By February, having something really good on the calendar can change the whole feeling of winter. Because by then, the holidays will be well behind you, New Year’s energy will have settled, and if you live in the United States, Canada, or Europe, winter will be very much in full swing.
That’s approximately the time when you’ll be desperate for the group trip to Costa Rica.
You know what’s waiting: sunshine, warm weather, tropical scenery, the Pacific, and a few days with the people you can’t wait to see. Maybe that means close friends, couples traveling together, extended family, or another group that’s been trying to make the same trip happen for months. So let’s make it everything you hope it’ll be.
By February, Guanacaste has firmly settled into dry season.
The seasonal transition of early dry season is behind us, and the landscape is still months away from beginning its shift back toward green season. And while weather is never guaranteed, February typically brings the kind of conditions people picture when they imagine Costa Rica’s North Pacific coast: blue skies, plenty of sunshine, very little rain, warm days, comfortable evenings, and those occasional bright, cotton-ball clouds drifting across an otherwise clear sky.
Temperatures generally stay warm throughout the day, often reaching the 80s or around 90°F, while evenings can settle into the 70s.
For a group trip, those conditions give you enormous freedom. You can spend an entire day by the pool if that’s what everyone wants. You can also fill the day from morning through sunset with hiking, beach time, sports, water activities, food experiences, and whatever else your group is excited to do together.
February means built-in flexibility. It means being able to do anything and everything you want (or again, nothing at all if that’s on the docket!). You can head out early, stay outside through golden hour, have dinner under the stars, and wake up ready to do it all over again.
One of the things we love about a Las Catalinas Doorway stay is that your group arrives with baked-in experiences already waiting for you.
Our rotating weekly experience calendar brings together wellness, outdoor adventure, food, culture, and sports throughout the week. Many are included as part of your experience fee, so your group can join in without having to build every single plan from scratch.
The lineup changes, which is part of the fun. Depending on the week, you might find a scavenger hunt, sunset s’mores, handmade tortillas, a cold brew and tonic experience, art activities, pickleball, horseback riding, or another experience designed to get you out into town, into nature, or around a table together.
We can help you see what’s happening during your stay and point your group toward the experiences that fit. Because sometimes, everyone wants to join. Sometimes half the group wanders over and the rest follows. Either way, our built-in program creates more opportunities for the kind of spontaneous group moments that end up becoming part of your shared forever memories.
Of course, that’s only the beginning. If your group loves being active together, February gives you plenty of room to lean into it. Head out for a mountain bike ride, take a surf lesson, grab some stand-up paddleboards, or hike through our trail network toward the Platforms for sweeping views over the Pacific.
You can also book a wellness session together at Center of Joy, play pickleball with daily court time included in your experience fee, explore town on foot, or spend the afternoon at the beach.
And your group doesn’t need one shared specialty or interest to have a great time here. We can help you plan experiences that bring everyone together around something new: fishing, a wine tasting, a visit to La Estancia, our sustainable farm, or a coffee tour. Back at home, a private chef dinner or taco station can turn the evening into its own event, especially when the whole group can gather around one table and let dinner stretch as long as everyone wants.
The point isn’t to fill every hour. It’s knowing how many possibilities are available when your group is ready to do something together.
Pictured: Villa Alberti
The home you choose shapes a group trip in ways you notice all day long.
Our group-friendly villas range from four-bedroom homes to homes with six or seven bedrooms, giving your group plenty of options for staying together comfortably. Some homes also include separate guest spaces or guest villas on the same property, and for larger groups, we can often help combine nearby homes so everyone stays just steps from one another.
What makes these villas special is that they’re designed around gathering. You could have a private pool surrounded by sun-filled terraces, a rooftop terrace with Pacific views, a shaded courtyard, a poolside grotto, or wide decks where everyone naturally ends up between plans. Large dining areas make it possible for the whole group to sit down together, while media spaces and generous living areas give you somewhere to gather long after the beach bags have been dropped by the door.
Then there’s the architecture itself. Spanish Colonial arches, tropical hardwoods, beamed ceilings, fountains, beach-inspired color palettes, and indoor-outdoor spaces create visual interest and give our homes a sense of place that’s unmistakably Las Catalinas.
Many larger homes also include amenities that add another layer of ease to the stay. Depending on the villa, that can mean Beach Club access, private pools, panoramic ocean views, or a location just steps from the beach.
Some homes also include a dedicated Housemom. With groceries provided by guests, she can prepare breakfast and light snacks and help coordinate housekeeping, which means mornings can begin with everyone around the table instead of someone figuring out who’s making breakfast.
When you stay with Las Catalinas Doorway, our homes don’t simply fit a group; they shape the way your group spends time together. It’s a leveled-up experience we look forward to sharing with you.
A good group trip has plenty of moving parts, and we know those parts well.
We’ll help you choose the home, or combination of homes, that fits your group. We can talk through bedroom configurations, location, gathering spaces, pools, views, and the amenities most important to your group.
Then we can help build out the rest: which weekly experiences are happening while you’re here, which larger adventures your group will love, where to eat, when to book a private chef, how much to plan ahead, and where to leave space for whatever sounds good that day. Because when you’re traveling with a group, the goal isn’t simply to fit everyone into the same trip; it’s to create a trip everyone gets to enjoy.
There’s something wonderful about knowing that, right in the middle of winter, Costa Rica is waiting. Your future self will thank you.
February brings warm days, long stretches outside, plenty of sunshine, and countless ways for your group to spend time together. Las Catalinas adds beautiful homes built for gathering, experiences already happening around town, outdoor adventures, shared meals, and the freedom to decide how full you want each day to be.
We’ll help you put the pieces together. All your group has to do is start looking forward to it.