Weather
How is the climate in Costa Rica?
With a privileged geographical location and over 12 hours of sunshine a day from 5:45 am to about 5:45 pm consistently throughout the year, Costa Rica has a pleasant climate, which is the combination of tropical climate and mountainous systems, this makes our climate something relatively stable, where their biggest changes we call rainy season and dry season. The main reason for the diversity in Costa Rica lies in the fact that Costa Rica has an Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea relatively close to each other.
When is the best time to visit our beautiful Costa Rica?
The best time to visit Costa Rica is at the beginning of the year, in the dry season, between January and April. You can visit the mountains as well as the beaches, while always having a nice climate. Actually, every month is worth visiting Costa Rica! Even in the rainy season also called the green season, the weather is warm and sunny in the morning and it rains a bit in the afternoon. The rain turns everything even greener as it usually is. You should take into consideration that Costa Rica has a variety of microclimates, this means that you will find completely different climatic conditions by only travelling a few kilometers. There is really no reason to worry about the climate in Costa Rica, do not forget to bring a raincoat if you come visit on Green Season and sunscreen for the dry season.
Dry season & Green season
In Costa Rica we don’t have winter or summer, but seasons: the green season or rainy season and the dry season. The rainy season, also called the green season lasts from May to early December.
During the dry season, the highest temperatures arise during the day, while in the night the temperatures cool a bit down. In the months from December to April, the dry season, it usually does not rain. The average amount of rain in Costa Rica is about 100 inches per year, but in several mountain areas the amount of rain can rise until 25 foot annually. It is important to consider that the Caribbean Coast is differs from the other Costa Rican destinations and has its own microclimate, these lowlands are hot, humid, and have rainforests.
Average temperature per month during the year
Regions of Costa Rica
Guanacaste (Nicoya peninsula, North Pacific, Rincon de la Vieja) – hot and dry climate.
Nicoya peninsula (Malpaís, Tambor, Montezuma, Sámara) – hot and dry climate.
Central Pacific (Puntarenas, Manuel Antonio, Jacó) – hot and humid climate.
South Pacific (Península de Osa, Dominical, Corcovado) – hot and humid climate.
Northern lowlands (Arenal and Sarapiquí valley) – warm climate, cools down in the afternoon.
Central highlands (Monteverde, San Ramón, Tilarán) – moderate climate, cools down in the night.
Central Valley (San José, Grecia, Santa Ana) – mild climate, cool at night.
South Central (San Gerado de Dota, La Amistad International Park) – mild climate.
Caribbean Coast (Puerto Viejo de Limón, Tortuguero – lowlands) – hot, humid, rainforests.