Upcoming Events in Costa Rica's Central Pacific: Festivals, Tournaments & Markets

The dry season calendar along Costa Rica’s Central Pacific fills up faster than most people realize. Between late January and early April, the stretch from Herradura to Jacó to Playa Hermosa turns into one of the more event-dense coastal corridors in Central America: fishing tournament boats clogging the marina, surf heats running at dusk under floodlights, weekly markets packed with people who haven’t discovered them yet.

If you’re staying in the area, knowing what’s on the calendar isn’t just useful for planning your days. A lot of these events change the whole character of the place for a week at a time. Marina Village during Triple Crown week is nothing like Marina Village on a quiet Tuesday in November. Both are worth seeing.

Here’s what’s happening, organized by type. For the full calendar, including exact dates and event-specific pages, check our Central Pacific events hub. We also keep location-specific calendars for Jacó events, Los Sueños events, and Herradura events.

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Fishing Tournaments

Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown

The Triple Crown is the anchor event for the entire fishing season. It runs in three separate legs across the season: Leg 1 in January, Leg 2 running February 25-28, and the final Leg 3 from March 18-21. Teams accumulate points across all three legs, with the overall season champions crowned at the Leg 3 awards ceremony.

What makes this tournament different from a typical billfish contest is the atmosphere around it. Marina Village during tournament week is worth showing up for even if you’re not fishing. The boat parade on opening morning, the daily scoreboard crowds, the weigh-in energy in the evenings. It’s the kind of thing that ends up being a highlight of someone’s trip without being on their original itinerary.

The ladies only series runs one day before each Triple Crown leg, making the full February and March tournament weeks a six-day event for the marina community. If sportfishing in Los Sueños is on your list at all, this week is when you want to be here.

Competition is serious. These are accomplished anglers fishing some of the most productive sailfish water on the planet, and the release numbers during February and March are as high as anywhere in the world. Charter boats book up well in advance for tournament weeks, so plan accordingly.

Other Tournaments Worth Noting

There’s enough tournament activity on the broader Central Pacific this season that if fishing is your reason for visiting, you have options across several months:

• Pescadora Billfish Championship (Feb 19-21, Marina Pez Vela, Quepos): The world’s most unique women’s billfish tournament. Three days of competitive fishing with social events that make this a fun week whether you’re competing or spectating.
• Torneo Internacional de Pez Vela y Marlin (Feb 26-Mar 1, Quepos): International sailfish and marlin tournament organized by Club Amateur de Pesca. Peak sailfish season timing.
• Sailfish Slam (Mar 7, Quepos): One-day catch-and-release tournament scored on accumulated sailfish releases; one of the more exciting formats to watch.
• Offshore World Championship (Apr 19-23, Quepos): An international field drawn from qualifying events across more than 120 competitions worldwide, competing in one of sportfishing’s most prestigious events.

Quepos is about 90 minutes south of Jacó on the Costanera highway, which makes it realistic for a day trip or a multi-night extension. Many guests base themselves at Los Sueños and drive down for tournament days.

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Surf Competitions

Costa Rica National Surf Circuit — Grand Final at Playa Hermosa

The biggest surf event local to Jacó is the Grand Final of Costa Rica’s national surf circuit, taking place July 10-12 at Playa Hermosa. This is where the national championships get decided, with 19 competitive categories from juniors through open divisions all competing for the year’s most valuable ranking points.

Playa Hermosa makes sense as a venue. The beach breaks here are powerful and consistent. They punish hesitation and reward surfers who commit to the wave. For spectators, the beach is wide, access is easy, and the heats tend to run close to shore where you can actually see the scoring.

Costa Rica has genuine Olympic pipeline investment in surfing right now, with athletes using the national circuit for LA 2028 qualification points. You’ll see the country’s best surfers here, many of whom are household names in the national surf community.

If you want to understand Jacó’s surf culture beyond just paddling out yourself, read our Jacó surf guide first. It covers the different breaks, skill levels, and what to expect from the water in different seasons.

Surfing Nights Series — Playa Hermosa

This one is less about competitive surf and more about a night out at the beach. The Surfing Nights Series at Playa Hermosa runs seasonally through the dry season, combining surf heats with a BMX show headlined by Kenneth Tencio (who placed fourth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics), a kickboxing competition with a $500 prize, and live music from 6pm to midnight.

The format is loose and fun. It’s free to watch. Floodlit surf as the stars come out, BMX runs, live music until midnight. Most visitors staying in Jacó don’t know this event exists, which keeps the vibe local. Dates vary, so check ahead with local surf shops or search “Surfing Nights Playa Hermosa” on social media before your trip.

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Open Water Swimming: Circuito Aguas Abiertas at Herradura

Playa Herradura hosts the first stop of the Costa Rican Open Water Swimming Championship each year, typically in mid-to-late March (check the Circuito Aguas Abiertas site for confirmed 2026 dates). Three distance categories: 1,500m, 3,000m, and 5,000m, with mass starts and ocean conditions replacing the controlled environment of a pool.

Herradura’s calm, protected bay is the reason this event runs here. The cove is one of the only spots on this stretch of coast where open water conditions are manageable for competition. If you’re staying at Los Sueños, this is essentially on your doorstep. Early morning start times, spectator-friendly beach, and family-friendly atmosphere.

