When is the best time to visit Costa Rica?

The best time to visit Costa Rica is between December and April on its Pacific Coast, when the weather is at its driest and brightest, and between March and September on the Caribbean side.

We’d also recommend travelling in Costa Rica’s green season, from May to June or in November. This is when you catch the seasons in transition, and the national parks are quieter.

Costa Rica’s wildlife is hard to rival and a key attraction of the country, as long as you miss September and October’s heavier rainfall. It’s a tropical country, so you should be prepared for rain at any time of year, even in the dry season, but it’s this rainfall that makes Costa Rica so lush and beautiful.

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May is a wonderful month to visit Costa Rica. Although there is some rainfall, it is rare for this to persist all day and I have enjoyed plenty of wildlife spotting and beach relaxation at this time of year. Clouds move quicker than at the start of the year, increasing your chances of spotting the Arenal Volcano's perfect cone. Airfares are also lower, making your money go much further in May and June.

Nik, Latin America Specialist

Costa Rica Climate Guide

Destination	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Arenal Volcano & the Cloudforest Reserves	28°C 284mm	29°C 183mm	30°C 129mm	30°C 118mm	29°C 281mm	28°C 442mm	28°C 546mm	28°C 501mm	28°C 444mm	27°C 486mm	27°C 402mm	27°C 385mm
Corcovado & Osa Peninsula	32°C 87mm	33°C 62mm	34°C 140mm	34°C 218mm	32°C 442mm	31°C 474mm	32°C 487mm	31°C 601mm	31°C 722mm	30°C 801mm	30°C 604mm	31°C 217mm
Dominical	32°C 65mm	32°C 35mm	34°C 65mm	33°C 171mm	32°C 386mm	31°C 396mm	32°C 384mm	31°C 455mm	31°C 480mm	31°C 617mm	30°C 360mm	31°C 133mm
Manuel Antonio	32°C 62mm	33°C 31mm	34°C 53mm	34°C 168mm	33°C 408mm	32°C 426mm	32°C 438mm	32°C 487mm	31°C 524mm	31°C 642mm	30°C 380mm	31°C 142mm
San José & Central Valley	24°C 11mm	25°C 11mm	26°C 13mm	26°C 52mm	26°C 240mm	25°C 289mm	25°C 211mm	25°C 262mm	25°C 351mm	25°C 326mm	24°C 142mm	24°C 41mm
Tamarindo	32°C 4mm	33°C 3mm	35°C 5mm	35°C 21mm	33°C 223mm	31°C 243mm	32°C 146mm	32°C 192mm	31°C 300mm	31°C 305mm	31°C 95mm	32°C 10mm
Tortuguero & the Caribbean Coast	30°C 374mm	30°C 238mm	32°C 186mm	32°C 242mm	31°C 306mm	31°C 365mm	30°C 537mm	30°C 397mm	30°C 250mm	30°C 329mm	29°C 557mm	29°C 569mm

Month-by-month guide to travelling in Costa Rica

January - April Jan - Apr
May - June May - Jun
July - August Jul - Aug
September - October Sep - Oct
November - December Nov - Dec

Visiting Costa Rica in January - April

Costa Rica’s high season brings the least amount of prolonged rainfall; though tropical showers are always to be expected in a country with such plentiful rainforest. This season brings many visitors, particularly in January and over Easter, with busier national parks and beaches but wonderful conditions for viewing wildlife, trying adventure activities and relaxing on jungle-fringed coastlines.

Visiting Costa Rica in May - June

The official start of Costa Rica’s ‘green season’. While rainfall does indeed become more frequent, this is still interspersed with plenty of warm sunshine; particularly in the Central Valley, Caribbean Coast and Northern Pacific. National parks are quieter, so you can spend longer periods observing the wildlife without interruptions. Surfers will also enjoy this time of year, with increasing swells on the country’s best surfing beaches.

Visiting Costa Rica in July - August

Rainfall is increasing, but this does not deter all visitors; particularly those with school-age children heading to Costa Rica to enjoy its wealth of adventure activities. This is also a great time to see green sea turtles on the coastline of the Tortuguero National Park, and the beginning of whale watching season around Dominical. For those looking for some beach time, sunshine can still be found on the far northern Pacific coast, which receives the lowest year-round rainfall in Costa Rica.

Visiting Costa Rica in September - October

This is the height of Costa Rica’s wet season and travel is not recommended. Prolonged heavy rainfall makes wildlife spotting challenging, while roads will be muddy and sometimes impassable due to higher river crossings or landslides, making exploration beyond the main highways difficult.

Squirrel monkey, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Visiting Costa Rica in November - December

The end of the heavy rains can be difficult to predict, with some heavy rain still to be expected until the end of November. The worst will certainly be over, and by mid December the peak period commences in earnest, with Christmas and New Year visits requiring particularly early planning.

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Practical tips for travelling to Costa Rica, from social protocols to guidance on money matters, with a link to the latest government travel advice.

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Travel ideas for your trip

Gather inspiration for your trip through our travel guides. Written by our specialists from their experiences, they share our recommendations for how to appreciate Costa Rica at its best.

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