Summer Vacation Verdict: Costa Rica is the Coolest Place to Visit

So what are you thinking for summer vacation?

There are countless choices available, of course, from the pristine sands of Padang, Indonesia to its antipodal city at Esmeraldas, Ecuador, where the town’s seaport hums like a cicada at sunset and the average daytime temperature rarely exits the mid-80s.

Europe, Africa, Caribbean, North America, Hawaii and Australia are all fun options in between Indonesia and Ecuador, and no one would fault you for planning a dream getaway to any of these fine locales in the not-so-distant future.

Over here at YouGetHere Vacation Rentals, where the vibes always run high, we’re going to present YGH blog readers with another top-shelf summer vacation option to consider: Costa Rica, particularly the southern Pacific zone stretching from the quirky surf town of Dominical to the mesmerizing coastal scenery in Ojochal. This is one of the most dazzling stretches of coastline and tropical jungle canopy found anywhere on earth, and if you haven’t experienced it for yourself yet the time to act is nigh.

June, July & August in Costa Rica

The months of June, July and August occur during the first half of Costa Rica’s “green season,” which is code for “a time when rain falls from the sky.” A typical day in this part of the country during these three summer months — it’s actually winter season in Costa Rica and, yes, that can be confusing — features sunshine in the mornings with afternoon or evening rain showers. Not every June/July/August day follows this exact script, but a majority of them do.

With most Dominical mornings beginning under a blue-bird sky, there will be plenty of time available to get outside and experience the best of what the southern Pacific zone has to offer before any precipitation arrives. In fact, sunrise always starts just after 5 a.m., which means you can already be out hiking, fishing, surfing, kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, zip-lining, paragliding, ATVing and/or SUPing well before the opening bell tolls at the New York Stock Exchange.

Now that’s a summer vacation, energetic and fulfilling!

If this sounds like a bit too much, however, — 5 a.m. on my vacation, are you kidding me? — you can always wake up a few hours after the toucans, chill out with a book at the infinity pool of one of our luxury vacation villas, order in-home chef and massage service and just completely mail it in. We won’t be mad at cha. Not now, not ever.

For the summer vacation go-getters, though, taking the kids to experience the power of Nauyaca Waterfall or explore the natural animal kingdom at Manuel Antonio National Park is a total treat, something everyone will remember for a long time. Or consider a drive to Ventanas Beach in Ojochal. If you visit at the proper time of day (around low tide), you can walk in and out of the sea caves on the beach. Howler and white-faced monkeys frequent this area often as well, so make sure everyone in your group keeps an eye out for monkey movement in the trees above the sand.

Those are only some of the cool activities in the area, just a skim of the surface. There’s also a golf course, a mini-golf course, an animal rescue center, a reptile zoo, multiple waterfalls, fantastic restaurants and a potpourri of enchanting beaches featuring small, medium and grande waves.

Direct Flights to Costa Rica

And did we mention that the largest international airport in Costa Rica, San Jose (SJO), is only six hours away on a direct flight from Los Angeles, New York or Toronto. It’s basically half that time if you’re coming from Texas, Florida or Mexico City. With a reasonable flight path and our assistance with rental car or shuttle service, you’ll be down in Dominical in no time, staying at an epic YouGetHere rental property.

The winds of change have arrived, and summer is just around the bend. When you’re ready to start vacation planning, consider Costa Rica for your next family getaway. You can email us directly at [email protected] to explore your rental options.

Also, in case you’re wondering the antipodal city of Dominical, Costa Rica is West Islands, Cocos Islands. We don’t know what the vacation rental scene is like at West Islands, but we can confirm that it’s located nearly 20,000 kilometers from Fuego Brewery, the nicest place in town to enjoy a frosty pint at sundown.