Costa Rica ranks 16th on U.S. News & World Report's list of the world's best places to visit, and according to data collected from more than 1.6 million users worldwide on the travel app . According to Christa from Pura Vida Moms, the worst place to go if you want to avoid mosquitoes in Costa Rica is the Caribbean Coast (around Tortuguero National Park), Osa Penninsula . The rainy season does not mean that it rains nonstop . Let's have a look at them. Wildlife watching:Alaska/California humpback whales; hawksbill, leatherback, green, & olive ridley sea turtles on the Pacific coast, A beautiful, clear day on the Nicoya Peninsula from Hotel Punta Islita. Lets have a look at them. Prices are more affordable than in the high season from December to April . The most interesting feature of the Costa Ricans is their happiness. In Costa Rica will find plenty of exhilarating activities taking place in the greenest habitat and surrounded by exotic wildlife. Weather in the popular capital of San Jos has more in common with Puntarenas than Limon. They're also most crowded. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. | Safety Concerns, Where to Stay in Hawaii in 2023 | Best Islands & Hotels, The 10 Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Jamaica in 2023, 15 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Traveling, The 15 Best Hotels in Ocean City, MD in 2023, The 15 Best Hotels in Rome in 2023 | For All Budgets, The Best Hotels in Orlando in 2023 | For All Budgets, The 15 Best Hotels in Seattle in 2023 | For All Budgets, The 15 Best Hotels in Philadelphia in 2023. Costa Rica is beautifully warm all year, with an average annual temperature of 80-90 Fahrenheit on the coasts and 75-80 in the countryside and on the mountainsides. Liberia (Guanacaste) has dry periods in January, February and March. But Costa Ricas two seasons (dry and rainy) mean the weather there swings wildly throughout the year. While the high season is the most popular travel time, the green season is often a favorite among Costa Rica Experts. Tie in a neighbour. With annual tourism at its lowest point, the prices for airfare, hotels, and rentals plummet and you can score the cheapest Costa Rican vacation. Expect it to be warm and humid. You have an added advantage if you speak English and Spanish because those are the official and dominant languages. The next best time to visit Limon is during September and October, when the average rainfall is six and eight inches a month. The dry season runs from December through April and the rainy season goes from May through November, which coincides with the Pacific hurricane season. Its the best month to visit Costa Rica for the sunniest weather, with about of the days being sunny. The rest . To the North, the Nation borders Nicaragua, and to the South, it has Panama. This is your favorite month for those who want to enjoy the weather transition. It is so bad that hotels and businesses are closed on the South Pacific coast. What Is The Worst Time To Visit Costa Rica? Costa Rica is known for its national parks and vast protected areas. The average highs stay in the mid 80s Fahrenheit or upper 20s Celsius. Corcovado National Park is one of the largest lowland tropical rainforests in Central America and the best place in Costa Rica for wildlife watching. This Central American country is home to wild jungles, incredible national parks, cascading waterfalls, and more. Rainy days and cloudy skies continue throughout the country. are many perks of traveling in rainy season, Where to Find Black Sand Beaches in Costa Rica, Costa Rica Experts Wins 2022 Tripadvisor Travelers Choice Award, Best Time to Visit Costa Rica: What to Expect Month by Month, 8 Costa Rica Natural Mysteries You Have to See to Believe, 10 Top Costa Rica Honeymoon Bungalows & Suites, 3 Costa Rica Hotels Made The Travel & Leisure Top 100 in the World List, Costa Rica Expert Interview with Aaron Daker: top destinations, new hotels, & best months to travel. Youll have an easier time booking a last-minute vacation at this time of year with fewer crowds and less tourists choosing to visit. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These numbers dont guarantee the best months to visit Costa Rica because the weather does vary some from year to year. While theres more rainfall from September through mid-December than any other part of the year, you also benefit from cheaper prices and fewer crowds. On a mission to witness the planet's beauty and diversity, he shares his experiences on this website through articles, videos, and photography, including interactive virtual tours. Be sure to plan your stay before mid-December, because prices (and crowds) pick back up for Christmas break near the end of December. Whether youre looking for lively metro areas with tons of shopping, accommodations, and restaurant options or a tucked-away towns with vibrant and authentic Costa Rican culture, youll find it here. This is the mini summer of Costa Rica. In conclusion, the best time to visit Costa Rica depends on your preferences. The dry season (and tourist peak season) in Costa Rica begins around the United States Thanksgiving holiday, in late November. Avoid Puntarenas and San Jos during the summer and fall, but plan to visit during the winter and early