What is Costa Rica in May Like?

If you’ve heard that May is the beginning of rainy season in Costa Rica, you are correct. However, May is NOT a bad time to go to Costa Rica despite the beginning of the rainy season. In fact, it’s a fantastic time to go to experience the best of both the rainy and dry tropical weather in Costa Rica. Another advantage of visiting Costa Rica in May is that you will avoid the crazy crowds of December to April and it’s a bit cheaper.

In this post, you’ll learn more about what Costa Rica in May is like.

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Costa Rica Quick Facts

• Sunrise and sunset is roughly the same all year round, with a difference of around 15 minutes. Sunrise is generally 6 AM with first light around 530 AM and sunset is 530 PM, dark by 6 PM.
• Costa Rica uses 110 V and drives on the right hand side of the road.
• Local currency is called the colón. Exchange rate ~500 CRC to 1 USD.
• Spanish is the main language.
• Costa Rica is 8-12 degrees from the equator.

Costa Rica in May Weather

Locals normally breathe a sign of relief when May rolls around, bringing some much needed rain after four months of summer. Tourists may be worried about visiting in May, but in reality, it is a wonderful time to experience the best of both the dry and rainy weather of a tropical country.

Although May marks the beginning of rainy season for much of the country, it’s a soft opening with gradual rains. Rainy season in Costa Rica does not equal to rain everyday, nor is it like someone just turned on the faucet and out comes all the rain. Intermittent rains in the late afternoons and evenings are a classic characteristic of May, with dry but cloudy mornings.

The beginning of May is still more like a transition time in places such as Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula and doesn’t really see any rain. The Caribbean coast, which follows its own weather pattern, tends to have a wetter May.

Average day and night time temperatures during the rainy season do not vary much from dry season. It is usually only a few degrees Celsius cooler. It is “warm rain,” when it rains, it doesn’t get a lot colder, temperatures don’t really go down, it stays warm and hot even when it’s raining.

Below are short descriptions of the weather in May for popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica.

Guanacaste and Nicoya Peninsula

May on the Guanacaste coast and Nicoya Peninsula is lovely. You do not get the bright blue, no cloud cover, arid mountains, soaring high temperature days as in the dry season, instead you get to experience it slightly cooler, more humid and more lush.

The Nicoya Peninsula and south Guanacaste (Tamarindo areas) tends to rain a tiny bit more than the Gulf of Papagayo and Salinas Bay, which are more north. The Tamarindo area and Nicoya Peninsula saw its very first hard rain around May 8thin 2024 whereas northern Guanacaste got their first rains around the end of the month. After May 8th, it got considerably cloudier but only rained a few times at night for the rest of the month.

By the end of the month after several hard rains, the coastal mountains are green and lush. Trees bloom, grass turns green and the dry tropical forest feels more like the tropics.

Average day time temperatures are high 80s° F (30° C) and night time temperatures are high 70s° F (25° C). However, with the high humidity ~75%, it will feel hotter (~95°F day time and 80°F 27 or 27°C).

Central Valley

The cities, San Jose, Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago still have good weather in May with absolutely beautiful dry mornings. It typically starts getting cloudy and dark around noon with high chances of hard rains in the afternoon and evening. This is typical weather throughout the whole month, with a bit more consistent afternoon rains by the end of the month.

Average day time temperatures are mid 70s° – 80s° F (25-29° C) and 60-65° F (15-18° C) at night. It can get humid if it’s raining as it doesn’t really cool down too much if you are in the city. If you are up in the mountains outside the cities, it does cool down and temperatures are a bit lower.

La Fortuna

As the La Fortuna area tends to start their rainy season around the end of April, you can expect to experience the typical tropical rainy season during May. This area has the chances to rain any time of the day, whether it’s a short sprinkle or heavy downpour but it still has sunny days in May.

You can wake up to a cloudy and drizzling morning, after breakfast it can be completely sunny and dry until noon and then in the late afternoon, it can be pouring rain. Rains may stop in the evening but start again overnight. La Fortuna can experience rain, sun, clouds, drizzle, showers, thunder and downpours all in one day.

Average day time temperatures are mid 80s° F (29 C) and night time temperatures are low 70s° F (21° C) but it is extremely humid all day and night. At night, it may get a bit cooler if it’s raining.

Jaco and Manuel Antonio (Central Pacific)

The Central Pacific coast starts getting more consistent rain in May. Expect cloudy but dry mornings and afternoons, and rains to show up in the evenings and nights. Jaco, Manuel Antonio and Quepos have very similar weather with high humidity and relative temperatures.

