Country guide
Costa Rica
Cloud-forest ziplines, volcano hot springs and two coasts of surf and sloths; December to April is the dry season.
Currency
CRC
Language
Spanish
English
Widely spoken
Payment
Cards & cash mixed
Power
Type A / B
120 V, 60 Hz
Dialing
+506
Destinations
Jaco
Costa Rica's closest surf town to the capital, with a learner's beach in front and a heavy, contest-grade break just south.
✓ best Dec-AprLa Fortuna
A volcano that stopped performing in 2010 and got more popular anyway, because the hot water it left behind never switched off.
✓ best Dec-AprManuel Antonio (Quepos)
The rainforest park where sloths and squirrel monkeys share the trail down to a swimming cove.
✓ best Jan-MarMonteverde
A forest that lives inside a cloud, saved by Quaker dairy farmers who came here because the country had no army.
✓ best Dec-AprSan Jose
The coffee republic's capital, with an opera house paid for by the harvest and pre-Columbian gold beneath its main plaza.
✓ best Sep-Oct, Dec-AprTamarindo
Costa Rica's most developed surf town, wrapped around a beginner's beach break, a crocodile estuary and a leatherback nesting beach.
✓ best Jul, Nov-AprThe sweet-spot windows
Good weather, thinner crowds, better prices: the windows worth aiming for.
| Where | When | Why it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caribbean | Sep-Oct, Feb-Mar | Caribbean flips: driest here when the Pacific floods | May-Aug, Nov-Dec wet |
| Pacific coast | Dec-Apr, Jul | Dry season sunny. Jul veranillo = brief dry spell mid-wet | Sep-Oct wettest |
Climate zones, month by month
Costa Rica has 6 distinct climate zones. The right month depends on where in the country you're going.
Jaco Central Pacific →
✓ Best Dec-Apr · ✗ Avoid Sep-Oct
Watch for Jun-Nov cyclones & hurricanes risk · Sep-Oct monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
La Fortuna Arenal →
✓ Best Dec-Apr · ✗ Avoid May-Jun, Sep-Nov
Watch for May-Jun, Sep-Nov monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Manuel Antonio (Quepos) Central Pacific →
✓ Best Jan-Mar · ✗ Avoid May-Nov
Watch for May-Nov monsoon flooding risk · Jun-Nov cyclones & hurricanes risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Monteverde Cloud Forest →
✓ Best Dec-Apr · ✗ Avoid May-Jun, Sep-Nov
Watch for May-Jun, Sep-Nov monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
San Jose Central Valley →
✓ Best Sep-Oct, Dec-Apr
Conditions Jan Mild, showers · Feb Drier · Mar-Apr Warm · May-Aug Wet · Sep Caribbean drier · Oct Caribbean dry window · Nov Wet · Dec Mild
Watch for Sep-Oct monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Tamarindo Guanacaste →
✓ Best Jul, Nov-Apr · ✗ Avoid Sep-Oct
Conditions Jan Dry & sunny · Feb Dry · Mar-Apr Dry & hot · May Wet starts · Jun Wet · Jul Veranillo (dry spell) · Aug Wet · Sep-Oct Wettest · Nov Drying · Dec Dry returns
Watch for Jan-May extreme heat risk · Jun-Nov cyclones & hurricanes risk · Sep-Oct monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions