COSTA RICA: WHEN TO VISIT

The Best Time To Go To Costa Rica

The best time to go is between December and May when most of the country is dry and sunny. The high season is from December to April when it can be very busy and hotels get booked up well in advance.

Generally speaking Costa Rica only has two seasons, a dry season from December to April and a ‘green’ season from May to November.

Although July is in the middle of the ‘green’ season there is usually a temporary lull in the rain which is referred to locally as the veranito (little summer). July is also a good time to go if you want to see the green sea turtles coming ashore at Tortuguero.

Temperatures are fairly constant year round but there are differences depending on the location and altitude. It is much cooler up in Monteverde in the cloud forest where air conditioning is not required. It may even feel a bit chilly up there! On the whole, however, it is a very hot and humid country.

We think that May is a great time to go because it is coming towards the end of the season and there are less crowds, but rains have not arrived yet. We also encourage people to travel in the ‘green season’ from June through to August. There are more showers at this time of year, but it rarely rains constantly. In many locations the rain also adds to the experience and white water rafting during these months is very good.

September and October receive the most amount of rain, especially in the south of the country.