New Year’s is one of the most popular vacation holidays in Costa Rica. Thousands of Costa Rican’s leave the capital city of San Jose to visit the coast for a week of sunshine with family and friends. There are beach parties in almost every town on the coast, but what are the favorite activities for locals and expats to celebrate the New Year?
Tamarindo Beach – Directly on the sand at Tamarindo beach is one of the most popular places to ring in the New Year. You might want to park your car outside of town if you are visiting because the heavy traffic can make the roads almost impassable. Hundreds of people party on the beach all day and the activities continue into the night. You will find bonfires and people shooting their own fireworks all down the beach. It is a lively, festive beach/street party environment. Most of the local establishments will be open but expect them to be very busy. Sharky’s will be having a special Summer Celebration and El Be, on the beach, will have live music for sunset and a DJ if you want to dance in the New Year. Reservations for dinner will be required in most locations. 
The Hills behind Tamarindo – Some local like to escape the party atmosphere in Tamarindo center and journey to the hills behind Tamarindo or in Villareal. From the top points behind Tamarindo, you can see the fireworks from Playa Langosta to Playa Conchal. Park your car, open a bottle of wine, and have a picnic under the stars.
Potrero Beach – Potrero beach will be having fun events during the week, including the Imperial Beer festival December 30 at the Sailing Center, but Portero will still be a place to celebrate on New Year's Eve. You can watch the fireworks on the beach, enjoy a fantastic party at the Sailing Center, or stop by the Bahia de Sol for the carnival-style entertainment.
San Jose – While many people visit the coast from San Jose this week, some Guanacaste locals choice to take this time to visit the capital. Some residents just want to escape the noise and traffic at the beach, and others take advantage of higher rental rates at the beach to rent their personal residence. Shops can seem empty and traffic is minimal. You will need to check carefully in advance to see what businesses are closed this week. It will be important to verify local traffic reports to see if there will be road closures on Route 27 going into or out of San Jose on scheduled days.
Have a wonderful and safe New Year!
Courtney Borquet, Broker/Owner