spring. Sunsets are just horrible. Parque Nacional Volcn Arenal. Unless you have been fully guided, avoid the rivers of Costa Rica. This is a good time to travel - as long as you have packed well. Budget-wise, peak weeks that occur around Christmas and Easter are the worst times to visit Costa Rica. Arenal, at 1,670 meters above sea level, is undoubtedly the most well-known of Costa Rica's volcanic giants since it is one of the world's top ten most active volcanoes. Surfing season on the Caribbean Coast is December to March. The vegetation is lush, waterfalls are high, and you have a good chance to see whales, nesting turtles in some regions, and enjoy surfing on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. With a booming tourism industry and tons of things for everyone to enjoy, anyone whos been to beautiful Costa Rica will tell you youve got to see it to believe it. I spent the first half of this year living in Nosara, Costa . Study up and see how you can optimize your Costa Rican getaway without breaking the bank: If you want an unforgettable tropical vacation, Costa Rica is one of the best destinations. 6. September and October These two months are by far the rainiest in Costa Rica. Probably you have been planning on visiting Costa Rica, and you have shed to the internet, the chances are that you are given narrations of how this month is great in Costa Rica. There are two distinct seasons in Costa Rica. On the Pacific Coast, the average high is 92 F and average low is 80 F. This is the hottest month of the year. May, June and July are the rainiest. Even though Costa Rica is a small country, it has vastly different weather patterns, thanks a variety of microclimates. Caving, zip lining, aerial tours, and jungle exploration are all great ways to get out and explore the beauty of Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a lot more expensive than it's neighbouring countries. Both Limon and Puntarenas lie far enough south that they usually avoid either Pacific or Caribbean hurricanes. May is sometimes referred to as the magical month. Here the Gringos are enjoying summer and escaping Winter at the same time. Our advice is to book your holiday vacations well in advance to reserve the best hotel rooms and take advantage of any early bird specials. Rainfall is a possibility, especially around the beginning of November, but light rain showers, are enjoyable, especially while swimming in waterfalls. Rain is not normally a factor in Aruba because the island is arid and averages only 16 inches a year. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. On the Caribbean coast, the average high is 85 F, and average low is 77 F. rainfall increases to almost 3 inches, and an average of 7 rainy days per month. April typically marks the end of the dry season. Animals are still hiding in the thick bushes, and you must travel for so long before seeing them. Here you can do diving, mountain climbing, and snorkeling, among other activities. As you move south along the Pacific coast, humidity levels rise. On the Caribbean coast, the average high is 85 F, and average low is 77 F. Rain falls approximately every other day (on average), with about 7 inches of rainfall during the month. See average monthly temperatures below. If you plan to visit the country during this time, rent your car in Costa Rica ahead of time . This is how we keep the lights on (i.e. . The beautiful flowering trees that flourish during this period, such as the Corteza Amarilla, which exhibits an amazing blaze of yellow blossoms under the scorching sun, will stand out among the dried leaves. Destination Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec; Arenal Volcano: 28 . Sitting at an elevation of 1,670 meters (5,480 feet), Arenal is one of Costa Rica's many volcanoes. Crocodiles occupy many, and some have bull sharks. Due to the high numbers of tourists present, accommodation facilities and most leisure activities/amenities are usually fully booked while the available ones are overpriced. You know the best time to visit Costa Rica, but making the most of your trip to Costa Rica means you need a little more info to plan your getaway. Rainy season in Costa Rica is generally beginning of May to end of November. Learn how your comment data is processed. On the Pacific Coast, the average high is 89 F and average low is 79 F. Cloudy skies predominate, and there are 15 days with rain, receiving about 6 inches of rain total. The hottest weather, however, can be found a little further south along the coast, particularly on the Nicoya peninsulas Southeast and Northwest edges. I only hope to bring you information to help you choose your travel dates. Making the most of your tropical vacation means knowing the best time to visit Costa Rica. , We visited in July and experienced several days of completely clear weather, and some days when there was an hour or two of afternoon rain not bad at all, especially when a lot of the tours in La Fortuna happen in the morning! The humidity increases as you travel south along the Pacific coast. During General Election The Nicoya Peninsula and the mountainous area around Rincon de la Vieja National Park have slight rainfalls compared to other places. The Pacific Coast is noteworthy, as the north Pacific and the south Pacific