October in Costa Rica tends to get a bad rep and it’s understandable why – it’s typically the rainiest month for most of the country. However, not all of the country is under water in October! If you can only visit Costa Rica in October, you should hop over to the Caribbean coast as it enjoys the most sunshine and least rainfall during that month.
To be completely honest, it’s not the best month to visit Costa Rica (unless you’re going to the Caribbean side) if you want to avoid rain and experience Costa Rica to the absolute fullest, but there are still upsides to visiting in October.
We will discuss all about what Costa Rica in October is like in this post.
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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 ~520 CRC to 1 USD.
- Spanish is the main language.
- Costa Rica is 8-12 degrees from the equator.
Costa Rica in October Weather
In Costa Rica, there is a tropical dry season and rainy season along with over 25 micro-climates. October dominates as the rainiest month for many of those micro-climates. As mentioned earlier, the exception is the Caribbean coast, where October is actually a sunny month with less rainfall. If you can ONLY visit Costa Rica in October, we highly recommend to visit the Caribbean coast!
It is not super rare for October to have tropical storms, tropical waves and tropical depression. Costa Rica luckily does not experience many hurricanes but it is still a rare possibility in October and November.
The last hurricane was Hurricane Nate in early October 2017, which was one of the absolute worst hurricanes to hit Costa Rica. And even if the hurricane does not make direct landfall in Costa Rica, the country is still subject to heavy rainfall.
If you are super unlucky, you may just happen to come to Costa Rica during a tropical storm or depression in October. But, it may only last a day or two so it’s not a 24/7 rainy day all 31 days in October. You can still enjoy moments of sunshine and clear skies in October, but don’t count on it every single day.
Always expect rain, and be happy when it doesn’t! You could wake up to pouring rain, then it’ll clear up for a couple hours, and then begin pouring again in the evening. It could be super sunny, blue skies in the morning until about mid morning, then start storming until the next day. It could even drizzle the entire day with lightning storms at night.
Temperatures
Temperatures are the lowest in October, but it’s still hot. Average temperatures are around mid 80s° F for the coasts (29° C). It’s around low 70s° F (21° C) for the Central Valley cities. The highest elevation areas like Poas, Vara Blanca, San Gerardo de Dota and San Isidro de el General can go down to low 50s° F (10° C) at night, these are generally the coldest temperatures.
Below are short descriptions of the weather in August for popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica.
Guanacaste and Nicoya Peninsula
The Guanacaste coast and Nicoya Peninsula experience October as their rainiest month. These areas tend to be hit with the extremes – driest in dry season, wettest in rainy season. Well, it’s not the wettest place in Costa Rica, but these areas do get a lot of rain and are subject to strong tropical waves and storms. When it rains, it pours, even if it only lasts for 30 minutes.
The upside to visiting these places in October is that you will see them at their lushest and greenest. Come again in three months and they will look completely different, like a desert!
Average day time temperatures are approximately high 80s° F (32° C) and night temperatures hover around mid 70s° F (24° C). Also very humid which can make it feel a tad bit hotter.
On the occasion that there is a tropical storm with consecutive days of rain, it may be very foggy and even a bit “chilly” in the early mornings like low 70s° F or 21° C, which is “cold” for these places! In March, the hottest month, it gets up to 40° C (104° F) by 10 AM!
Also try to get out in the mornings for the least possibilities of rain. You may still be able to get some epic rainy season sunsets too, especially if it starts raining earlier in the day, there’s a high chance it could let up for a lovely sunset.
Central Valley
The Central Valley cities: San Jose, Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago experience quite a drenched October. The GAM can even flood, but mostly due to poor infrastructure so when it’s storming, the rains will pool over into the streets. You will still get moments throughout the day where it’s dry but it’s better to expect it to rain in the afternoons and nights so you’re prepared.
Mornings can still be clear and sunny in the city, but if you go up to the higher elevation areas, don’t be surprised if it’s fairly foggy with light drizzles even in the morning.
As the Central Valley is higher in elevation (~1100 meters or 3600 feet), it can actually get much colder, like mid 50s° F (12° C) at night. During the day, it stays around low to mid 70s° F (21-23° C).
La Fortuna
La Fortuna near Arenal Volcano can rain a lot in October. It can rain on and off through the day, it can rain all night, it can rain all morning. Whatever day you are in La Fortuna in October, just be prepared for rain to avoid setbacks.
Book your activities for mornings and early afternoons. Just expect it to storm in the late afternoons, evenings and nights so avoid activities like night walks. You can still have sunny mornings, though they may be short lived so set your alarm clock and wake up early!
But don’t worry about the temperatures, it’ll still be hot and humid in La Fortuna. Average day time temperatures hover in the mid 80s° F (29° C) with average night time temperatures in mid 70s° F (24° C).
