you will: Vacation Villas for May in Costa Rica
Look at all of those jaw-dropping vacation villas on offer. This May, there’s currently space at The Jade House, Casa Komorebi, Villa Maravilla, Vista Encanto, Tulu Azul and many other epic rental properties in the YouGetHere portfolio.
We’ve got a ton of options to select from, including brand-new homes as well as rustic rentals that’ve been earning five-star reviews for ages. Infinity swimming pools, endless ocean views, domestic creatures visiting each property, top-of-the-line amenities and outstanding customer service — the list of benefits goes on and on and on.
But why May? Why should anyone visit Costa Rica during the fifth month of the calendar year?
The answers are as clear as crystal.
Why is May Great? Because Everyone Else is Busy with School, Work
Like a wedding anniversary 37 years in the making, people tend to forget about the month of May. Don’t allow this to happen to you in 2026.
A Costa Rican May is awesome for several reasons. Most notably, it’s the crowds and prices.
The masses have basically disappeared from our section of the coastline. From Christmas through Easter, the entire Pacific region hums with activity. Beaches, tours and national parks are bustling, sometimes even overloaded, as the days turn dry.
But by May all of that is over. Most tourists pack up, as do the snowbirds and local cityfolk, thinning things out quite a bit. Afternoon rains also return to the southern zone during this time, offering a welcome reprise from intense sunshine and rockhard dirt roads.
And then there are the prices. Those low, low rental home rates we all love to see.
All of the rental homes in our inventory have lower prices in May than they do for the first four months of the year. In June, July and August, those prices creep back up as the northern hemisphere summer takes shape and vacations get going again.
That means May is the sweet spot. This is the month for excellent deals, cooler weather and beaches that are as empty as a promise from a politician.
Flights in and out of Costa Rica are manageable as well, which works great for the last-minute booking crowd. A quick search on Kayak.com shows that roundtrip flights from Los Angeles to San Jose, Costa Rica are about $200 USD cheaper in mid May than they are in mid July. From many east coast destinations and Canada, the savings are similar.
Hike to a Waterfall and Chase Waves Before the Final School Bell Rings
We’ve covered the cash savings and lack of crowds in May.
So what about the other stuff?
Well, snorkel and dive tours continue to run at Cano Island. Visitors can still do boat and hike tours inside mesmerizing Corcovado National Park. Offshore and inshore fishing trips are a go in May. Same with river rafting, ziplining, kayaking and ATV adventures. The only activity from our Tour Guide that doesn’t run in May are parasailing trips.
Local waterfalls will be raging, too. Hike to Nauyaca Waterfall or ride an all-terrain vehicle to Eco Chontales Waterfall. Both are life-altering experiences (for primarily good reasons; just be safe on the wet rocks!). Suffice to say, you and your crew will have plenty to do near the towns of Quepos, Dominical, Uvita and Ojochal.
A lot of people also come to Costa Rica to spend as much time as possible in the ocean. Similar to moviestar Jeff Spicoli, these people yearn for warm water and tasty waves.
Well, friends, the waves get real here in May. We’re talking powerful surf all up and down the coastline. Expect large swells in Dominical all month long.
When the biggest surf hits our shores, the pointbreaks really get going. Punta Dominical is a nice, local left-hand wave with an easy channel for paddling. Further south, deep into the Osa Peninsula, you’ve got the pointbreaks at Matapalo (a series of rights) and, of course, the world famous Pavones, the second longest left-breaking wave in the world. Have you ever ridden a wave for more than a minute? On a big south swell in Pavones, that’s easily attainable.
And here’s something else that’s neat: with school still going strong in May, the waves are far less crowded than they are at other times of the year. Sure, there are always those “home-schooled” children that seem to surf at all hours of the day, including school hours, but the other kids remain on campus, which is great when you’re in the water and they aren’t.
It makes sense, then, to get in a quality month of May surfing while building a beautiful tan. Then, when you return home and see everyone else planning their vacations, you’ll possess the satisfaction of knowing you got yours before the crowds went nuts and the prices followed suit.
So what do you say? Are you all-in for May in Costa Rica?
If so, email us directly right here and we’ll get you set up with an awesome vacation home in the tropics. By the way, if you reserve directly with YouGetHere Vacation Rentals, you won’t have to pay a service fee to VRBO or Airbnb, potentially saving hundreds of dollars on your trip.
We’ve now given you the blueprint to an all-time Costa Rica getaway. No crowds, empty beaches and tours, and some top-quality hiking and surfing are all on offer in May.
Best of all, if you’ve made it this far we proudly salute you. As a reward for your readership, we’ll give you an additional 10-percent off any vacation rental in May 2026.
Just use the code words “MAY DAY ALERT” in your rental inquiry and the price will continue to drop.
