www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Can anyone tell me when Holy Week (The Semanta)is in the upcoming year? I am try to book a trip in APR. and I want to avoid it.

In 2014 Easter will be Apr 20, the final day of Semana Santa. To the new guys, SJ is a ghost town starting for sure by Holy Thursday and the beach towns start loading up and get packed with locals and with tourists who haven't learned to push their trip up or back a week.

Beach town room prices are sky high and in some towns you still can't get a beer later in the week, although nat'l legislation passed last year has left it up to the individual local govt to make that decision. Some towns did, and some didn't allow sales. I'll bet the # will increase this year. We'll see.

So if you are already hopelessly committed for that week, load up before Thursday and before heading to the beach. The police tape off the bars and the beer coolers in stores like crime scenes in the "dry" towns.

Traffic from the Pacific back to SJ is horrendous on Easter and Monday so take that into consideration if you are flying out then.

Good idea - avoid this time as well as the week between Christmas and New Years

(No, not everyone has to avoid these times, and in fact, I recall at least one guy posting he had a great trip around Christmas - but the newbi and casual visitor should b/c almost any other time is better for a visit)

Was in SJ, for a week, during semana santa this year. DR was not as crowded, had a good time.

cheers,
Attila

The "deadness" of Semana Santa seems to get a little more lively every year. It's certainly not the best time to visit, but it's not as bad as it used to be. If the beach is your thing, I would avoid it totally.

I did a little video called "The Day San Jose Stood Still." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcwnFCKNHeQ I probably couldn't make that video again because there are just too many people out and about to get shots of deserted streets like that.

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"The only normal people are those you don't know very well." Joe Ancis