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When is the best time to visit Costa Rica?

Month by month: the weather on each coast, the wildlife, the busy weeks, and when to book early.

There's no bad month to visit Costa Rica, just different trips. Two things shape every month. The Pacific side (Guanacaste, Manuel Antonio, the Osa Peninsula and San José) has a clear dry season from December to April and a green season from May to November. The Caribbean side (Tortuguero, Puerto Viejo and, inland, Arenal) keeps its own calendar, with no real dry season but two calmer spells, February to March and September to October.

  • January: the heart of our summer on the Pacific side. The first week is busy with holiday travelers; the rest of the month is perfect for escaping winter. Humpback whales from the north are in the Pacific from December to March or April.
  • February: wonderful weather and a popular month, with Valentine's Day and Presidents' Day (15 February in 2027). The Caribbean starts one of its calmer spells. Book early.
  • March: the driest, sunniest month on the Pacific, and one of the most popular. Depending on the year, spring breaks start late in the month, and Easter week (Semana Santa) can fall now. It is the busiest week of the year here and hotels fill early. In 2027 it runs 21 to 28 March. Leatherback turtles start nesting on the Caribbean coast.
  • April: much like March. Easter or spring breaks can fall in the first weeks, as school calendars vary. By the end of the month the dry season winds down and it gets quieter. In 2028, Easter week is 9 to 16 April.
  • May: the green season begins, though in Guanacaste the rains don't usually build until June. Quieter, good value, and the weather is still lovely.
  • June to August: summer holidays in the US, so a favorite time for families. On the Pacific side, mornings are usually clear and the rain comes in the afternoon, often clearing up around dinner. Go ziplining, hiking or rafting in the morning, then take a siesta. July and August often bring a drier spell on the Pacific, our "veranillo" or little summer. Southern humpback whales arrive off Uvita and the Osa Peninsula from July, and green turtles nest at Tortuguero from June to October.
  • September and October: the wettest months on the Pacific side. This is when the Caribbean coast has its own mini summer, so it's where we always recommend going now. It's also turtle season at Tortuguero, the southern humpbacks are still here in September, and more than a million migrating birds of prey pass over the Caribbean near Puerto Viejo, with October the peak.
  • November: the rain eases as we move toward summer, and the first northern humpbacks return late in the month. Thanksgiving week has become very popular (Thanksgiving is 26 November in 2026 and 25 November in 2027), so book ahead.
  • December: summer begins on the Pacific side. The first two weeks are a favorite of ours, before it gets busy. From mid-December, when schools close, it's the busiest time of year. For Christmas and New Year, plan well ahead and expect peak-season rates. December is the Caribbean's rainiest month.

Whatever your dates, we'll tell you what to expect where you're going. For the seasons by region, see What is the weather like?