Celebrate Autumn in Costa Rica

During the fall, travelers can experience one of Costa Rica’s most impressive attractions at Tortuguero National Park — the arribadas. This synchronized, large-scale nesting of sea turtles over the course of three to five days takes place year-round, however, the fall is peak season. Four different species of sea turtles (green turtles, giant leatherbacks, hawksbills and loggerhead turtles) come annually to Tortuguero, one of the world’s most important nesting sites. Tortuguero beach offers nightly turtle tours several times a day during the fall.

Along the beaches of Ostional and Nancite, travelers can also experience this rare natural phenomena and view as many as 20,000 olive ridley turtles arriving ashore to dig holes and lay their eggs on one single night, making it almost impossible to walk the beach. Ostional and Nancite are considered the most important areas in the world for the conservation and nesting of the olive ridley sea turtle.

The fall is also the last opportunity of the year to experience Costa Rica during its green season, which ends in November. Vegetation is lush, verdant and not only are the flowers in full bloom but the birds are chirping at their loudest. Therefore this is a great opportunity to go bird watching, particularly in the wetlands like Palo Verde National Park. Fed by the Tempisque River that swells due to the increased rain, explorers let the river current guide them through a variety of bird habitats via speedboat. The green season is the best time to spot marine life on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. During this time, humpback whales migrate from the south, seeking warmer waters to mate. The Osa Peninsula, Gulf of Papagayo, Bahía Ballena and Tamarindo are the perfect places to set out and whale watch. This is also the best time of year for advanced scuba divers looking to see bull and hammerhead sharks in Golfo Dulce or Isla del Caño in the South Pacific region and Guanacaste’s Islas Catalina and Islas Murciélago.

Día de la Mascarada: On October 31st Costa Ricans like to dress up too, but in large, elaborate masks. The tradition began in 1996, when the country’s government declared the day as Day of the Traditional Costa Rican Masquerade. Traditionally the masquerade is associated with festivals: popular festivals, the turn in the towns, school fairs, parties to raise funds for a specific purpose, and other activities of this type. It is an activity that refers us to a festive atmosphere, to something beautiful, and funny, and, mainly, refers to childhood. Whether for fear or for fun, children (or children) are the ones who are most impacted by those who we have commonly called "the clowns", in addition, the exit of these and their journey through the main streets of the town, is almost always associated with the music of the "cimarrona", to the bombetas, dances and traditional meals. All this together creates an atmosphere of pleasure, of rejoicing, of merriment that makes this one of the most beloved traditions of the Costa Ricans.