Costa Rica Weather

Costa Rica Weather - like many tropical countries, it experiences two seasons, the dry and the wet, rather than the four seasons of temperate regions. The dry season is called verano (summer) and the wet season is called invierno (winter).

Costa Rica Weather - The Caribbean coastal region is rainy year-round, with September, October, February, and March having the least rainfall. The drier months are characterized by fewer rainy days and spells of fine weather sometimes lasting a week or two or more. Rain tends to be copious, usually lasting a few hours rather than all day.

Costa Rica Weather - In the highlands, the dry season gets really dry, with only few rainy days per month. However, it can rain up to 20 days per month in the wet season, The north and central Pacific coastal regions have rain patterns similar to the highlands, while the southern Pacific coast can experience rain year-round, though less so in the dry season.

Generally, Costa Rica Weather is enjoyable throughout the whole year.

Rainy season: May to November

Dry season: December to April

Even during the dry season, it may rain for some hours or sometimes even a whole day. During the rainy season, you will experience real tropical showers for around 2 - 3 hours in the afternoon; the rest of the day is warm and sunny.

The best time to travel to Costa Rica depends on which attractions you want to focus on during your Costa Rican vacation.

For beautiful beaches, the best time to travel to Costa Rica is December through May on the Pacific side; don't go to the Caribbean in October, which is often flooded then.

But for surfing and rafting in Costa Rica, the best time to travel from March through November.

Attractions such as fishing are a year round activity. However, the best fishing for marlin and sailfish is December through March in Quepos and Manuel Antonio, and in Guanacaste the rest of the year; (Though October is very rainy.)This is because the billfish migrate from Golfito (which is good from November through February) north to beach towns like Flamingo.

If you want to explore the volcanoes in Costa Rica, avoid the peak rainy season (June-October). Too many clouds make it hard to see even an active volcano such as Arenal or Poas. This is true for scuba diving and snorkeling too, as the river run-off reduces visibility.

But for taking eco tours along nature trails and trips into the rainforest or cloud forest, rainy season should not slow you down.

For the most fiestas all around the country, January and February are the peak months.

Two times of the year that you want to either avoid or make reservations months in advance, are the week of Easter (called Semana Santa), and the last two weeks of December.

Christmas and Easter are major local holidays, so the beach resorts and even San Jose hotels will be crowded. But Christmas is the way to go if want to see the biggest carnivals, parades and fiestas; particularly in San Jose.

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