If you’ve started to plan your next visit to Costa Rica, you’ve no doubt heard the Costa Rica rainy season mentioned when planning your trip. As with traveling anywhere in the world, it’s important to choose the best time of year for the activities you are planning for your vacation. Today we’re going to debunk some of the most common myths about the rainy season to help you decide whether this is a good time of year for your visit to Costa Rica.
When is the Costa Rica Rainy Season?
First things first – let’s find out when the Costa Rica rainy season is. In Costa Rica, we generally split the year into two seasons; the summer and the winter. The Costa Rica rainy season, which is sometimes referred to as winter or the green season, runs from May to November. The only exceptions to this rule are Arenal, La Fortuna, and the Caribbean coast, where their seasons run the other way around. It’s important to note that the average rainfall varies from month to month each year, so you’ll also want to keep this in mind during your stay. Let’s get into it.
Best Time to Travel to Costa Rica During the Rainy Season
If you can only manage to get time off from work during the rainy season, don’t let this stop you from booking a trip to Costa Rica. There are many benefits of traveling in the Costa Rica rainy season, but you’ll want to choose where you travel during certain months carefully. The best time to travel to Costa Rica is dependent on where you are looking to explore and what you are wanting to do, so keep reading as we go through the rainy season with our recommendations of where to visit.
May and June in Costa Rica
May is a great time to travel to Costa Rica, as you’ll barely notice the start of the Costa Rica rainy season. By the end of the month, the light showers pick up in the late afternoons, but you’ll find a good part of the day is great for spending at the beach, surfing at popular beginner breaks, and cruising on a catamaran in the Pacific’s blue waters. It’s a good time to head to the northwest of the country and explore Tamarindo, Nosara, or Santa Teresa. You could also stop by Manuel Antonio, Monteverde, Arenal, and Uvita during this time.
July and August in Costa Rica
The Costa Rica rainy season picks up in July and August, but you can still enjoy heading to the drier northwest coast. There’s a slightly strange exception to this time of the year in Costa Rica, as around mid-to-late July, you’ll find that ‘veranillo’ takes place, which stands for little summer. This offers visitors a few weeks of beautiful summer weather, but the time of year it takes place moves around each year. Expect a few weeks of dry weather in July or August, where locals and visitors enjoy a short time without rainfall. Most people assume the rainy season in Costa Rica looks like stormy, heavy rains every day – this is definitely not the case! You can expect many days of sun, mostly afternoon showers, and at times beautiful shows of stormy weather over the ocean! The amazing penthouse in Condominio Bocaraca is perfect for watching Tamarindo sunsets and stormy afternoons across the horizon.
September, October, (and Our Favorite Month) November in Costa Rica
The final months of the Costa Rica rainy season are known for their heavier rain. If you are keen to hit the waves and are a confident surfer, this could be a great time for you to visit. On the South Pacific coast, you’ll find that a lot of hotels shut down completely during September and October, making it the perfect time to settle into one of our vacation rentals like Casa Del Mar and enjoy some family time in one of Costa Rica’s most popular destinations, Flamingo beach. The rainy season usually wraps up around mid-November making it our personal favorite month of the year. The lush green fauna is particularly thriving, the animals are happy, the rain has calmed down – it’s a great time to be in Costa Rica.
Why The Rainy Season is The Best Time To Travel To Costa Rica
As you can see, there are plenty of choices when it comes to where to travel in Costa Rica during the rainy season. In fact, we often find there to be many advantages to traveling during the Costa Rica rainy season. Let’s take a look at why we believe this is a fantastic time to experience our beautiful coast.
The Costa Rica Rainy Season Isn’t What You Think
While you might be put off by its name, the Costa Rica rainy season isn’t quite what you may expect. Even when the weather forecast shows days and weeks of rain, it usually only just involves a few hours of rain in the afternoon. The only exception to this is September and October, where you might experience more rain showers throughout the day. If you are a pluviophile, this is THE perfect scenario for you. It’s a great time to head back to your villa and chill out for a few hours, looking out at the beautiful scenery. You’ll still have plenty of time to explore and enjoy everything Costa Rica has to offer. Whether you are into horseback riding, surfing, snorkeling, kayaking, spearfishing, golfing, ATVing – you can rest assured all those dreamy adventures are still in store.
The Green Season Brings Out the Best in Costa Rica
Many of the locals here in Costa Rica absolutely love the rainy season. It helps to cool off the day a little bit but also brings out the greenery in the scenery here. The summer can feel very dry and long to locals, but once the rain comes in, the country comes to life in a whole new way. If you’ve never been to Costa Rica before, you’ll be blown away by the natural scenery during the Costa Rica rainy season.
Take Advantage of the Lower Prices and Crowds
Of course, the rainy season puts off a lot of first-time visitors to Costa Rica, this means you’ll end up benefiting from lower crowds and prices! Accommodation prices drop by up to 25% during this season, specifically during August to October. Check out El Destino Penthouse’s Green Season pricing for some insight into just what kind of amazing deals you can get during these months. Saving on accommodations will give you extra cash to spend on fun activities and dining out! On top of that, wherever you travel, you’ll find the beaches and attractions much more manageable. It will be just like having a slice of paradise all to yourself during this best time to travel to Costa Rica.
Fun Activities and Wildlife Spotting
You no doubt have a few bucket list activities in mind for your trip to Costa Rica. Some activities are far more enjoyable in the Costa Rica rainy season, which is why it’s one of the best times to travel to Costa Rica. The green season attracts a whole host of wildlife, including sea turtles, in the last few months of the green season. Google ‘Arribada in Costa Rica’ and try NOT to buy a plane ticket… You’ll have a better chance of spotting dolphins and whales in the wild in August and September, and the rain makes white-water rafting much more fun too. The visibility is also improved for diving and snorkeling, so it’s a great time of year for active adventures in Costa Rica.
As you can see, there are so many reasons to visit during the Costa Rica rainy season, which is why we believe it’s still one of the best times to travel to Costa Rica. You’ll find that most of the amenities in Costa Rica are still open during this time, and with a little advance planning, you’ll find some great deals on accommodation during the rainy season. For more information about booking a stay during the Costa Rica rainy season, don’t hesitate to contact our team at Tropical Homes of Costa Rica. We’ll be excited to help you plan your next visit to Costa Rica and help you to discover this beautiful country for yourself.