Weather Costa Rica: Costa Rica Climate

Costa Rica is a tropical country and has distinct wet and dry seasons. However, some Costa Rica areas & regions are rainy all year, while others are very dry and sunny for most of the year. Temperatures vary primarily with elevations, not with seasons: On the coasts it's hot all year, while up in the mountains, it can be cool at night any time of year. At the highest elevations such as mount Chirripo (3,000-3,600m/9,840-11,808 ft.), frost is common.

Generally, Costa Rica's rainy season (or "green season") is from May to mid-November. Costa Ricans call this wet time of year their winter. The dry season, considered summer by Costa Ricans, is from mid-November to April.

In Guanacaste, the dry northwestern province, the dry season lasts several weeks longer than in other places. Even in the rainy season, most often days start off sunny, with rain falling in the afternoon and evening.

On the Caribbean coast, especially south of Limon, areas like Tortuguero, Cahuita, Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo, you can count on rain year-round, although this area gets less rain in September and October than the rest of Costa Rica.

In general, the best time of year to visit weather-wise is in December and January, when everything is still green from the rains, and the sky is clear.