The Swell Show

Edition 24 · Saturday, November 7, 2026

The busiest Saturday since we started measuring.

Tomorrow, Saturday, 6 in 10 rentals have guests, about 2,300 people. About 150 more rentals were booked for that day over the past week. It's the first day the Swell Meter reaches Solid: the area is busy.

Morning, line-up.

Tide alerts

  • Heads up

    Heavy rain through Sunday. The CNE put the whole country on green alert and soils on the peninsula are close to saturated. Check gutters and drains today, and suggest your guests drive in the morning. Source

  • Heads up

    The drought red alert is still on. Cóbano and Paquera have been on red alert for El Niño since October 22. This week's rain doesn't lift it: check for leaks and save water.

Today’s story

More people than ever, in the rain

Today, Friday the 6th: almost 6 in 10 rentals have guests, about 2,200 people, and more than 1 in 3 hotels are full. Heavy rain, about 47 mm.

Tomorrow, Saturday the 7th: 6 in 10 rentals have guests, the busiest day since we started measuring. About 150 more rentals were booked for that day over the past week.

For your business: it rains through Sunday, so those people will look for places to be indoors. Monday the 9th looks dry, with about 110 fewer rentals with guests: that's the gap to fill.

What to do today

Lodging
Don't discount Saturday: 4 in 10 hotels are already full. Whatever you have left, offer it for Monday the 9th, which comes in much slower.
Restaurants
Tomorrow, Saturday, is the busiest day since we started measuring. Schedule a full staff and do your shopping today. It rains through Sunday, but the heat stays: people will look for a covered spot to sit and something cold to drink. Have your covered tables ready and your drinks ice-cold.
Shops and services
Saturday has more people than ever, but wet ones. Set up indoor plans and move lessons and tours to Monday the 9th, which looks dry.

The numbers

−2.2%sales in the area’s restaurant sector, Friday the 30th to Thursday the 5th, versus the week before. The week before they were up 11.7%: the area is filling up, but spending is a little lower.
40%of hotels are full for Saturday. Yesterday, for Friday, it was 36%: about 5 more hotels with no room.
US$98is the typical nightly price of what's still free for Saturday. Yesterday, for Friday, it was US$114: the pricier places are already booked.

By price

The pricey places fill first

For Saturday, 7 in 10 rentals over US$350 already have guests. Among those up to US$60, 4 in 10. If you rent in the budget range, a weekend promo can fill the gap.

Budgetup to US$60
44%
Mid-rangeUS$61 to 150
57%
UpscaleUS$151 to 350
64%
Luxuryover US$350
73%

Share of places booked for tomorrow at each nightly rate. Every place in the area, classified one by one.

What the tide brings in

  1. In Costa Rica

    A Pacific low brings more rain

    A low-pressure area off the coast has a 60% chance of becoming a tropical depression this week. The CNE put the country on green alert, and soils on the Nicoya Peninsula are 70% to 90% saturated.

    Source: The Tico Times

  2. In Costa Rica

    Costa Rica, the most desired country in the world

    Readers of Wanderlust, a British travel magazine, voted Costa Rica the most desirable country in the world; in 2025 it came second, behind Japan. It is a showcase for Europe, and arrivals are already growing: 2,310,320 visitors from January to September, up 4.8% on 2025.

    Source: Infobae

  3. Around the world

    Lufthansa hands its route to Discover

    From December 14, 2027, the Frankfurt–San José route moves to Discover Airlines, from the same group, and goes from five to six flights a week. Germany is Costa Rica's top European market.

    Source: El Observador

See you in the water.

How we measure · Occupancy = 1 − places free for 3 nights ÷ total inventory. It’s a ceiling: some places block dates without being booked. Sources: the main booking platforms, Open-Meteo and the Central Bank of Costa Rica. Measured November 6 at 6:00.