Jaco and Manuel Antonio (Central Pacific)
Jaco and Manuel Antonio enjoy a nice wet October as well, being the tropical rainforests of the Central Pacific. You can still get lucky and have sunny and dry moments throughout the day, it won’t rain every single day, despite the dark clouds rolling in in the afternoon. Beautiful sunsets are still a possibility, if it clears up at the right time.
You’ll still have relatively high temperatures, around mid 80s° F (29° C) and night time temperatures are around mid 70s° F (24° C). It’s very humid in these areas, so prepare to sweat a lot. Midday may feel a lot hotter than the thermometer says, due to the humidity.
Costa Ballena and Osa Peninsula
Dominical, Uvita and Ojochal and the Osa Peninsula experience some of the wettest Octobers. The Osa Peninsula tends to get the most rainfall, more than the South Pacific. Storms, downpours, lightning storms, thunder and showers are not rare there.
Caribbean Coast (Tortuguero, Limon and Puerto Viejo)
Of all the places to visit in Costa Rica during October, the Caribbean coast is your best shot at great weather. Puerto VIejo, Limon and Tortuguero all boast days of sunshine, with little rainfall throughout the entire month. Although more tourists are realizing that the Caribbean is where they should go in October, it’s still not as crowded as the high season months like December through April.
Average day time temperatures are in the high 80s° F (30-31° C) and average night time temperatures are around the low 70s° F (23° C).
Monteverde
Monteverde‘s mountain and cloud forest weather looks a bit like the Central Valley weather but it gets much foggier up there at 1300+ meters (4360+ feet). The periods of dryness and sun may be shorter and more intermittent in Monteverde, it’s best to just prepare for fog. storms and rain.
The tropical cloud forests constantly have low level cloud cover, hence the name and why you should just expect rain in Monteverde. It may actually rain here every day in October, whether it’s a light drizzle, afternoon shower or all day downpour.
Average day time temperatures are around 70° F (21° C) during the day and around low to mid 60s° F (15-18° C) at night.
Prices in Costa Rica in October
October is the cheapest time to visit Costa Rica. If you’re on an extremely tight budget, then October will be the best time for you to come. Due to it being the lowest tourism month and the rainiest for most of the country, many prices in tourism drop drastically.
Hotels can be 40-50% of the price they are in January, February and March, excursions may offer 10% or more discounts, especially for groups and restaurants may offer 20% off when paying in cash.
You can also find really good last minute deals for hotels and surf camps. We’ve even seen buy one, get one free for surf camps. Or book 2 nights and get the third free for hotels.
Car rentals are at their lowest in October. A one week subcompact crossover 4wd automatic SUV is around $330 USD with basic and mandatory insurance. In high season like February, the same car for one week is around $750 USD!
Flights are also cheaper, as October is not a popular travel month in general. But again, the downside is availability as many routes aren’t serviced in October. Although flights may be cheaper, the itinerary may be more complicated if your origin airport is not major hub with a direct flight like LAX, ATL, DFW or IAH.
Crowds in Costa Rica in October
October, being the rainiest month for most of the country, will be at its emptiest although the Caribbean coast may see more people. You can perfectly find yourself sharing one of the most popular beaches in Costa Rica (Playa Manuel Antonio in Manuel Antonio National Park) with a handful of people.
The Caribbean coast may be a bit busier since it has better weather but it’s not still nearly as crowded as the high season!
Trip Planning for Costa Rica in October
The best thing about visiting Costa Rica in October is that you won’t have to worry about hotels, national parks or attractions being sold out. If you want to “go with the flow” and not pre-book anything, you can definitely do that in October but just make sure to check if the place is open first.
The downside is availability, especially if you are a solo traveler. Although services will be cheaper, not all services will be available for one person as there is normally a minimum to operate a service.
Important Things to Know About Visiting Costa Rica in October
If you are driving, rent a 4×4. Roads that only need a high clearance car in dry season, will be in their worst shape in October with more and bigger potholes. If it’s a dirt road and it has been raining a lot, it’ll become a muddy mess. Always stay on the main road – never take an off road detour.
Furthermore, DO NOT CROSS RIVERS. Rivers are at their peak in October and flash floods CAN and DO happen. Don’t try to be a big shot and show off. Be safe, be smart. Even if you have a 4×4, it is never worth the risk. Any type of water damage to your rental vehicle will never be covered by any type of insurance, even full insurance. Read more about renting a car in Costa Rica and get our Costa Rica car rental discount.
For long routes, plan for the morning. Do not drive long routes at night or overnight. This is when it tends to rain the hardest.
Some businesses (hotels, restaurants, shops) are not open in October. Many hotels take advantage of the lowest month to do construction.
Plan your activities for the morning and be aware that cancellations may occur.
Apply mosquito repellent profusely and cover up. Mosquitoes are at their peak in October, as they breed in stagnant water. Thanks to the poor infrastructure, streets get incredibly flooded so mosquitoes are at their worst.
Flight cancellations and delays are not uncommon in October. Download your airline’s app and check for updates regularly. I highly recommend purchasing travel insurance for October.
