Best Time to Travel to Costa Rica

Costa Rica is the perfect country to consider for adventure lovers and travelers interested in eco-friendly and sustainable travel. This popular Central American destination is beautiful and welcoming with it's famous "Pura Vida" mentality.

Here's our breakdown for when you're considering the best time to travel to Costa Rica!

Essential Facts About Travel in Costa Rica

High (Dry) Season: Mid-December – April

Low (Wet) Season: May – November

It’s popular opinion that the best time to visit Costa Rica is during the country’s dry season, which extends from mid-December to April.

With the popularity comes expense, so consider traveling in the shoulder months - particularly June and July - when you’ll have some rain showers, but not enough to dissuade you from exploring the forests and beaches of Costa Rica.

If you have your heart set on the dry season to visit Costa Rica, make your tour reservations at least three months in advance.

When reviewing our seasonal synopsis, do keep in mind that weather in Costa Rica varies quite a bit by geographical region.

As a general rule, the Carribean Sea coastline and Northern Plains and their thick forests are humid, with year-round temperatures in the 70s and 80s.

In the North Pacific region, the humidity is usually lower, but the temperatures are quite a bit higher, into the 90s during the dry season.

Season Synopsis

Winter in Costa Rica (Mid-December – April)

January typically kicks off the reliable dry season on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. Expect sunny weather for your Costa Rica tour during this time in the Guanacaste and central regions as well, with intermittent afternoon and evening showers.

The northwest region experiences Papagayo winds during January and February, as cooler, dryer air moves down from North America.

February is recognized as one of the best times to travel to Costa Rica for its hot, dry weather in both the Central Valley and at the Pacific beaches.

With the holidays past, prices have dropped. This is a great time to view Costa Rica wildlife - from monkeys and sloths, to Olive Ridley sea turtles and resplendent quetzals. Look through Stride’s 140+ Costa Rica wildlife tours for inspiration.

March and April are within the best season to visit Costa Rica, with the hot, dry trend continuing and abundant wildlife sightings. Expect the year’s hottest temperatures on the Pacific coast.

Move into the high-elevation cloud forest areas of Monteverde, Savegre and Los Angeles for refreshing, lower temperatures.

March is a good time for surfing vacations in Costa Rica with a northern Pacific surge that is smaller than on the southern side, but consistent.

Dry season in Costa Rica finishes up in April, when there is next to no precipitation in the western and central regions. If you’re a beach devotee, soak up the sun in western Costa Rica, expecting temperatures during your tour of up to 96 degrees.

Summer in Costa Rica (May - November)

The best time to visit Costa Rica to beat the crowds is during June and July, after the crowds have departed from the most popular destinations. You’ll be a bit ahead of the worst of the wet season and have the added bonus of seeing the forest foliage come to life.

The rivers are surging a bit more, leading to awesome swimming holes and more advanced whitewater rafting. On the Pacific coastline, you’ll enjoy hot mornings - a great time for the beach - followed by rainy evenings.

If you time your Costa Rica tour right, you’ll be there during the veranillo (little summer) that often occurs for three or four weeks in the northern Pacific region. It’s a short reprieve from the wet season in late July and early August. The Caribbean side of Costa Rica experiences heavy rain throughout June and July.

Moving into September, visitors to Costa Rica find it to be the wettest season on the west side (Pacific) and among the driest weather on the east side (Caribbean).

Sun filtered through the trees in costa rica

Pacific beaches and the central region still get a lot of rain each day, but you can generally expect sunny mornings before the rain sets in. On the southern Pacific coastline and the Osa Peninsula, expect days and weeks of continuous rainfall from September through November.

Festivals in Costa Rica

One of the best times to visit Costa Rica is during a local festival.

Whether it’s a religious holiday, a Central American version of Oktoberfest, or a celebration of the country’s indigenous cultures, Costa Rica knows how to put on a good party!

Here are a few festival options to consider timing your trip to Costa Rica around:

Fiestas Zapote (January)

Following the Festival of Lights from Christmas through New Year’s Eve, Zapote marks the end of the year.

The biggest attraction is the rodeo and its bull fights (don’t worry, no bulls are harmed and it’s all purely fun and entertainment). There are booth games and fair rides galore over a stretch of several blocks.

Fiestas Palmares (January)

Head to the rodeo, ride carnival rides, watch concerts and horse parades - and drink the free-flowing local beer. The festival attracts nearly a million people to Palmares, between Alajuela and San Ramon.

It’s a rowdy atmosphere, but if you don’t mind hordes of fun-loving folks, with a side of bullfighting, this is the best time to visit Costa Rica for you.

Limon Carnival (October)

Locals and tourists alike flock to the Carribean coastal city of Limon in October for this fun, cultural festival. The area is experiencing a mini dry season at this time of the year, making it a great time to get outside and celebrate through dancing, eating, drinking and general merrymaking.

The festival honors Costa Rica’s Caribbean culture, so look for traditional foods, artwork and music. Try the delicious “rica and beans” with coconut and Caribbean spices.

One of the first days of the festival is called Dia de las Culturas and features Afro-Caribbean music from Trinidad and Tobago and the various ethnicities of the area.

Fiestas de los Diablitos (December and February)

Two communities that are home to the Brunka indigenous people are host to two versions of Fiestas de los Diablitos (or Festivals of the Little Devils). The town of Boruca hosts in December and Rey Curre hosts in February.

This is one of the best times to visit Costa Rica weather-wise and a great opportunity to enjoy an authentic local celebration. See villagers in colorful masks and costumes depicting Brunka ancestral spirits and celebrating the people’s victory over the Spanish conquistadors.

There is much dancing and drinking of chica, a fermented corn beverage sipped out of hollow gourds.

What is the Best Month to Visit Costa Rica?