Average day time temperatures are upper 80s° to low 90s° F (31 – 33° C) and average night time temperatures are around low to mid 70s° F (21-25° C). Since it’s usually always humid in this area, the humidity may increase a bit but it’s very similar.

Costa Ballena and Osa Peninsula

The South Pacific, Osa Peninsula and Costa Ballena (Dominical, Uvita, Ojochal) tends to see more rain than the Central Pacific. It is not surprising to get daily afternoon rains by mid to end of May in this area, though they may be short bursts or rain or long overnight rains. Average temperatures are upper 80s° to low 90s° F (31 – 33° C) and average night time temperatures are around mid 70s° F (25° C).

Caribbean Coast (Tortuguero, Limon and Puerto Viejo)

The Caribbean coast (Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limon and Tortuguero) has its own weather pattern but May does tend to be a wetter month. It can rain anytime throughout the day and it can rain consistently. Still warm though, with average day time temperatures in the high 80s° (31-32° C) and cools down at night to around low 70s° (21° C).

Monteverde

May in Monteverde means rain, sun, wind and cool temperatures. If you visit Monteverde in May, make sure to bring a warm sweater, long pants and socks. As it tends to be windier up in the high elevation mountain towns like Monteverde sitting at around ~1300 meters (~4200 feet), the wind can make it feel considerably colder if it’s raining.

Monteverde weather is a bit like La Fortuna weather in the sense that you can get sun, clouds, showers, downpours and sunny skies all in one day, but throw in some wind. Temperatures are much lower in Monteverde though. Average temperatures are high 70s° F (25° C) in the day time and low 60s° F (15° C) in the night time. If it’s raining and windy, it’ll be colder, ~low to mid 70s° (21-24°C) and even down to the high 60s°F (15°C) at night.

Prices in Costa Rica in May

As high tourism season is officially over, May tends to be cheaper and is a fantastic time to visit Costa Rica if you’re on a budget. Car rental rates decrease and you can rent a 4wd subcompact crossover automatic SUV for ~$300 USD a week (using your own CDW, price estimate dependent upon your insurance levels and extras and may vary). Save more money by booking a car with our Costa Rica car rental discount and freebies!

Tours are the same prices as high season but operators may give a decent group discount if you’re 5+ people or some other perk. Some parks may run flash sales with 10-20% discounts for May only so follow the park’s website and social media accounts.

Hotel room rates tend to go down quite a bit in May as well, it can go down as much as 20%. A room that’s normally $200 a night in February may be $150-160 USD a night in May. Hotels may also throw flash promos on their website so check those before reserving.

Flights also tend to be cheaper in May as well, especially before the end of the month, and if you book early. I’ve seen round trip flights from Seattle to Liberia for around $500 USD a person for basic economy. We highly recommend getting a travel credit card like the Chase Sapphire to collect points to use for travel reward.

Trip Planning for Costa Rica in May

You don’t need to book everything super early for travel during May in Costa Rica. High season crowds are gone and there is very little chances of places completely booking up so even popular resorts and parks typically still have availability even a day or two before. However, as always, we go by the rule of thumb that if you have any “must dos” or “must sees” in Costa Rica, book those as soon as you can just so you can guarantee your space.

If you prefer to have as little rain as possible, plan a visit to the Guanacaste coast, particularly the Northern Guanacaste coast. This area tends to rain the least in Costa Rica in May. Avoid the Central and South Pacific, Caribbean and Northern Lowlands if you want the best chances of having little to minimal rain. Additionally, visit at the beginning of May, when the weather is still transitioning and closer to dry season weather.

Wherever you are in Costa Rica, we recommend to schedule your activities in the morning. As you can see, it can start getting rainy, cloudier and windier in the afternoons. It does not rain every single afternoon, but mornings tend to give you the best chances of dry skies, more chances to see wildlife and birds (they tend to hide in the rain) and water clarity for snorkeling/scuba diving.

Best Things to Do in Costa Rica in May

Surfing

May gets some epic swells and the Pacific Coast waves grow in size with the rains and storms. It’s still good for beginners and first timers though as there are always spots with easy, soft white water. But if you’re an intermediate and above surfer, you are going to love the glassy waves May brings.

