Copyright The New York Times
Amid a September downpour in a beach town on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, I was reminded that I’d bet on poor odds. Locals had assured me their rainy season, from May through November, consisted of bright mornings and afternoon showers followed by clearing skies, at least most of the time. Still, the rewards for risking rain were substantial, including low prices, fewer crowds and more availability. I learned this first hand as I was forced to cancel my trip to the Central American country twice in the past year, moving it from high-season February to less expensive May and finally rock-bottom September. Consider the car I rented from Vamos Rent-a-Car at the airport in the capital of San José. I paid $237 for a week, more than $400 less than my estimate in February. (A note on currency: many businesses use U.S. dollars, others use Costa Rica colones — 500 colones is roughly $1 — and many accept both).
