Spring Break in Costa Rica

Spring Break in Costa Rica – Making your spring break dollars go further.

Vacationing to Costa Rica for spring break might not be quite as exciting as spring break in Cancun, but it shouldn’t be over looked as an option. If you are looking to party in a tropical setting for spring break, but are a little put off by the massive crowds in places like Cancun, then Costa Rica might be the perfect spring break destination for you.

Because almost no where in Costa Rica is as built up with hotels and resorts as Cancun, you will be able to get a lot more for your money here. Less money on a hotel room means more money for beer, liquors, and other sins of choice. Excluding your airfare, one could easily celebrate a week long vacation in Costa Rica for just a few hundred bucks.

You have probably heard that Costa Rica is cheep, but you aren’t really sure how cheap. Lets put it this way, in some coastal towns in Costa Rica it is not uncommon to get a beer at a bar for US$2 or less. Many of the clubs will usually have some sort of free shot during the week and rum and cokes are almost always less than US$5 at the bar.

What to Expect

You can pretty much find any type of vibe you want in Costa Rica. From the high class dance clubs in San Jose to the small reggae clubs of Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica has a little bit of it all. For the most part though, you will find the reggae clubs, dance halls, and beach bars offer the most fun.

The parties here are usually a lot more intimate than the ones you would find during spring break in Florida or Cancun. The amount of people in any given town will be much smaller that that of popular spring break destinations. This means you are much more likely to find a group of cool people to hang out with. Spring break parties in Costa Rica are more similar to a house party or a party at your local bar.

Where to Go

As I said before, you will be able to find clubs and parties at just about any popular tourist destination in Costa Rica. That said, there are a few places in particular that are a bit more Spring Break style than others. These prime spring break locations in Costa Rica are listed below.

Puerto Viejo
If you are on a tight budget, but still looking to party during your spring break, Puerto Viejo is where you want to go. You won’t find any flashy dance clubs here, but there are plenty of bars, reggae clubs, live music venues, and tons of party hostels. One of the most popular party hostel in the area is the famous Rocking Js Hostel. You don’t have to go far to party here. The owners brothers has a top notch bar and restaurant on the property. You could easily spend your entire spring break at this hostel without ever stepping a foot in town.

Should you feel like heading in to town, there are a number of options that offer every type of vibe. Some of the more popular spots include Stanfords Club right on the beach, Johnny’s Place a reggae club on the beach, and Sunset Sports Bar and Pool Hall.

San Jose
If you are really into clubbing and dancing, you will probably want to stay in San Jose. They will offer the best “typical” nightlife scene in the country. There are a large number of extremely popular dance clubs, both gay and straight in the city. There is also a high concentration of students, both local and foreign in the area, which means you will be able to mix and mingle with a larger crowd of people.

If you are new to the city and don’t know where to go, I suggest checking out the hostel Pangea. This is a straight party hostel. So much so that they actually have a dance club on the property. You can hang out here all night or just meet some other like minded partiers and head out on the town from there.

Jaco Beach
If you are looking for your stereo typical beach party destination, then Jaco is where you want to go. This popular surfing town is filled with plenty of bars, clubs, and music venues. What is a calm and laid back surf town by day, turns into a lively party town by night. It is not uncommon to simply meet some folks at the bar and then end up parting with them all night long. If booze isn’t your first drug of choice, have no fear, as there is almost everything from weed to women available here.

The cost here is slightly higher than that of Puerto Viejo, but has the same basic vibe. The only major difference is that Jaco is more well known as a tourist destination and is much closer to San Jose. So, those who don’t want to waste half a day of travel to get to Puerto Viejo, may want to opt for Jaco.