Antigua vs Costa Rica
Antigua and Costa Rica, side by side: live travel advisories, our resort catalog's real guest data, and each destination's honest weather picture. Everything you need to break the tie.
By the numbers
| Antigua | Measure | Costa Rica |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (better) | U.S. travel advisory | Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution |
| 9 (better) | Resorts in our catalog | 6 |
| ★ 4.5 (better) | Average guest rating | ★ 4.4 |
| $250–$2114/night pp | Nightly rates | $117–$795/night pp (better) |
| 7 of 9 | Adults-only resorts | 1 of 6 |
| In the hurricane belt | Hurricane exposure | Low hurricane risk (better) |
| September–November | Rainy season | May–November ('green season'), with September–October seriously wet |
| December–April | Sweet spot | December–April, bone-dry in Guanacaste |
| English (official) | Language | Spanish (English common in tourist areas) |
| East Caribbean dollar – USD widely accepted | Currency | Costa Rican colón – USD widely accepted |
| 230V (110V at some hotels), Type A/B plugs | Power | 120V, Type A/B plugs (same as the US) |
| On the left | Driving | On the right |
| V.C. Bird International, St. John's (ANU) | Main airport | Liberia – Daniel Oduber (LIR) |
| ~4–4.5h from the US East Coast | Flight time | ~3.5–5.5h from the US (nonstops to Liberia) |
Advisory levels sync from travel.state.gov; catalog figures reflect the resorts we've researched, not every hotel in the country. A marked row is one we are willing to call; rows without a mark are a matter of taste, or we have no comparable figure for both sides.
On the map
Weather, month by month
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antigua · high °F | 82 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 86 | 87 | 87 | 88 | 88 | 87 | 85 | 83 |
| Costa Rica · high °F | 91 | 92 | 93 | 93 | 91 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 87 | 86 | 87 | 89 |
| Antigua · rain (in) | 2.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 3.5 |
| Costa Rica · rain (in) | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 7.7 | 9.0 | 5.9 | 7.9 | 13.0 | 12.2 | 4.3 | 0.5 |
Approximate climate normals for Island-wide and Guanacaste / Papagayo: planning guidance, not a forecast. A deeper tint is a higher number, read within its own row.
Where you'd actually stay
Best of Antigua
Full Antigua guide
Chains here: Elite Island Resorts · Cocobay Resort · Curtain Bluff
Best of Costa Rica
Planet Hollywood Costa Rica by Royalton, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resortnull · ★ 4.5
The Westin Reserva Conchal, an All-Inclusive Golf Resort & Spanull · ★ 4.5
Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingonull · ★ 4.4
Chains here: RIU Hotels & Resorts · Planet Hollywood Hotels & Resorts · Westin