Canyoning

Personally, we love waterfall rappelling in the rainy season. There’s something about it that just makes it feel more like a tropical adventure when it’s drizzling or raining while you’re hopping down waterfalls in the jungle! May is also a great month to do canyoning in the rain but without the concern of lightning storms or flash floods (like October). Read about our favorite canyoning tour in La Fortuna!

The Beach

Cool off from the humid weather by swimming at the beach! Just be aware that if it’s stormy or there’s a swell at the surfing beaches, be extremely careful, especially with kids and avoid going deep in the water.

Hot Springs

Relaxing in a natural hot spring is the best when it’s raining out.

If you’re visiting La Fortuna or Guanacaste, these two places are popular for hot spring resorts. In La Fortuna, you can soak in the volcanic thermal waters to relax the humid day away, perfect for ending a fun filled day exploring the rainforest. There are a lot of hot springs resorts to choose from.

In Guanacaste, there are hot spring resorts near the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. Not only do they have natural pools and mud baths thanks to the nearby active volcanoes, they also offer other activities on the same property. Don’t miss a fun day trip to Guachipelin, Buena Vista, Rio Perdido or Vandara to zipline, horseback ride, visit waterfalls, slather yourself in mud and soak in the hot spring.

From San Jose, Hacienda Orosi has gorgeous hot springs with mountain and valley views.

Morning Snorkel Tours

The water clarity in May is surprisingly good, but only in the mornings. If you want to take a snorkeling tour, definitely book one in the morning for the best conditions. By afternoon, it tends to get windier and the water clarity quality is not good. Check out our favorite snorkeling tours in Playas del Coco and Flamingo.

If you get seasick/carsick, do not book a sunset catamaran tour in May as it can be extremely rocky and it’s easy to get seasick on catamarans. Even if you take anti nausea medicine, it may not be very enjoyable on the catamaran if it’s super rocky.

Waterfall Hikes

Trails are still fairly dry in May and is a great time to lace up your shoes and get your steps in. Bonus if it’s a waterfall hike and you can cool off in the refreshing water.

Holidays

May 1: Labor day in Costa Rica. Public institutions will be closed but tourism keeps going on.

Other Things to Know About Costa Rica in May

• Mosquitoes are terrible in May. Although mosquitoes are present in Costa Rica all year long except for the high elevation areas above ~1200 meters or so, they are particularly bad in May due to the rains. Many streets in Costa Rica flood or puddle and mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. Please do NOT skip mosquito repellent or protection whether you use natural repellent, DEET or by covering up (best way is to cover up).
• Everything is open in May. Even if it’s the start of rainy season, all activities are available.
• Water levels may still be low in waterfalls and rivers in May. Even though it’s the beginning of rainy season, there still may not be enough water in certain rivers for white water rafting or swimming in big waterfalls. On the other hand, small rivers and waterfalls may fill up by the end of the month after several hard rains.
• You can still get burned in the rainy season so do not skimp out on sunscreen!

What to Pack for Your May Trip to Costa Rica

Essentials: Valid original passport, valid original drivers license if you plan to rent a car, credit card with no foreign transaction fee, travel insurance, medicines.

MUST BRING: Sunscreen (SPF 30 and higher), after sun gel, mosquito repellent, insulated water bottle, microfiber towel, lightweight rain jacket or rain shell, waterproof backpack or backpack cover, reusable shopping bags, swimsuits, sandals, sunglasses, hat, small first aid kit, dry fast and sweat wicking clothes and closed toed shoes for activities.

It is extremely important to know that it is very humid in May in Costa Rica. You will sweat a LOT. If you cannot do laundry while you’re here, we recommend to bring a dedicated dirty clothes plastic bag (not cloth or cotton) with secure closure to avoid the smelliness and to pack some fresh dryer sheets in your luggage.

We highly recommend bringing a dry bag to keep your belongings protected. Remember, rainy season is unpredictable and comes fast, so don’t get caught unprepared!

Get our full Costa Rica packing list here and our packing for rainy season tips so that you’re prepared.

Itineraries

Check out our itineraries below that we recommend for May.

One week Central and South Pacific: Jaco, Manuel Antonio and Uvita

Two Weeks: Tamarindo, Monteverde, Bijagua and Rincon de la Vieja

11 Days: La Fortuna, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio

7/8 Days for Families: La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio + Samara and Bijagua

8 Days: La Fortuna and Playas del Coco

5 days Tamarindo

1 month Coast to Coast

Costa Rica By Months

Read what Costa Rica is like in other months.

January
February
March
April
June
July
August
September
October
November

Costa Rica Vacation Checklist

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