coasts see marked differences in weather patterns. The best time to visit Costa Rica depends a lot on what you want to do. Therefore, different regions in the country have very different scenery and weather. However, the weather changes all year round due to the countrys two distinct seasons. If you want to enjoy your vacation in the ideal weather, then December and January are the best time to visit Costa Rica. The Ostional Wildlife Refuge in the Guanacaste Province of Nicoya Peninsula is among the best locations to witness this phenomenon. Less favorable weather means fewer crowds hence cheaper costs. Costa Rica is still in the rainy season, and it is one of the wettest months of the year. These months have little to no rain in most of the country. In Central Costa Rica, the average high is 88 F and average low is 73 F. There are about 11 days of rain and 4 inches of rain falling during the month. Costa Rica ranks top among the nations with the happiest people in the world. The mountain regions are yet to dry, the road in them is clogged with mad, and you can still experience rainfalls at any given time. Source: Wikimedia (Creative Commons license), The Puntarenas monthly weather shows some important differences from Limon. It experiences low rainfall from December through April and higher rainfall from June through November. Copyright 2023 The Discovery Nut | Privacy Policy, Best time to visit Costa Rica + When to Avoid A complete guide [2023], 7 Days In Costa Rica: How To Plan Your Itinerary, 22 Best Things To Do In Costa Rica in 2023. Travellers Worldwide is reader-supported. From scarlet macaws to slow-moving sloths, you will be astounded at the diversity of life youll find in this country. Thats great, because youre definitely going to want to try some of the famous dishes this country is known for. Some of them include. Plus earthquakes are almost a daily occurrence and floods are common in the rainy . July is during mini-summer, where there is rain, but its less than other months. Today, Tamperes old cotton mills have been turned into chic malls,, Read More The 20 Best Things to do in Tampere, FinlandContinue, Tahiti is one of those places where the nautical conditions are pretty much near perfect all year long. The hottest month of the year is usually just about 3 degrees Celsius warmer than . Nature is all around you, like this small frog spotted on our journey. Many of the roads in Costa Rica have potholes, lack guard rails, and high speeding youths under the influence of drugs. Youll need to be prepared for rain most days, and heavy rain at that. Multiple pools, Read More 10 Reasons Hacienda Encantada Resort & Residences is the Perfect Group Getaway in Cabo, MexicoContinue, Until not too long ago, Tampere was a slightly gritty town that was better known for its industry than its beauty. There are less tourists, particularly during the months of September-early November, and prices are thus also lower during these times. Authentic specialties like casado, gallo pinto, sopa negra, and more await your taste buds when you dive into the real Costa Rica off the beaten path. No wonder July and August are highly regarded as the best time to visit Costa Rica by travel agencies and experienced travelers in the know! Related Article: 6 Costa Rica Holiday Travel Tips. In this article, I'll be talking about the worst time to visit Costa Rica, as well as providing some tips for making the most of your trip even during less-than-ideal weather conditions. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. April is also historically one of the hottest months of the year. The hottest months of the year in Costa Rica are from February to April, with March or April typically having the highest daily temperatures. There are many perks of traveling in rainy season like discounted hotel rates, less crowds, and more active wildlife. But if beach crowds are more the issue, then the low tourist season of June . Flight from San Jos to Billings. Still, its a great time to visit Costa Rica for a sunny tropical getaway . Not all is gone for those who want to compare the green and the dry weather. The Overmarine group is a shipyard and company that has always produced the Mangusta range of Yachts. Travelers at this time of year will also find lively fiestas and festivals happening all around the nation, complete with bullfights, dancing, and live music. Caribeez.com, The Limon monthly weather shows the best and worst times to visit the port. From the central capital city of San Jose to smaller towns that dot the dreamy coastlines (we especially love Quepos for its natural beauty and immersive cultural experience), Costa Rica is so alive with culture, tradition, and amazing foods. Prices and crowds are at their peak, making this the most expensive and crowded time to visit. Although the dry season offers the best weather for you to take advantage of the majority of outdoor activities, it is also the busiest travel period which may also turn out to be the worst time to visit Costa Rica. 'It's so expensive' were the words on fellow travellers lips. In a nutshell, Costa Rica is a place you should never visit. Copyright 2023 Exploration Junkie. Keep in mind that as you move through different altitudes and regions, the climate can change in minutes.