Best Weather to Travel in Costa Rica

How does the weather  affect the when and where you travel to Costa Rica? Costa Rica’s weather is defined as tropical,  which makes  us think hot, but that is not true.  The weather is different  depending on what area of Costa Rica you travel.  I’ll start with the CENTRAL VALLEY of San Jose, Alajuela, Grecia,  and Atenas and surroundings areas. The Rainy Season in Costa Rica Goes from about mid May until the later part of November.   September and October  are  the most rainy  months.   Typically we get sunny morning and the rain starts around 1- 2 p.m., with large downpours.  And stops around 6 p.m. (except for September and October when it may rain all day.) The dry season in Costa Rica is from late November until  around mid May.   Mostly sunshine all day.    Flowers bloom in all the  vibrant tropical colors, including the many varieties of orchids.  The temperature depends on the elevation,  the higher the elevation the cooler the temperature.  In general the average daily temperature in the central valley at around 2,000 feet above sea level  is around  72 F  (perfect humidity- 30-40% in the dry season)  and cools down significantly in the higher elevations, 3,000 feet and above.   Tourism in the central is highest December thorugh April which is the dry season.

When is the best time to travel to Guanacaste, Costa Rica? Here we find much less annual rainfall.  There is SUNSHINE many more hours per day and that is why we see so many beach hotels on the NW Pacific coastlines. The rainy season is light but starts around mid May through mid November.  Afternoon thunder storms light up the sky with large bolts of lightening.  Dry season is December through mid May.  You can tell by the vegetation, trees aren’t as tall and the lushness is just not there, there are less mountains and the land  has longer spans of flatness.  Many of the trees have been cut for pastureland.  This is cowboy and cattle country.  The average temperature along the beaches is 80-90 F.  Interior Guanacaste is around 78-80 F with little humidity.  Air conditioning  is needed in cars and homes.  Great weather for beach lovers!!  Tourism in Guanacaste, mostly to the beaches is all year round.

weather Caribbean coastline and Caribbean interior:  Lush jungle vegetation and hot-humid  weather.  Rainfall is very heavy.  No rainy or dry season- sometimes rains less in October and November but not always.  Temperatures range in the 80-90F  with  high humidity.   Although this does not mean that it rains all day long everyday.  There are breaks when you can see the sun for a few days at the time.  Or it rains only in the afternoons.  It’s hard to predict. Vegetation is beautiful, with exotic plants everywhere and  palm trees line the beaches swaying  in the warm tropical winds.   Air conditioning definitely needed.  Tourism to the Caribbean is highest  December through March.

Weather Osa Peninsula-Gulfito region-southern Costa Rica: along the coastlines the weather is hot 80-90F with high humidity.  As we go further inland and the mountains rise, the temperatures become cooler-depending on the altitude.  Lush, jungle vegetation and lots exotic flowers and primary rain forest in many areas such as Corcovado National Park.  Less people here and definitely beautiful!  Tourism is less here because it is remote and requires driving very long distances or flying a small aircraft.  Also the National Park of Corcovado is somewhat expensive to hire guides     Tourism is highest here December through March.

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