Best and Worst Times to Visit Costa Rica Explained

When are the best and worst times to visit Costa Rica?

This question depends entirely on what you’re looking to do, where you want to go, and ultimately what you want to get out of your trip to Costa Rica.

The short, generic answer is that there is no bad time to visit Costa Rica and that you’ll love it here whenever you come. We live here and we love it, so of course, that’s our answer!

But being completely transparent, there are times to plan your visit that will much better suit certain interests and activities, than others.

Just bear in mind that the worst time for one person’s visit could be the best for another’s!

We’ve called Costa Rica our home for 13 years, and we’ve seen the country at its best and at its worst. 

Let your well-qualified amigos here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga help you decide when’s the best time and the worst time for your visit based on which version of Costa Rica you’re looking for.

Let’s Start by Discussing Weather

There’s no doubt that the weather plays a role when deciding which time of year to visit this beautiful and tropical country.

Weather you decide (see what we did there?) to come during the dry season or the tropical season, Costa Rica has something magical for you to experience.

Coming to Costa Rica at any time of the year promises to be incredible. However, certain activities and needs are certainly more geared towards one of the two seasons.

Best and Worst Seasons to Visit

Costa Rica doesn’t have seasons like summer and winter. Here, we have the dry season and the tropical season. For more information on Costa Rica’s different seasons, check out our blog on weather in Costa Rica.

But in a nutshell, Costa Rica’s driest months are December – May and the wettest months are June – October, with November being a transition month between the two seasons.

Typically, these drier months are also the hottest, and the wetter months are cooler (but still warm). 

Just based on this, visitors seeking very dry heat and lots of sunlight should plan their trip for December – May, while those looking for a more tropical vibe should plan for June – October.

But deciding on when to visit involves more than just whether you want it to rain or be dry. There are other factors that go into you having the trip of your life here in Costa Rica – we’ll get to this in a bit.

Bodhi Pro Tip: The dryer months tend to be Costa Rica’s peak season, but don’t let the tropical, or “green season” scare you off. This is one of our favorite times of year, check out our blog to learn why we love it so much!

Where to Be, and When?

Regardless of the time of year, there are parts of Costa Rica that are typically drier, wetter, warmer, and cooler than others.

It might be that for your dream trip to Costa Rica it doesn’t matter the time of year that you visit, but more the location that you choose for your trip.

Although it’s a small country (population of only 5 million!), Costa Rica has a wealth of different landscapes based on where in the country you are. These include:

• Volcanoes
• Cloud forests
• Beaches and coastlines
• Jungles

For example, if you’re looking to cool off and indulge in the cloud forests, the time of year becomes a little less relevant. Heading to somewhere like Monte Verde, you’re pretty much good to go at any point in the year, whether it be the dry or “tropical season.”

This is because Monteverde reaches 1,800 m in altitude, meaning you can expect it to be cool and breezy throughout the year. I visited this beautiful part of the country last March, and I put on sweatpants and a hoodie any time I went outside!

On the other hand, certain parts of the country are typically dry year-round. Take the Caribbean coast for example.

Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast is known for having less annual rainfall than the Pacific coast. However, this does not mean that it only rains on the Pacific side and never rains in the Caribbean. 

This just means that if you are visiting Costa Rica during the tropical (and best) season and you want to head to the beach, you’ll probably find that it’s drier on the Caribbean side. 

But what’s wrong with visiting the beach when the jungle and nature that surround it are at their most alive – isn’t that the whole point of visiting Costa Rica?

Seasons Don’t Just Have to Do With Weather

Apart from the weather and the locations that you wish to visit, your desired activities also play a large role in determining which are the best and worst times to visit Costa Rica for you.

This part definitely requires a bit of research. We’ll get you started, but you’ll probably want to take a deeper dive depending on the purpose of your trip and planned activities.

Coming for the Animals and Wildlife?

This is an excellent reason to visit Costa Rica! Truthfully, the country is so rich in wildlife that you’re bound to come across all kinds of forms of wildlife throughout the entire year.

However, certain times of the year promise for better viewing opportunities of specific forms of wildlife.

Whale Watching

Costa Rica is one of the best countries in the world to experience the migration of humpback whales.

Actually, our small slice of paradise here in Costa Rica is probably one of the best places in the country for it.

The national park that we conduct our surf lessons at is also a launching pad for whale-watching tours. The park’s name – The Marino Ballena National Park, even comes from the humpback whales that visit our warm waters year after year.

If your main idea behind visiting Costa Rica is to get a glimpse of these majestic creatures, you’ll definitely want to be tactical with the timing of your trip.

Here on the South Pacific coast, we have two whale seasons per year. 

The southern hemisphere humpback whales pass through our waters between July and the end of October as they migrate from Antarctica to raise their young in warmer waters.

The second whale-watching season occurs from December to March when northern hemisphere humpback whales visit us from as far north as Alaska to breed and raise their calves.

When booking whale-watching tours here in Uvita, we always recommend that our guests go with Bahia Aventuras.

Sea Turtle Nesting and Hatching

Here in Costa Rica, we have five of the world’s seven species of sea turtles:

• Olive Ridley
• Leatherback
• Green
• Loggerhead
• Hawksbill

Our two coastlines both have seasons for sea turtle nesting and hatching—witnessing this natural phenomenon truly is extraordinary!

For those visiting the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, July through October are the prime months for Olive Ridley Turtles, while February through June are great months to spot the Loggerhead, Hawksbill, and Leatherback sea turtles here.

