Thinking about planning a vacation to Costa Rica and wondering when is the best time to visit Costa Rica? The dry season, which runs from December through April, is the best time to visit Costa Rica. No wonder the winter is the busiest season due to the beautiful weather and large number of visitors. The bright and sunny Caribbean coast or Monteverde, where it will probably rain whenever you go, are some options for travelers heading there during the rainy (or “green” season), which lasts from May to November.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Costa Rica?
The landscape of Costa Rica encompasses everything from beaches bordered with rainforest to communities in the interior at a mid-elevation to mountains, and each has its unique daily weather patterns and temperatures. This regional weather fluctuation is caused by both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea on each side, in addition to factors related to elevation. Apart from that, the country’s wet and dry seasons typically follow the same pattern: winters are dry and summers are rainy.
The winter season is the most popular time to travel precisely for this reason. There are a few things to keep in mind. Costa Rica’s 12-hour days provide the sun plenty of chances to show through, even when it’s raining. Even the heat is tropical, thus high temperatures, high humidity levels, and sporadic cloudbursts might be experienced around the year.
What To Do During The Dry Season?
Now that you have an idea on when is the best time to visit Costa Rica, let’s look at what to do there during the dry season. Costa Rica is filled with unlimited attractions and activities, so the below list includes the most popular places to visit during the dry season.
Arenal Volcano National Park
The dazzling blue-green La Fortuna Waterfall is located in Arenal. The wet season’s constant rains can muddy the clarity of this natural feature, reducing from what makes it such a popular location thus it is best to visit this picturesque spot in the winter. Here’s more on making the best from your visit to Arenal Volcano National Park.
San José
The largest and busiest city in the nation is San José. Although its skyline isn’t dotted with dozens of skyscrapers, it does have a vibrant nightlife and a ton of public parks, museums, and churches. We can all agree that touring in cities is simply more enjoyable when the sun is out. Read our take on how to explore Costa Rica in 7 days and learn about the best things to do in San José.
Manuel Antonio
One of the smallest parks in the country, Manuel Antonio National Park, is not to be missed. Loaded with beautiful beaches, the park gives you ample opportunities to sight capuchin monkeys, sloths, and more than 200 different kinds of birds up close.
Poas Volcano National Park
Located an hour away from San José in the Central Valley, the park is home to the biggest active crater in the entire world. There is dense fog during the rainy season that blocks its stunning crater vista, so its numerous hiking trails may not be worth your effort during the wet season.
What To Do During The Rainy Season?
We started this blog post by asking the question – when is the best time to visit Costa Rica? Though the dry season is the best, the rainy season provides ample opportunities to have a fantastic vacation as well.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
Located 3 hours northwest of San José, Monteverde is filled with many animal species on its 26,000 acres of Cloud Forest Reserve. Besides getting to see endangered species such as sloths, monkeys and amphibians, you can explore the area through birdwatching and hiking. Rain is expected throughout the year, so pack your rain gear when you visit the region.
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
One of the few places in Costa Rica where it is usually bright and dry throughout the rainy season is Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. If you are looking for reggae and dancehall-inspired nightlife, then this beach town is perfect for you. The residents of this town follow Afro-Caribbean culture, which will give you an opportunity to experience this first-hand.
Turtle Nesting
The best time to witness mother turtles lay their eggs is during the rainy season, which lasts from mid-July to mid-October. Although the rain may make it difficult for people to enjoy the beach, it won’t stop the turtles. On the northern Caribbean coast, you can consider visiting Tortuguero National Park. Here at night, leatherback and green sea turtles also lay their eggs.
Visit the famous turtle sanctuary in Guanacaste Province, Ostional Wildlife Refuge, which is close to the popular beach area, Nosara. This refuge was created in 1983 to safeguard sea turtle breeding areas from poachers. One of the few places in the world where a spectacular natural occurrence known as an arribada (“arrival”) takes place is on the reserve’s nine miles of beach. Numerous female olive ridley turtles can be seen gathering up on the beach to lay their eggs from July to December (September to November being the most common months). They usually do this the night before the new moon, since the sky is the darkest then.
Hacienda Pozo Azul
White water rafting, horseback riding and canopy tours are available at the 2,000-acre ranch, Hacienda Pozo Azul, located 2 hours away from San José. During the rainy season, water levels are substantially higher, hence you can experience a thrilling rafting experience during this season.
Final Thoughts On When Is The Best Time To Visit Costa Rica
We now have the answer to when is the best time to visit Costa Rica – the dry season is hands down the best time to visit Costa Rica, and is going to be the more expensive time to visit the country. However, the rainy season also provides for ample opportunities to experience nature in Costa Rica. The least expensive time of the year to visit Costa Rica is hence going to be during the rainy season.
If you are looking for inspiration for your Costa Rica vacation, read our artice on how to explore Costa Rica in 7 days. Email us if you want our help in organizing your once-in-a-lifetime Costa Rica trip!
this is such a great article! i’m going to costa rica with my friends and following your guide!