The 5.7 magnitude shaking was felt most strongly in the Costa Rican port city of Golfito as it knocked items off shelves there and in several nearby towns.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck at 11:24 a.m. local time about 10 miles (15 km) west-southwest of Golfito and 110 miles (175 km) south of the capital San Jose.
“It was pretty strong and caused a scare but so far we've only had calls to report minor damage from items falling,” said Luis Madrigal of the Red Cross in the Costa Rican city of San Vito, near the epicenter.
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake centered near the capital on January 8 left 23 people dead, most victims of landslides triggered by the shaking.