Costa Rica’s weather is the typical tropical climate with a rainy and dry season. However, there are many micro-climates in the country! Costa Rica weather is one of the main concerns for travelers and one of the things they must know about Costa Rica before they visit.
So in this post you will learn about Costa Rica’s weather, the tropical seasons, reliable forecasts and more. This post has been updated December 19, 2019.
Click to skip to the section.
- Weather by Location
- Weather by Months
- Things to Know
- Average Temperatures
- Dry Season
- Rainy Season
- Shoulder Months
- Caribbean
- Forecast
- Best Activities in Dry Season
- Best Activities in Rainy Season
Costa Rica Weather by Location
Central Valley (San Jose, Alajuela, Heredia, Cartago)
- The Central Valley experiences a typical tropical climate.
- Dry season is mid December to end of April.
- Rainy season is beginning of May to beginning of December. Tends to start raining in early afternoons during rainy season, mornings still dry and hot.
- Average dry season temperatures are mid 70s F (24 C) during the day, cooling down to the 60s F (18 C) at night.
- It doesn’t get freezing in rainy season but temperatures do drop a little bit and can go down to high 50’s F (12-14 C). If there is a cold front up north, the Central Valley is usually affected. It can get down to mid 50s F (12 C) at night.
- Known for having the best and most comfortable weather in Costa Rica.
North Guanacaste (Liberia, La Cruz Gulf of Papagayo)
Hottest and driest months are March and April, temperatures can reach 100 F (38 C). Rainiest months are September and October. Gets very humid in rainy season with 70-80% humidity. In dry season, humidity goes down a lot and is much drier.
- Liberia and La Cruz: Experiences typical tropical weather. Dry season is December to end of April with temperatures in the low 90s F (32 C) during the day and mid 70s F (24 C) at night.
- Gulf of Papagayo: Same as Liberia and La Cruz. The Gulf of Papagayo has some of the driest and hottest weather in Costa Rica. It is normal for it not to start really raining until October. Generally rains in the late afternoons and nights.
South Guanacaste (Tamarindo, Conchal, Samara, Nosara)
Experiences typical tropical seasons. Rainiest months are May and October, hottest are March and April. Very similar temperatures to North Guanacaste.
Nicoya Peninsula
The Nicoya Peninsula like Santa Teresa and Montezuma similarly experiences the same weather patterns as Northern and Southern Guanacaste.
La Fortuna
- Has the typical dry and rainy seasons
- Dry is mid December to end of April. Rainy is May to beginning of December.
- Temperatures in dry season during the day are around low to mid 80s F (27 C) and low to mid 70s at night (23 C).
- Temperatures in rainy season don’t get much colder except at night if it’s raining. Then it can get colder down to the 60s F (18 C).
- Rainiest months are May, June, September and October. Hottest months are March and April.
- Gets humid in rainy season, around 70%. A bit less in dry season.
Carribbean (Tortuguero and Puerto Viejo)
- Experiences different weather than the rest of Costa Rica.
- Does have the possibility to rain throughout the year, even in the dry season months so there is no clear distinction between dry and rainy season.
- Dry season months are February, March, September and October.
- Rainy season months are November – January, April – August.
- November and June are usually the rainiest months. The driest month is generally October. February and March can be drier and windier.
- Temperatures are usually in mid 80s F (27 C) and cool down to mid 70s F (25 C) at night.
- Always high humidity in this area.
Jaco and Manuel Antonio
- Experiences typical tropical weather.
- Very humid all year long (similar to Caribbean)
- Day temperatures reach around mid 80s F (27 C) and cool off to mid 70s F (25 C) at night. Driest months are March and April and the dry season is mid December to end of April.
- Rainy season is from beginning of May to beginning of December. Temperatures stay about the same as dry season, but cools off a little bit more at night. Rainiest months are September – November. Generally is still sunny in the mornings but starts raining mid afternoon or so.
Costa Ballena (Dominical, Uvita, Ojochal)
Similar weather, seasons and temperatures to Manuel Antonio (hot, humid). Tends to be a bit more rainy so it can still rain in January/February.
Osa Peninsula (Drake Bay, Puerto Jimenez, Corcovado National Park)
- Has typical tropical weather.
- This area is extremely humid all year long.
- Dry season temperatures are similar to the Caribbean and Jaco/Manuel Antonio. The Osa Peninsula is generally around mid to high 80s F (27-32 C) during dry season. The dry season months are mid December to end of April. Driest months are March and April.
- Rainy season is usually May to beginning of December. This area can rain a lot and it rains hard! Especially June and September – November. During those months it can start raining early afternoon through the night.
Monteverde
- Monteverde sits around 1500 meters (4900 feet) in elevation so weather is fresh mountain weather. Experiences typical tropical seasons, however this area does tend to rain more being high in elevation.
