Costa Rica Travel Posts

Weather in Costa Rica

By Nelson Sanchez ⋅ March 4, 2009 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

Although safety ranks up there, nothing seems to peak our clients interest more than the weather in Costa Rica. People want to know what the seasons are and what they can expect while traveling in Costa Rica. Here is a frank assessments of the seasons and what you can expect during your travel to Costa Rica in each area:

Rainy Season
The rainy season is from mid May until the end of November. There is a small break in July that is called the little summer by Costa Ricans. The rainiest months are October and November. What you can expect in terms of weather during these months is sun from 6am until noon, then some cloudiness, followed by two hours of rain on average. If you get up early, you will get plenty of sunshine.

Dry Season
Goes from December until mid May. You can expect lots of sun and weather in the mid 30’s no matter where you are staying.

Central Valley – San Jose area
One of the wettest areas in the country due to the high elevation. The rainiest areas in Costa Rica are all located in the mountains with the exception of the Atlantic Coast.

La Fortuna – Arenal
A very cloudy area due to the volcano. Many tourist never get to see the volcano due to this. It also rains lots in Arenal, amking this one of the greenest areas of the country.

Caribbean
As rainy as it gets in Costa Rica. You are never guaranteed of avoiding the clouds if you come here. For some reason, you can often get great weather at the end of May near Puerto Viejo. Although you have a better chance of getting wet, going to Puerto Viejo is a trip of a lifetime and should not be missed.

Manuel Antonio Region
This a a true Jungle, and is very humid. Manuel Antonio does not receive lots of rain however in comparison to other Jungle areas of the country. This is one of the most visited places in Costa Rica.

Guanacaste
The driest place in the country due to it being a dry forest. Guanacaste is also where all the largest resorts are located, which makes sense when you think about the high level of sun they receive year round.

If you want to check the weather in Central America you can also visit the following.