While it is clear that the most popular time to visit Costa Rica is the dry season between December and April, insiders are keen on visiting in May and June.

The crowds have thinned by this time, the national parks are more peaceful, and the countryside and coastline are vibrantly green. Don’t be scared off by the occasional rainfall - it’s that very precipitation that creates all that lovely lushness.

While it is officially the first month of seven months of rain, you won’t be stuck in day-long downpours. Instead, during May and June in Costa Rica, you’ll get sunny mornings with intermittent afternoon showers.

Keep in mind that the weather depends heavily on which part of Costa Rica your tour is visiting.

The sunniest weather is near the Nicaraguan border and along the Central Pacific coast (like Manual Antonio and Jaco).

The climate gets wetter on the Nicoya Peninsula, Rincon de la Vieja National Park and towns located farther south on the Pacific coast (like Dominical and Uvita).

If you have your heart set on a Costa Rica vacation on the Caribbean coast, you will always encounter wetter weather, but even in May, the mornings are generally sunny and beautiful, with heavier rainfall in the afternoon (that’s siesta time, anyway!).

What is the Best Time to Travel to Costa Rica for Birding?

No matter what month you take a Costa Rica tour, you’re apt to see a wide variety of birds. Thanks to the several microclimates throughout the country, native birds are just about everywhere.

However, if it’s migratory birds that you’d like to glimpse, the best time for birdwatching in Costa Rica is September through November. There is less rain around this time, so the birds come out of hiding.

Most birdwatchers in Costa Rica have the quetzal on their life list. Check in with your local Costa Rica tour operator about the best places to spot these long-tailed beauties.

They’ll probably direct you toward the cloud forests during the dry season, where you may be lucky enough to see the quetzals munching on wild avocados.

To delve deeper into the best time to visit Costa Rica for birdwatching, let’s look at the various geographic regions for birding in Costa Rica.

The Caribbean side gets regular most months of the year, creating a consistent food supply for the birds of fruit, insects and reptiles.

Your birding tour along the Costa Rica Caribbean coast is likely to offer views of thousands of raptor migrants, including Mississippi kites, osprey, Cooper's hawks, broad-winged hawks and sharp shin hawks.

Also on the Caribbean coast, the La Selva Biological Station is a popular bird-watching destination. Or, opt for the area around Arenal Volcano, where the lush rainforests are brimming with birdlife.

Cut to the Pacific side of Costa Rica. The best time for birding here is during the shoulder season of May through September. There are fewer people around, making for better bird-watching conditions.

Look for birding tours on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, anytime except September, October and November - there are drenching rainfalls during those months.

Finally, Guanacaste on the northern Pacific coastline are also popular during May and June, as the rain slowly starts to pick up and the foliage blooms.

Commonly Asked Questions About Costa Rica Travel

1. Can I still travel to Costa Rica during the rainy season?

Yes, in fact, the rainy season is one of the best times to visit Costa Rica! From May through November, you’ll likely get some rain every day, but in general, most of the early to mid part of the day still boasts abundant sunshine. Of course, with more than 20 microclimates throughout the country, the weather patterns are variable.

The rainy season is one of the best times to travel to Costa Rica for wildlife viewing. Offshore, the wet season is a favorite of divers. The Bat Islands are only accessible during the rainy time of year - ask about Costa Rica diving tours that will put you up close to the bull sharks and manta rays.

The rainy season is also the best time to glimpse sea turtles during your Costa Rica tour. Visit the Ostional Wildlife Refuge and Tortuguero to see hundreds of nesting turtles.

August and September are the best months for whale-watching in Costa Rica. If you’re in Uvita in August, stick around for the annual whale and dolphin festival.

Finally, remember that it’s the lush, green nature of Costa Rica that you came for. The rainy season is simply beautiful with nature coming to life after the rains. Waterfalls grow in size and rivers swell, making for excellent river rafting.

Don’t overlook the wet months as one of the best times to travel to Costa Rica. Just be flexible and schedule most outdoor activities for the dry mornings.

2. How can I avoid mosquitos during the rainy season in Costa Rica?

Mosquitos are pesky little things - and fairly prevalent in Costa Rica.

Insect-borne illnesses have been in the news in the past few years, no matter what time of year you tour Costa Rica, it’s highly unlikely that you will get sick during or after your visit.

Here's a few tips for avoiding mosquitoes during the rainy season in Costa Rica:

Watch out for the little buggers when you’re in the shade, hiking in covered areas or in the vicinity of an inland body of water, like a wetlands area or pond.
Bring along essential oils - a particular potent combo for keeping mosquitos at bay is coconut oil mixed with lemon eucalyptus oil.
Cover up! Where long-sleeved shirts and long pants that are light colored if you’re going to be hiking in the rainy season.
If your Costa Rica tour accommodations include open-air facilities, bring along a bug net for nighttime.

3. What should I pack for a visit to Costa Rica in the dry season? What about the wet season?

Now that we’ve shown you there’s really no bad time to visit Costa Rica, you’ll have to decide for yourself what you’re hoping for in your tour.

Hot, dry days on the beach … or hushed, lush jungles. (Hint: No matter the time of year, you can actually experience both if you’re flexible.)

So what should you pack to be prepared for the varying weather conditions throughout Costa Rica?

A few items to get your Costa Rica packing list started off right:

A high-quality rain jacket
Lightweight, light-colored tops and bottoms (long- and short-sleeved)*
Comfortable hiking shoes (closed-toe and sandals)
Bathing suit
Sunglasses
Hat
Lightweight jacket or wrap
Mosquito repellent or essential oil
Sunscreen
Day bag
Insulated water bottle
Microfiber, packable towel (great fo wiping off water and sweat from those humid rainforests)
Waterproof phone case

*Quick-dry material is best

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