The best time to visit Costa Rica: a season-by-season guide to planning the perfect Costa Rican vacation
Whether you’re looking to hike a volcano, surf some perfect waves, or simply enjoy time in nature, a Costa Rica tour is sure to deliver unforgettable travel experiences. But, if you’re wondering when the best time to visit Costa Rica is, you’ll need to first decide what you want to do when you get there. While a trip to Costa Rica promises lush landscapes year-round, some of the bucket list activities this stunning destination is known for are better suited for different seasons. For instance, if you want to spend a lot of time on the beach, you’ll want to go during the dry season; whereas wildlife enthusiasts can schedule their visits based on the animals they’re looking to spot.
To help guide your travel planning, here’s our month-by-month guide to the best time to visit Costa Rica. Just know, regardless of what you want to do or when you schedule your once-in-a-lifetime Costa Rica tour, any time is truly the perfect time for pura vida.
What is the weather in Costa Rica like in each season?
If you want to plan your trip to Costa Rica based on temperature and weather, it’s important to note that the country’s various geographic regions inform climate very specifically. So, the best time of the year to visit Costa Rica could depend on which area your trip will focus on. Yes, Costa Rica is not very big—about the size of West Virginia—but the natural diversity and its Central American location, sandwiched between two different bodies of water, help create numerous unique regions, each with their own distinct climates. Depending on who you ask regarding how many regions Costa Rica has, you may get many different answers. But, to simplify it with a general breakdown, you can usually split the country into three areas: the Pacific coast, the Caribbean coast, and the central highlands.
The Pacific coast splits the year between a rainy season and a dry season, whereas the lush Caribbean coast has pretty uniform year-round weather. Yes, it may rain less in February than it does in June, but in the eastern half of Costa Rica, you can expect rain at any point of the year. The highlands, especially the area around Arenal Volcano, are similarly humid and wet. The center of the country, however, experiences some of the driest and coolest conditions from December to April. If you prefer less precipitation, that dry stretch of the calendar could be the best time of the year to travel to Costa Rica.
The dry season
is the best time to plan a beach vacation and outdoor adventures in Costa Rica
For many travelers, the dry season, which stretches from December to April, is the best time of year to go to Costa Rica, especially if spending a lot of time by the beach is high on your list of priorities. Even if your travel interests are much broader than that, though, the dry season allows more ease of travel as you bounce from coasts to jungles to cloud forests to farmlands. So, whether you’re on our Costa Rica for Solo Travelers: Volcanoes, Jungles & Beaches tour or our classic Costa Rica: Rainforests, Volcanoes & Wildlife tour, an immersive trip to Costa Rica during the dry season will feature a lot of outdoor activities that showcase just how naturally magnificent this country is. But because this is typically when weather in Costa Rica is most consistent, you’ll also find that these months are when a lot of cultural festivals and events are held.
It’s important to note, however, that the dry season is Costa Rica’s busiest tourism period, especially in January and February, when the sunny, hot conditions make a Costa Rica tour particularly attractive for those who want to escape chilly winter climates. If you’d prefer to visit during this stretch but want to avoid massive crowds, you may find that April could be the best month to visit Costa Rica instead.
Months to experience dry season in Costa Rica
December, January, February, March & April
December in Costa Rica is all about beachy holiday vibes. In addition to all the beautiful nature and wildlife you’ll come across on our Costa Rica tours, what makes December a special time to visit is the heartwarming holiday spirit you’ll find all over the country. There are so many wonderful Christmastime traditions there, and if you’re on our immersive Grand Tour of Costa Rica: From the Caribbean to the Pacific, you’ll have the opportunity to compare how different regions celebrate the holidays. There are plenty of shared customs, too. Keep your eyes peeled for elaborately decorated Christmas trees, as well as ornate nativity scenes—both are widely displayed in Costa Rica.
And because December is the beginning of peak dry season here, you’re very likely to get nonstop clear, blue skies everywhere you visit, from the beaches to the highlands. This means that you’ll get to celebrate a holiday season with boating tours of Tortuguero National Park, sloth-spotting hikes in Arenal National Park, and moments spent savoring the white-sand beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park. How special is that? In short, if you love to mix holiday vibes with tropical adventures, December is the best time to travel to Costa Rica.
Costa Rica in January is great for beach days, wildlife, and festivals. January marks one of the busiest tourism months of the year for Costa Rica, so you’ll want to be prepared for denser crowds all over the country. Yes, a lot of it has to do with the weather: For a country where you want to spend a lot of time outdoors, the milder, dryer conditions January brings make a trip to Costa Rica all the more spectacular, especially if you want to enjoy its many beaches. January also hosts one of Costa Rica’s most highly anticipated events: Palmares Fiestas—a two-week event full of parties, parades, and even a soccer tournament.
Wildlife spotting is incredible in January, too. Seeing unique creatures of land, sea, and sky is one of the most thrilling parts of a trip to Costa Rica. If whale watching is on your bucket list, January could be one of the best times to visit Costa Rica, as humpback whales are migrating on the Pacific coast. If you decide to take the extension to Manuel Antonio National Park on our Costa Rica: Rainforests, Volcanoes & Wildlife tour, don’t miss the catamaran excursion. Who knows, you may spot a whale or two!