Have a good attitude and be flexible. If you can’t have a good attitude about rain, reschedule your trip. We get SO many emails from readers being disappointed about getting rained out for tours, not being able to see sunsets and having to drive in the rain…in October. They clearly didn’t do any research or didn’t take it seriously. If they did, they should have reschedule their trip to a less rainy month, to the dry season or went to the Caribbean side.
If this will be your first time in Costa Rica, it’s been your dream vacation for a long time and you will only visit Costa Rica once ever in your life, then reschedule your visit to the dry season. Or go to the Caribbean side!
Best Things to Do in Costa Rica in October
Remember, plan your outdoor activities for the morning.
Museums
There aren’t a ton of museums in Costa Rica, they are mostly in San Jose. So if you’re in the city during a storm or a heavy rainfall, head to a museum or two. These museums are not huge, so you can visit a couple places in one day.
The Jade Museum and Museum of Gold are very interesting to learn about the culture, history and traditions of Costa Rica. The National Theater is the country’s cultural gem and the National Museum displays rotating exhibits for Costa Rican artists and important moments in history.
The Central Market is also an excellent place to find cover and taste some yummy local dishes.
Cooking Class
Most cooking classes are under roof so you can still whip up some tasty Costa Rican food. We did a farm to table cooking class in La Fortuna. The first 30 minutes was touring the local farm and picking the ingredients to use for our cooking. Then the next couple hours were under roof, cooking up our own culinary storm while the real storm was going on outside.
Hot Springs
Hot springs in the rain is awesome. Just make sure to get out fast if there is a lot of close lightning. I love hot springs, Yeison doesn’t but in October when it’s pouring rain, he will hop right in there!
Read about the best La Fortuna hot springs in our link. Other hot spring facilities are in Guanacaste like Las Hornillas, Buena Vista, Borinquen, Rio Perdido, Vandara (one of our favorites), Hacienda Guachipelin and over in the Central Valley at Hacienda Orosi.
Morning Beach Walks
Since it tends to start raining in the afternoons, get your beach time early in the mornings when it has the best chances to be dry and sunny. The sun is up by 530 AM, so set your alarm clock and get your steps in.
Caribbean Activities
If you’re going to visit Tortuguero, then the must do activities are a boat ride or kayaking through the national park canals and a turtle nesting tour. You also have great chances to see baby turtles hatching and crawling out to see in the early mornings and evenings.
In Puerto Viejo, you can visit a bunch of gorgeous beaches, ride your bike throughout town, hike Cahuita National Park, visit Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge to see animals, kayak down the Punta Uva River, take a chocolate or banana tour, take a surf lesson at Playa Cocles or simply relax.
Holidays
October 12 is the Dia de las Culturas (Cultural Day).
Does Costa Rica celebrate Halloween? No, not really. But it’s been catching on the last few years. You can find more Halloween activities where there are a lot of American expats and immigrants, like Tamarindo, Samara, Playas del Coco, Manuel Antonio and Jaco. In San Jose, some bars and clubs put on Halloween parties and raves.
Tours We Don’t Recommend in October
Many tour operators will not run certain tours in October. These are excursions like sunset snorkeling, sunset sailing, catamaran tours, night walks, afternoon volcano hikes and afternoon horseback riding. If you book excursions in the afternoon, be aware that the weather may force cancellations.
Some other activities are waterfall hikes, such as La Leona waterfall hike as that area can get a lot of rain. If it’s storming, they won’t open it due to safety. Some waterfalls that have better infrastructure will stay open, but they may be a very murky, dirty brown due to all the run off. Swimming in the waterfall is a no no. One of these waterfalls is La Fortuna waterfall, pictured below.
If there is a real tropical storm or depression, any activity is subject to cancellation. Always always always be in communication with your provider or tour agency to get updates.
What to Pack for Your October 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 and medicines.
An absolute MUST bring: a waterproof shell or jacket.
Your rainy season packing list will be: waterproof backpack or rain cover, hat or visor, light weight poncho, dry bags, micro fiber towel, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, after bite cream. Don’t leave your hotel room without your rain jacket or travel umbrella in your bag!
As for clothes, for the rainforest and coast, light weight clothes that dry fast. These will be a life saver due to the high humidity. If you’re visiting high elevation mountain areas, bring a warm sweater, jacket and long pants.
We highly recommend a pair of waterproof trail running shoes due to muddier trails. For light water activities like snorkeling, tubing, white water rafting, waterfall rappelling, closed toed adventure sandals like KEEN are great.
Get our full Costa Rica packing list and packing list for rainy season.
Itineraries
2 week coast to coast itinerary
13 days in Costa Rica itinerary (no car) coast to coast
10 day coast to coast Costa Rica itinerary
Costa Rica By Months
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Click the link to get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List so you know what essential items to bring.
- Check our Costa Rica destinations map and Costa Rica restaurant map
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica.
- Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica. Get 10% off your Airalo eSIM package with our promo code “mytanfeet”
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