It’s a small, focused sporting event, not the kind of thing you build a trip around, but worth watching for an hour if you’re around. See full details in our Herradura events calendar.

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Festivals & Community Events

Jacó BBQ Block Party (March 6-8)

Now in its third year, the Jacó Beach BBQ Block Party has turned into one of the better food-and-music events on the Central Pacific. Three nights of local pitmasters, food vendors, live bands, and DJs in central Jacó.

The crowd skews local and expat during the week, then picks up tourist energy on Friday and Saturday nights. The BBQ quality varies by vendor, but the standouts are worth waiting in line for. The venue is walking distance from most central Jacó accommodations, there’s no entry fee, and the live music lineup is solid during the peak months.

Semana Santa (March 29 to April 5)

Holy Week is the Central Pacific’s busiest tourist week of the year, full stop. Thousands of families from San José and the Central Valley descend on the coast for the traditional vacation. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are national holidays. Banks, government offices, and many businesses close entirely, and many restaurants either close or run limited menus.

What this means practically: if you’re planning to be here, book early. Months early. Properties that are available in February become unavailable by December for this week. Traffic on the Costanera can be significant, especially on the Thursday travel day.

If you embrace it rather than resist it, Semana Santa is a memorable time to be in Jacó. The beach is packed in a festive, family-friendly way. Street food vendors appear everywhere. Palm Sunday processions add something different to the town’s usual energy.

Envision Festival (Feb 23 – March 2, Uvita)

Envision isn’t in the Central Pacific corridor. It’s about 2.5 hours south of Los Sueños near Uvita. But it’s worth mentioning because a lot of guests time their Central Pacific stays around it, either before or after. The 2026 edition is smaller and more intentional than previous years, with a renewed ecological focus. Seven days of music, yoga, workshops, and art installations where Pacific jungle meets beach. Worth a side trip or an extension to your stay.

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Weekly Markets

These are the two community markets that run regularly throughout the dry season. Both are worth knowing about if you’re staying in a vacation rental and want to stock the kitchen with something better than supermarket produce.

Los Sueños Marina Village Farmers Market runs weekly during dry season inside the Marina Village complex, typically Thursday afternoons. Local farmers bring produce from the Central Valley highlands, there’s locally caught fish, artisan baked goods, tamales, tropical fruit, and handmade crafts. Prices are significantly lower than the Marina Village restaurants. Confirm current schedule and hours with the resort on arrival, as timing can shift week to week.

Jacó Feria (Farmers Market) runs every Friday, roughly 6am to 2pm, next to the Garabito Clinic on Avenida Pastor Díaz. This is the real thing: local farmers from surrounding mountain communities bringing down fresh produce, tropical fruits, eggs, and prepared foods at prices well below any supermarket in town. No artisan branding, no live music — just good ingredients at honest prices. Bring reusable bags and cash. Go early; by 11am the best stuff is gone.

Both markets are free, both are open to anyone, and both are the kind of thing that makes a vacation rental stay feel like actually living here for a week instead of passing through.

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Nature Events Worth Planning Around

Scarlet Macaw Nesting Season at Carara (Jan–April)

Carara National Park sits 15 minutes north of Jacó on the Costanera. From January through April, the scarlet macaw population here is in peak nesting and breeding activity, with large flocks visible at dawn and dusk along the Tarcoles River estuary. Early morning visits (6-9am) give you the best sightings as birds move to feeding grounds.

The bridge over the Tarcoles River, just north of Carara’s entrance, is also one of the most reliable spots in Costa Rica to see American crocodiles year-round. Both are worth combining into a single morning.

Olive Ridley Turtle Nesting Season (July–November, Playa Hermosa)

The sea turtle nesting season at Playa Hermosa runs July through November. Female olive ridley turtles come ashore at night to lay eggs, with activity peaking during new moon phases. Licensed tour operators run guided nighttime tours following strict protocols. Baby turtle releases happen roughly 45-60 days after nesting, typically October and November, announced through @ReservePlayaTortuga on Instagram.

If you’re visiting during this window and wildlife is part of your itinerary, this is one of those experiences that tends to be the one people remember most from a Costa Rica trip. Our full guide to sea turtle watching at Playa Hermosa covers what to expect and how to book.

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A Few Planning Notes

High season (January to April) is when most events happen. This is also when accommodation rates are at their peak and properties book fastest. If you’re planning around a specific event (especially Triple Crown week or Semana Santa), book your rental 2-3 months in advance.

May onward shifts the calendar. The green season begins in May, afternoon rains arrive, and most major tournaments and competitions wrap up. The tradeoff is lower rates, empty beaches, lush green landscapes, and the beginning of surf season swell. A different kind of good.

The Jacó-to-Quepos stretch means you can attend Quepos-based events as day trips. Marina Pez Vela tournaments, the National Surf Circuit finals, and the turtle season around Quepos are all realistic day trips from a Los Sueños or Jacó base.

For the complete, continuously updated list of what’s happening in each area, the full Central Pacific events calendar is the best starting point. Individual location pages for Jacó, Los Sueños, and Herradura filter down to the events specific to each area.