- Dry season months are January – end of April.
- Dry season temperatures average around high 70s (26 C) and cools off at night down to mid 60s F (18 C). Can have light showers and sprinkles during dry season which is why you will see lots of rainbows in Monteverde. Driest months are March and April.
- Rainy season is end of April/beginning of May until end of December. Fairly rainy in May, June, August – November. Can still have sunny and dry mornings but will start raining by noon or mid morning in August – November. Rainy season day temperatures are around low 70s F (20 C) and down to high 50s F (10 C) at night if it’s raining.
Monteverde’s weather is also similar to San Isidro del General, Bajos del Toro, Vara Blanca and San Gerardo de Dota as they are all high in elevation and tends to rain more.
Months
Costa Rica Weather January and February: Generally the driest months of the year. Lots of winds, good for surfers because there are swells making big waves.
Costa Rica Weather March and April: Hottest months for most of the country. March is very dry. Can start raining in April in some parts of the country that are in the highlands, still is very hot, gets more humid.
Costa Rica Weather May and June: The transition months to rainy season. Can have random hard rains here and there but generally still hot with sunny mornings.
Costa Rica Weather July: July has a “little summer” around the middle of the month. Generally dries up a bit, still hot.
Costa Rica Weather August: Starts raining more consistently. Still get dry mornings but can get pretty cloudy and rainy in the afternoon.
Costa Rica Weather September, October and November: Summer for Caribbean (except November), rainiest months for rest of the country.
Costa Rica Weather December: Costa Rica’s weather in December starts to transition to dry season. The “Christmas winds” start and can still rain in high elevation areas like San Jose, Monteverde, etc. May still rain in some places like South Pacific, Osa, Monteverde and highlands.
Many people ask us “When is the best weather in Costa Rica?” The time for the best weather in Costa Rica is January – April due to the dry season.
If you’re not sure when to visit Costa Rica for the weather, read our post “Best time to visit Costa Rica.”
Costa Rica Weather Things to Know
Here are some quick weather facts before we get into the details.
- Costa Rica is 8-12 degrees from the equator so it is tropical climate.
- It doesn’t snow in Costa Rica.
- It does get cold (around 50-60s F at night, 12-16 C in some areas during rainy season. Chirripo can get down to 40s F/4-5 C or even lower! )
- There are no four seasons.
- The sun sets and rises around the same time all year long. Sunrise is generally 530 AM, sunset is generally 530 PM. It changes only by about 15 minutes throughout the year meaning you get 12 full hours of sun! (Also Costa Rica does not participate in daylight savings time).
- There are over 20 micro-climates in Costa Rica.
- May and December are known as the shoulder or transition months. This is the time when it changes from dry to rainy and rainy to dry season. In December, you may still get some rainy days as the weather transitions to dry and if there are any cold fronts up in the North, Costa Rica does get affected. In May, it’ll start raining throughout the country.
Costa Rica Tropical Seasons
Now let’s get into the nitty gritty of weather in Costa Rica!
Costa Rica has typical tropical weather with two seasons: dry and rainy. It is 8-12 degrees above the equator so it doesn’t experience fall or spring or snow but we do have over 20 micro-climates in the country!
Average Temperatures in Costa Rica
Generally, the average temperature in Costa Rica does not vary greatly. For example, temperatures in November don’t differ too greatly from February despite it being in rainy and dry season. The average temperature in Costa Rica is between 72 to 82 F (22 to 28 C). For most of the country, the hottest months in Costa Rica are March and April. January and February are also very hot and may only differ by a one or two degrees (Celsius).
The rainiest months are generally September and October (except for the Caribbean) so you will find that this depends on the region.
Dry Season
Dry season is generally from beginning of December to end of April in Costa Rica. Some characteristics of dry season are:
- Temperatures rise up to low to high 90s F (35 C) on the coasts. Average temperature in San Jose and cities are around low to mid 80s (29 C). Nights cool off.
- High winds in some areas, big swells on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts December, January and February.
- Sun for weeks!
- The Pacific coast gets extremely dry. It turns yellow like a desert, rivers and waterfalls dry up and it gets really dusty. This is in Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula.
The hottest months are March and April for most of the country. On the coasts, temperatures soar into the low 100s (38 C). Up in the mountains like the Central Valley and Monteverde, temperatures hover in the high 80s F (30-31 C).
Dry season also correlates to the high tourism season because all the snowbirds and vacationers who want to get away from the intense winters up north come to Costa Rica. End of December through April is very busy and sees a lot of tourists.
How to prepare for dry season:
- Wear lots of sunscreen, at least SPF 30 or SPF 50 if you burn easily. Make sure to re-apply frequently and do not forget chapstick with SPF!
