Does Costa Rica Get Sargassum?
Caribbean coast (Limon) and Pacific coast (Guanacaste, Central Pacific) · Costa Rica
Only Costa Rica's Caribbean coast (Tortuguero, Puerto Viejo) gets sargassum, from about March to August. The Pacific coast, where most visitors go, gets none.
Sargassum in Costa Rica by month
What to know before you book
- •The month ratings above describe the CARIBBEAN coast only. Every month on the Pacific coast (Guanacaste, Nicoya, Central Pacific, Osa) is 'none' - sargassum has never been a problem there, including the beaches near Liberia airport.
- •In 2026 MINAE reported sargassum accumulating on the northern Caribbean coast starting in early February, with the heaviest concentrations at Tortuguero, Barra del Colorado and Isla Calero near the Nicaragua border.
- •Southern Caribbean towns (Puerto Viejo, Playa Negra, Punta Uva, Manzanillo) get less than Tortuguero but still receive it. Community cleanup brigades have run organized beach cleanings in Puerto Viejo center, Playa Negra and Punta Uva.
- •Tortuguero is the most affected spot and it matters beyond aesthetics: heaped sargassum changes the beach profile and can obstruct sea turtle nesting and hatchling runs during the July-October green turtle season.
- •Researchers tracking the region note the source has shifted to a persistent recirculating belt in the tropical Atlantic rather than the historic Sargasso Sea, which is why arrivals now start earlier and last longer than the old March-May pattern.
- •If sargassum is a dealbreaker, book the Pacific. If you want Caribbean-side culture and reef, target the September-November mini-dry season, which is both the sunniest stretch on that coast and past the sargassum peak.
Sources: Tico Times - Sargassum arrivals break records in Costa Rica's Caribbean, Jun 2026, Delfino.cr - MINAE reports sargassum in the northern Caribbean, Feb 2026, Tico Times - Sargassum buildup grows on northern Caribbean coast, Feb 2026, Infobae Costa Rica - environmental alert over sargassum accumulation, Feb 2026, Alma del Pacifico - sargassum guidance for Costa Rica's Pacific coast, UNA Comunica - sectors respond to sargassum on the Caribbean coast
All-inclusive resorts in Costa Rica
Surf Synergy Surf and Wellness Resort
Family · $$$$
Hotel Serendipity Tortuguero Adults Only
Family · $
Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort, Costa Rica, by Hyatt
Family · $$$$$
The Westin Reserva Conchal, an All-Inclusive Golf Resort & Spa
Family · $$$
JW Marriott Guanacaste Beach Resort
Family · $$$ est.
Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica
Adults Only · $$$
El Mangroove, Autograph Collection
Family · $$$$$
Casa Conde Beach Front Hotel
Family · $$
JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort & Spa, All-Inclusive
Family · $$$$ est.
Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingo
Family · $$$
Planet Hollywood Costa Rica by Royalton, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort
Family · $$$
Azura Beach Resort
Adults Only · $$$