Traveling to Costa Rica in February? Don’t skip a volcano hike. You’re now in the heart of peak season in Costa Rica. Plenty of sunshine means the beaches on both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts will be busy. February is also a great time for fishing. Many fishing competitions are held in the country this month. For water-based adventures alone, February could be the best time to visit Costa Rica.
Another one of our favorite things to do on a Costa Rica tour in February is explore the country’s various volcanoes. In the Arenal area, you’ll find one of the world’s most famous volcanoes: Arenal Volcano. Our Costa Rica guides often highlight the Arenal Volcano National Park for its unmatched natural treasures, but our tours also visit Irazú Volcano National Park, home to Costa Rica’s tallest volcano. When the weather is at its peak in February, these regions are primed for discovery. On our A Week in Costa Rica: San José, Arenal & Guanacaste tour and our Grand Tour of Costa Rica: From the Caribbean to the Pacific, you’ll get to marvel at both volcanoes and enjoy opportunities to hike on and around them, too. Arenal may be the most famous, but Irazú is stunning, too—especially from a viewing platform where you can see its crater and the brilliantly colored lagoon at its center.
Celebrate Costa Rica in March with a fabulous beach vacation. We know that there are plenty of options for Spring Break getaways, but what makes a Costa Rica tour an exciting choice for March is the glorious, hot weather. This month is usually the driest of the year in Costa Rica, which makes exploring beaches and jungles alike even more spectacular. So, March could be the best time of the year to go to Costa Rica if you want to spend a lot of time in or by the water.
Water-based excursions play a particularly big role on our Costa Rica for Solo Travelers: Volcanoes, Jungles & Beaches tour. In addition to sunbathing on the powdery sands of Guanacaste’s most stunning beaches (we have a fantastic sailing and snorkeling excursion there, too), this nine-day itinerary also includes a Tárcoles River cruise where you may see crocodiles lurking. The visit to the Pacific coast will take you to Palo Seco as well, where you can help with a mangrove reforestation project. Playa Palo Seco has one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in Central America, and this reforestation effort is a critical part of Costa Rica’s vast sustainability initiative.
April in Costa Rica is perfect for a visit to a cloud forest. You may already know about Costa Rica’s beaches and jungles, but did you know that the country is also home to beautiful cloud forests? These tropical areas characterized by low-level clouds create a uniquely mysterious, yet picturesque, energy. Monteverde Cloud Forest is an iconic Costa Rican destination that you simply can’t miss.
Located in the country’s northwest, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is one of the most beloved spots visited on our Costa Rica tours, especially for nature lovers. Did you know that Monteverde is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, including 3,000 plant species? And on our Highlights of Central America: Costa Rica & Panama tour, you’ll hike around Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, where birders will get their fill of toucans, hummingbirds, quetzals, and more. Then, follow that up by participating in a reforestation project at Heliconia Ranch, where you’ll get to plant native trees.
Weather in Costa Rica in December, January, February, March & April
Average temperatures range between 75 F and 94 F.
The wet season
is perfect for wildlife viewing and surfing
While most of the year is technically part of Costa Rica’s wet (or green) season, different months in different regions will mean different things in terms of the amount of precipitation you can expect during a Costa Rica tour. May, June, and November may look a lot like the dry season with some rain thrown in. And while the Caribbean coast may expect heavier rainfall from July until October, some parts of the Pacific coast, which gets the lowest amount of rain year-round, could still be a great choice for a crowd-free vacation during the same spell. And for surfers, Costa Rica from August to November is considered the prime time for chasing skyscraping ocean swells.
So, when is the best time to visit Costa Rica? Well, if you want fewer crowds, more favorable off-season rates, and wilder seas for exciting water activities, then you may want to take a Costa Rica tour during the wet season. Whether it’s on our A Week in Costa Rica: San José, Arenal & Guanacaste tour or our Costa Rica: Rainforests, Volcanoes & Wildlife tour, the infectious pura vida lifestyle will be there whenever you decide to take a trip.
Months to experience the wet, or green, season in Costa Rica
May, June, July, August, September, October & November
Costa Rica in May has fewer crowds. For a lot of travelers, May is one of the best times to visit Costa Rica, because it’s not peak travel season anymore but it’s not really that rainy yet. This means the country’s most famous landmarks won’t be that crowded, but you can still expect some good weather. We love the sound of that!
May then becomes a great month for our Grand Tour of Costa Rica: From the Caribbean to the Pacific, because you get a comprehensive two-week itinerary of classic Costa Rica, touching on its greatest hits from coast to coast. With fewer crowds to deal with, bucket list activities—wildlife spotting at Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, soaking in the hot springs by the Arenal Volcano, and relaxing on Guanacaste’s most sought-after beaches—become a lot more enjoyable.