- Drink lots of water. We recommend bringing an insulated water bottle so you can always have cold water and you don’t waste plsatic.
- Bring after sun gel (most people burn the first day since Costa Rica is so close to the equator and forget to reapply).
- Shorts, tank tops and flip flops will be your outfit for most of the country since it will be so hot. We recommend clothes that dry fast like Nike dri-fit. You’ll be very sweaty!
What to know about dry season:
- It can still rain in some parts of the country like the South Pacific or Osa Peninsula as those areas are more humid. We visited Dominical in February and it poured for 5 days straight.
- There are still mosquitoes in Costa Rica during dry season. Bring repellent.
- The Caribbean does not have a distinct dry season. There is a dedicated section to the Caribbean weather in Costa Rica below. Read it if you’re visiting Tortuguero or Puerto Viejo.
- The dry season doesn’t just all of a sudden start as if someone turned off a faucet of rainy season. It will gradually stop raining less and less in December but it may still be cloudy, have random light sprinkles or rain at night. Usually by end of December, there isn’t much rain and days are clearer and sunnier. That is why we call November, December, May and June our transition months.
- Dry season is what locals call their summer.
Rainy Season
Rainy season is generally from beginning of May to mid December. Some characteristics of rainy season are:
- Normal rainy season days are sunny in the mornings and rainy in the afternoon and evenings.
- Average temperatures are around low 90s F (32 C) on the coast. It gets really humid, even on the Pacific coasts where it’s normally dry. It is common to see the weather say “current temperature is 32 C but feels like 38 C due to humidity).
- In Guanacaste and Puntarenas, the mountains turn green after the first few rains.
- It can start raining/storming randomly. It’ll be sunny one second and storming the next. Rains can last for just 10 minutes and then it’s sunny again. Prepare for sporadic periods of rain.
Raininest Months
The rainiest months are September, October and November. May and June starts seeing the first showers, July lets up a bit (I will talk about that in the “Little summer” section) and from August on, it starts raining more consistently, particularly in the evenings.
Rainy season is what locals call their winter. This also correlates to Costa Rica’s low tourism season because it is summer up north so all snowbirds and winter vacationers have gone home. It gets busy in July and August for summer vacation but September, October and November are the lowest tourism season months for most of the country. September and October is high season for the Caribbean.
How to prepare for rainy season:
- Even though it may be cloudy out, still put on sunscreen. Being so close to the equator means the sun rays are intense even if it’s cloudy.
- Bring lots and lots of mosquito repellent. Mosquitoes thrive during rainy season since they breed in stagnant water.
- Bring waterproof/water repellent equipment, especially if you have any electronics. You need to be prepared because rain storms start suddenly and unexpectedly so bring a waterproof backpack, jacket and lots of plastic bags.
- Bring a warm jacket, waterproof jacket and long pants if you will be in San Jose, Monteverde, San Vito, San Isidro de Perez Zeledon, Nuevo Arenal, Grecia and anywhere up in the mountains.
- Get travel insurance! I recommend this for any time of the year in Costa Rica but especially rainy season. Rainy season brings more slippery roads, more mosquitoes and more possibilities of incidents.
The weather during rainy season can change in a blink of an eye. It can be incredibly sunny one minute and then pouring down rain with lightning the next. Always be prepared when visiting in rainy season to protect your equipment, especially your electronics.
Read our packing list for rainy season in Costa Rica and our packing list for Costa Rica to be prepared.
How much does it rain in Costa Rica?
How much it rains in Costa Rica depends on which part of the country it is. Some areas rain quite a bit more than others but when it rains, it rains hard.
In 2016, we had Hurricane Otto end of November. In October 2017, we had Tropical Storm Nate that hit hard the Northern Guanacaste coast. There were hard consistent rains for most of August – December. and it also rained quite hard in May and June.
The Coasts
The Pacific Coast stays quite hot even in rainy season. Guanacaste has the longest season of dry months and the northwest areas are extremely dry so they don’t experience a heavy rainy season until August or so.
However, when it rains, it rains hard! You can see in the video below how hard it’s raining in Playas del Coco in October.
Generally on the coasts it is sunny in the morning and rains in the afternoon and night. The South Pacific and Osa Peninsula are more humid areas so it tends to rain more down there. It can rain in January or February and it can rain from morning until night in September – November.
The Mountains
If you are in the city like San Jose or the cloud forests of Monteverde, it is a lot colder since you are at around 1000-1500 meters (3200 – 5000 feet) in elevation. In rainy season, temperatures are high 70s (25 C) and can get down to the low 60s (16 C) It is normal for it to rain all day in rainy season or be very cloudy with off and on showers.
These areas can also start having sporadic rains in April.