As for our side of the country – the Pacific coast, Olive Ridley sea turtles show up on our shores to nest from July through December, while Leatherback and Green Turtles lay their eggs from November through March.

During these specific times of the year, the beaches around us here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga often hold turtle releases. This is where national park rangers release newly hatched sea turtles back onto the beach to make their own way into the ocean.

On-land Wildlife Spotting

Ok, so this one does kind of have to do with the weather.

Many people come to Costa Rica to witness the thriving exotic wildlife that the country is so famous for – and rightly so! Wildlife spotting here in Costa Rica is second to none.

While visiting at any time of the year you’re guaranteed to spot all kinds of wildlife, nature and wildlife experts say that visiting during our rainy season is best for spotting flora and fauna.

To us, this makes complete sense. The rainforest and everything that calls it home will, of course, be at its most alive when it’s raining – that’s the whole point of a rainforest!

Here in our home of Uvita, there are various birding and wildlife spotting tours that our guests enjoy taking part in. Many of our guests’ favorite animals that they spot during this season include:

• Sloths (everyone’s favorite)
• Monkeys
• Kinkajous
• Camens
• Insects
• A large variety of bird species

Check out our recent YouTube video to learn why we love this season so much.

Things to Take Into Account

Once you’ve decided on where in the country you’d like to visit and what you’d be interested in doing, we recommend doing a little research on the month that you think you’ll be visiting in.

Throughout the year in Costa Rica, just like with any country in the world, there are various holidays and celebrations that take place around the country.

We don’t say this to say that you’re better off visiting while there is or isn’t a cultural celebration going on, it’s just smart to know what’s going to be going on in the country during your visit.

For example, for those coming from the United States of America, imagine someone traveling across the world to visit the states over the Fourth of July. 

Sure, it’d be a lot of fun immersing in the celebrations, but they might find that a lot of the sights and activities that they wished to see and do are closed due to the holiday. 

Just by doing a quick Google search for “USA holidays in July,” this visitor now knows what to expect and can determine if it still makes sense to visit during this time or not.

Costa Rica’s Biggest Holiday – Semana Santa

Semana Santa, or “holy week,” is Costa Rica’s biggest country-wide religious celebration, along with Christmas.

Here in Costa Rica, Semana Santa is what many of us know as Easter. As Costa Rica is a largely religious country, this celebration is taken seriously.

It’s a great time to visit Costa Rica for a number of reasons, but it might not be for you. Again, it all depends on what you want your trip to involve.

Semana Santa is an excellent display of Costa Rica’s culture and the Tico’s devotion to their religion.

During this week in April, many restaurants, attractions, and services alter their hours or close completely. They do this to allow workers and staff to celebrate by taking part in the parades and celebrations that take place throughout the country.

Another thing worth noting if thinking about visiting Costa Rica during Semana Santa, is that there is much more tourism, especially along the coastal areas. 

This isn’t just international tourism with people flying in from across the world, but it’s domestic tourism, too. This public holiday is a great chance for Ticos, especially those that live in San Jose, to get out and explore their beautiful country.

Learn more about Costa Rica’s culture and religion by checking out our blog post.

Cultural and Wildlife Celebrations Throughout the Year

Throughout the entire year there are many cultural celebrations that take place in Costa Rica.

Some of these may interest you enough to base your trip around visiting them, or again – it’s good to understand what’s going on in the country while you’re here. Let’s take a dive into just a few of the most notable.

Festival de las Ballenas (September)

This is a unique celebration of culture and wildlife that takes place here in our home of Bahia Ballena, Uvita, Costa Rica.

This festival’s name translates to “Festival of the Whales”, and is a celebration that includes educational workshops, food, music, and whale watching tours.

It serves to celebrate and share information on the humpback whales that migrate to us here each year, playing an important role in the ocean ecosystems and the livelihood of our community.

Independence Day (September)

Costa Rica gained their independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. Now, each year on that same day, Ticos join to celebrate across the entire country.

As you’d expect, this day is feriado (a public holiday) and is celebrated with parades in the streets, containing lots of music, dancing, and colors. Houses and roads are filled with the smells of typical Costa Rican dishes – it’s a great celebration of the country’s proud culture.

Limon Carnival (October)

The Limon Carnival is a celebration of Costa Rica’s large Afro-Caribbean heritage. It takes place in the port town of Limon, and is similar to other carnivals that the Caribbean islands are well known for.

At this carnival, you’ll see people pour into the streets dressed in colorful and flamboyant costumes, all joining in to dance to the energetic sounds of Caribbean music. Here, you can find Caribbean-style food on offer as well, including Limon’s famous Pollo Caribeño.

Festival de La Luz (December)

“The Festival of Lights” takes place in central San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital. This event includes a parade with floats, masquerades, live music, and fireworks.

The main aim of this festival is to bring joy and light into the city leading up to the holiday season. Its origins date back to 1996, and is now one of the most highly anticipated annual events in Costa Rica.

So, When’s the Best Time for Your Visit to Costa Rica?

Now all that’s left to do is pack your bags and book your ticket to Costa Rica!

We just know you’ll have an amazing time here whenever you come and whatever you end up doing. 

But we’re also sure that you’re now empowered to plan your dream trip to Costa Rica, based on the factors that we’ve discussed.

If your planning brings you down here to Uvita, Bahia Ballena, great! We’d be stoked to have you here for a week (or two) of our immersive surf + yoga camps. 

Just surf on over to our website and take a look to see if we’re a good match, we’d be honored to be a part of your Costa Rica experience.