In June, Costa Rica is beautifully lush. Costa Rica ranks very highly as one of our favorite places to visit in June thanks to the tourism slowdown that allows us easier access to more of the country’s blooming landscapes. Costa Rica tours this time of year will see more rainfall, which helps make a very green destination even greener. Yes, June is the first month of the wet season, which means you might experience daily rainfall, but you can still expect lots of sunny days (interspersed with refreshing showers, mostly in the afternoons). Your expert Tour Director will adjust your itinerary to accommodate this shift in conditions, too, so that you get the most out of your visit each day.
Our A Week in Costa Rica: San José, Arenal & Guanacaste tour is great in June because the San Jose region usually experiences the least amount of rainfall compared to the rest of the country. It’s also an ideal month to see Guanacaste, typically quite dry, lush with foliage. This time of year is one of the best times to visit Costa Rica for wildlife viewing, too, especially in the national parks. With fewer crowds on trails, it’ll be easier to spot monkeys and sloths. On our Grand Tour of Costa Rica: From the Caribbean to the Pacific, make sure you keep your eyes peeled for quetzals in Monteverde; June is one of the final months of their breeding season.
Watch turtles lay their eggs in Costa Rica in July. So there may be fewer quetzal sightings in July, but if you’re interested in other wildlife species, July is one of the best times to travel to Costa Rica. The country is teeming with magical animals regardless of when you time your trip, but July is a particularly special time of year to spot sea turtles along the Caribbean coast. Tortuguero National Park is one of the nesting spots for green sea turtles—about 30,000 females are here per season. And on our Costa Rica: Rainforests, Volcanoes & Wildlife tour, you can book an excursion to watch them lay their eggs. It’s a special moment you’ll never forget.
August brings more impressive wildlife spotting in Costa Rica. The wet season not only transforms Costa Rica into a verdant wonderland, but August specifically is a fantastic month for wildlife watching. Birders will have plenty to look forward to, and land animals are plentiful throughout this time of year. But August is notable for whales, especially along the Pacific coast, where humpbacks are breeding and feeding.
Our Grand Tour of Costa Rica: From the Caribbean to the Pacific could be a great option in August when you can complement jaw-dropping wildlife sightings with a variety of local activities, like a tour and tasting at a coffee plantation, an Afro-Caribbean drum and salsa lesson, and hikes toward various waterfalls. A Costa Rica tour wouldn’t be complete without visiting a couple of thundering waterfalls, and they’re more impressive during the rainy season when they’re bursting with water.
Come to Costa Rica in September for the best deals. While September is known for bringing some of the heaviest rainfall of the year, it’s still a great time to plan a Costa Rica tour, especially if you’re looking for great deals and almost zero crowds. It’s important to note, however, that visiting more remote pockets of the country could be more difficult in September (and October) because of flooding.
But if you don’t mind getting a little wet, a September trip reveals an incredibly lush Costa Rica—the magical rainforest will look almost otherworldly given how dense and green it becomes. This is the Costa Rica that some travelers dream about: thick, jungle landscapes full of quirky wildlife. And the fact that you can have it practically to yourself, and at lower prices, is a bonus. So, if you’re looking for a great deal on a tropical paradise, September could be the best time to go to Costa Rica.
If you’re a surfer, strong ocean swells make October the best time to visit Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a dream destination for surfing. If you’re a beginner, you’ll want to visit during the dry season, when waters are calmer. But more experienced athletes who are keen on conquering skyscraping waves should plan for a Costa Rica tour in October.
Our Costa Rica itineraries—such as our A Week in Costa Rica: San José, Arenal & Guanacaste tour and our Costa Rica for Solo Travelers: Volcanoes, Jungles & Beaches tour—have plenty of free time (many with entire days at your disposal), so you can head out to sea with a surfboard. These flexible schedules will allow you to combine epic sightseeing days with equally unforgettable moments getting acquainted with Costa Rica’s various surf breaks.
In November, rain will start to taper off in Costa Rica. Similar to May, November can be the perfect month to visit Costa Rica for many travelers. While it’s technically still part of the green season, it’s more realistic to think of November as a transitional shoulder-season month. This means you can expect to get a mix of both wet and dry conditions. There will be less rain, especially toward the end of the month, but you still get the perk of traveling amidst fewer fellow visitors.
Whether you decide to go on our epic Grand Tour of Costa Rica: From the Caribbean to the Pacific or to make new travel friends on our Costa Rica for Solo Travelers: Volcanoes, Jungles & Beaches tour, you can get a lot out of Costa Rica in November, even if the weather can be unpredictable. Surfing conditions are still fierce and there will be plenty of wildlife moments to savor. Plus, with the decrease in rainfall, you can also enjoy more outdoor adventures, including jungle hikes and visits to various agricultural projects, like the organic pineapple plantation in the Sarapiqui region. If you can tolerate unpredictable weather, November can be one of the best times to visit Costa Rica.
Weather in Costa Rica in May, June, July, August, September, October & November
Average temperatures range between 77 F and 93 F.
Have you chosen the best time to visit Costa Rica to experience it just the way you want? Shop our Costa Rica tours and start planning an unforgettable trip now.