“Little Summer” and Shoulder Months
Though rainy season is generally from end of May to beginning of December, there sometimes is a “little summer” in the middle of July. It becomes very sunny and dry like dry season. Just remember that it’s tropical weather which is unpredictable so you should still come prepared for rain.
Shoulder months are May, June and end of November/beginning of December when the weather is transitioning from dry to rainy and vice versa. You may run into rain when it is transitioning from rainy to dry on December and you’ll start getting some rain in May and June.
These are our favorite months in Costa Rica because it starts getting super green in May and June after the first few hard rains. It does get more humid but it cools off a little bit.
Caribbean
The Caribbean experiences a very different climate than the rest of Costa Rica, it’s actually the opposite! It doesn’t have the typical dry and rainy season. Instead, it is normal for the Caribbean side to rain almost all year long as it is always humid. This keeps the forests nice and lush.
The summer months on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica are September and October. The rainiest months are June and November. January – March are generally drier.
We visited Tortuguero in November and had short heavy showers in the late afternoon but beautiful sunny mornings and early afternoons. In September we ran into storms, had off and on sunny days in November and cloudy days in December.
Costa Rica Weather Forecast
It is hard to find an accurate forecast for Costa Rica in rainy season since the weather changes sporadically. And weather apps like to show thunder and lightning storms everyday in rainy season so it makes people think it’s pouring rain all day everyday!
There are a couple of sites that can give you a very close prediction. Wunderground is one we like to use.
If you are visiting in rainy season, I also recommend looking at Windy.com. It’s useful for wind and precipitation. This is a good Costa Rica weather radar. Click on “Wind” to change it to Rain, snow, temperature or another factor.
Another site that is super useful and can give you more local information is the IMN (Instituto Meteorológico Nacional de Costa Rica). They have stations throughout the country and has more detailed information for specific places (regional locations).
An app I use to see what the weather is like in Costa Rica at the places I’m going is Instagram. I look at the hashtag or the location on Instagram to see recent photos posted by other people so I can get an idea of what the weather is like.
This has been extremely helpful because a lot of people will also write in their captions something like “Been raining the past couple days in Puerto Viejo but finally got a sunny day today!” And you can also leave comments and ask them how it’s been.
Best Activities to Do During Dry Season
Dry season is perfect for those who want to soak in the sun all day long. Beach lovers will love dry season! It’s also great for hiking because you won’t have to worry about getting rained out or going as early as possible to avoid rain.
The best activities surfing, hiking, beach hopping, canyoning, boat rides, waterfalls and ziplining. You won’t have to worry about rain at the beach at all.
However, January and February are usually very windy. Additionally, because it is very windy during those months, the water can sometimes get very cold but the cold does bring more wildlife since it stirs up the nutrients. We saw bio-luminesence and krill in February in the Gulf of Papagayo due to the cold water!
On the other hand, those months usually have big swells which is great for surfers.
If you love birds, February – July are excellent months to see the Resplendant Quetzal in Monteverde as it is their mating months. Wildlife watching on rivers is also the best during this time because all of the migratory birds are in Costa Rica. This is the best time to go to Palo Verde National Park, Rio Tarcoles, Sierpe Mangrove and Rio Tempisque.
Best Activities to Do During Rainy Season
Wildlife watching is best in rainy season. Peak turtle egg laying season is August – December in Tortuguero National Park and Ostional Wildlife Refuge. Peak humpback whale watching season in Costa Rica is August and September.
Water activities are also very good. White water rafting is incredible because the water level is high. In dry season, it is normal for rivers to turn into Class 2 and 3 rapids and in rainy season, they turn into Class 3 and 4! But sometimes, it can be too rainy and tour companies can’t run the tour because it’s dangerous.
Waterfalls can get too full in rainy season. We visited Nauyaca waterfalls in August and it was so full, we couldn’t swim or do anything. Our experience was the same at La Fortuna waterfall. Rio Celeste, the sky blue river turns a cloudy brown after hard rains and they may have to close the park if there are hard rains. Waterfalls are better to visit in dry season even though they may not be as full.
Tip for activities and tours during rainy season: Go as early as you can in the morning. Since average rainy season days are sunny in the morning and rainy in the afternoon, you will have better weather in the morning. When we were in Monteverde in September, my parents went ziplining at 11 AM and they were absolutely soaked to the bone when they finished. If they went at 9 AM, they would have had sun the whole time.
Since I know not everyone is stoked about rain, I wrote a post about 6 reasons why you should visit Costa Rica in rainy season. I’m a little biased because I actually love the rain but Costa Rica is still as magical and amazing in the rain as it is in dry season.
Want to know more about Costa Rica? Check these posts out!
Taking public transportation in Costa Rica
Best places to visit in Costa Rica
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