The Best Time to Visit Costa Rica
Costa Rica runs on two seasons - a sunny, busy dry season and a lush, quiet green season - and the 'best' one depends on whether you're chasing perfect beach weather or lower prices. Here's every month rated for weather, crowds and cost, so you book the trip you actually want.
When is the best time to visit Costa Rica?
The best time to visit Costa Rica is the dry season, roughly mid-December to April, when the Pacific coast and northern lowlands are sunny and rainfall is lowest - ideal for beaches and wildlife spotting. This is also the busiest and priciest window, especially around Christmas-New Year and Easter (Semana Santa). For lush scenery, thinner crowds and lower prices, come in the green season (May to mid-November), with May-June and November offering the best balance of decent weather and value.
Best time to go
Mid-December–April (dry season)
Cheapest time
May–June & November (green season)
When to avoid
September–October (wettest, Pacific side)
Costa Rica climate at a glance
Avg daytime high (°C / °F) · rainfall · season- 31°88°FJan
- 32°90°FFeb
- 33°91°FMar
- 33°91°FApr
- 31°88°FMay
- 30°86°FJun
- 30°86°FJul
- 30°86°FAug
- 29°84°FSep
- 29°84°FOct
- 30°86°FNov
- 31°88°FDec
Every month in Costa Rica is rated for weather, crowds and price. Drag the slider to find your sweet spot - the greener the month, the better value the trip.
Cheapest window: May–June & November (green season)
May: $ · Low crowds · 22–31°C, afternoon rain
Costa Rica month by month
Every month rated for weather, crowds and price, so you can match the trip to the month.
| Month | Weather | Crowds | Price | What it's like |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21–31°C, dry, sunny | Peak | $$$ | Prime dry-season weather with sunny days and low humidity; crowds and prices stay high after the New Year holiday. |
| Feb | 21–32°C, dry | High | $$$ | One of the driest, sunniest months - excellent for beaches and wildlife, and still firmly in peak season. |
| Mar | 22–33°C, dry, hot | High | $$$ | Hot and dry, with the Pacific at its driest; Easter week (Semana Santa) can fall late in the month and spikes domestic travel. |
| Apr | 22–33°C, dry, warm | Moderate | $$ | The dry season winds down and the first rains may arrive late; early April is great value once Easter passes. |
| May | 22–31°C, afternoon rain | Low | $ | The green season begins with lush landscapes and mostly sunny mornings; prices drop and crowds thin - strong value. |
| Jun | 21–30°C, afternoon rain | Low | $ | Wet afternoons but bright mornings and vivid greenery; low prices make this one of the best-value months. |
| Jul | 21–30°C, mixed | Moderate | $$ | A brief drier spell (veranillo) often lifts the Pacific mid-summer, and humpback whales start arriving in the south. |
| Aug | 21–30°C, afternoon rain | Moderate | $$ | Green and warm with regular afternoon showers; whale watching continues off the south Pacific coast. |
| Sep | 21–29°C, wet | Low | $ | The wettest month on the Pacific and Central Valley - but the Caribbean side is often drier and sunnier now. |
| Oct | 21–29°C, wettest | Low | $ | Peak rains on the Pacific with some roads and tours affected; the Caribbean coast is a notable dry-weather exception. |
| Nov | 21–30°C, easing rain | Low | $ | Rains taper off through the month as the dry season returns; lush scenery with low crowds and prices - excellent value. |
| Dec | 21–31°C, drying out | Low then Peak | $$ | Early December is dry and quiet; crowds and prices surge from around Dec 20 for the Christmas-New Year peak. |
When to book Costa Rica
On the table above, May, Jun, Sep, Oct and Nov sit in the bottom price band and Jan, Feb and Mar in the top one. Find the row that sounds like your trip.
| If you want | Months | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The best trip for the money | Apr, Jul and Dec | Rated good above without hitting the top price band, so you are not paying peak rates for the conditions. |
| The lowest price, whatever the weather | May, Jun, Sep, Oct and Nov | The bottom price band. Check the weather column first, because some of these are cheap for a reason. |
| Peak season anyway | Jan, Feb and Mar | Busiest and dearest. This is the window where booking early changes the price, not just what is left. |
| To know what to skip | Sep and Oct | Rated off-peak here. The low price is the compensation, not a bargain. |
- Free cancellation on most rooms
- No booking fee
- Prices on Trip.com
Time it right: Costa Rica's seasonal highlights
Humpback whale migration
Roughly July–OctoberSouthern-hemisphere humpbacks gather off the south Pacific coast (Marino Ballena, near Uvita) - one of the longest whale seasons anywhere.
Turtle nesting
Varies by species, July–October commonSeveral beaches host nesting turtles; Tortuguero on the Caribbean is a highlight roughly July to October, with other species elsewhere.
Dry-season wildlife viewing
December–AprilThinner forest cover and animals gathering near water make the dry months the easiest time to spot wildlife.
Green-season landscapes
May–NovemberAfternoon rains keep the rainforest vivid and waterfalls full, with far fewer visitors on the trails.
Semana Santa (Easter week)
March or AprilThe country's biggest domestic holiday - beaches and roads fill up and many businesses close, so plan ahead.
Best time to visit Costa Rica: FAQ
The timing questions travelers ask most before booking.
Staying in Costa Rica? Book the area before the hotel
Picking the month is half of the decision. The other half is the area, because that is what sets how far you walk and what a room costs. We have no area guide for Costa Rica yet, so start here:
- Free cancellation on most rooms
- No booking fee
- Prices on Trip.com
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Photo credits (2)
Photos via Wikimedia Commons, used under their respective licences.
- Humpback whale migration: MemoOssa - CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
- Dry-season wildlife viewing: Julio-César Chávez - CC BY 4.0 · source