Everything You Need to Know About Costa Rica in the Rainy Season

Costa Rica is one of the most naturally beautiful countries on the planet, and a huge part of that is due to the rain.

The country’s topography would be completely different without the seasonal rain, which keeps everything so alive. In fact, many of our favorite activities here wouldn’t be possible without it.

Here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga, we’re huge fans of the rain. Simply put, Costa Rica’s warm tropical rains are magical. 

We’ve been running our award-winning surf + yoga camps here in southern Pacific Costa Rica for fourteen years now. So you can bet that we’ve seen our fair share of showers—and we’re thankful for every single drop.

This wetter season is known here by a few names: the rainy season, the green season, the wet season, or even winter (very misleading; we’ll get into this later). 

However you decide to call it, we’re here to empower you to come down here in this magical time of year and have the trip of a lifetime.

Thanks to the Rain, We Have…

Many of Costa Rica’s most famous attributes can be accredited to the seasonal rains.

Before we get into why this time of year is a great time (or even the best!) to visit Costa Rica, it’s important to understand why rain is such a vital resource here.

Thriving Wildlife and Ecosystems

It’s a huge thanks to the rain that Costa Rica is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world.

Costa Rica’s terrain is covered with tropical rainforests. And oh boy, do they come alive during the rainy season. Coming during this season, you’ll see what this beautiful country is all about. 

This is how you witness Costa Rica in all its thriving and flourishing beauty! There’s honestly something special about being in the tropical rainforest when it’s most alive.

Costa Rica holds almost 6% of the world’s biodiversity. Although it has two coastlines and many other natural ecosystems, much of this biodiversity is found in the tropical rainforests.

Tropical rainforests are the most ecologically important resource on the planet. And what would a tropical rainforest be without rain?

It’s because of how these ecosystems come alive during this time of year that many people refer to it as “the green season”, rather than the rainy season.

Fresh Drinking Water

Costa Rica is known for having some of the cleanest and most accessible drinking water in the world. This is one of the things that makes it such a safe place to visit.

Throughout the majority of the country, but especially here in Uvita, tap water is filtered and completely safe to drink.

In our case here in Uvita, drinking water is managed by our local ASADA – non-profit community organizations that administer water and sewage in line with national laws.

Here, our water reaches us after traveling down from the mountains, where it lands as rainwater.

Seriously, how lucky are we? There aren’t many countries in the world where you can drink water from the taps that fell as rainwater.

So, When is the Green Season?

The rainy season (or green season) usually begins in June.

This does not at all mean that it doesn’t rain until June, however. April and May are considered “transition months,” when we start to see an end to the dry season with some inconsistent showers leading up to the start of the rainy season.

From June, the rainy season goes on until about November. December is also considered a transition month, where there will still be some rain, but it noticeably gets dryer and warmer heading into January.

Many people try to avoid these months when planning their trips to Costa Rica – there are a lot of misconceptions about coming here during this time. But that’s what we’re here for, to help you realize why this is a great time of year to come!

Speaking of misconceptions, you might even hear Ticos (Costa Ricans) refer to “the green season” as “winter.” It’s true that temperatures during this season drop, but it’s by no means cold. 

The rains certainly do bring cooler and fresher conditions (which we love!), but “winter” is a misleading name for this season.

For a more detailed description of what each month is like here in Uvita, Costa Rica, check out our blog Weather in Bahia Ballena.

Depending on what part of Costa Rica you visit, this information will vary due to altitude, topography, etc. But regardless of where you visit, you can count on those months being rainier than the rest of the year.

A Day in the Life in the Green Season

Another misconception about the rainy season is that it rains all day every day. This is absolutely not the case!

So, how much does it actually rain then?

During the transition months of April and May, it might rain once or a couple of times a week. When the rainy season is in full swing, it rains about four or five days a week. 

This is the norm during this time, but there are, of course, weeks where it’ll rain more or less than the norm. Some weeks, it’ll rain almost everyday, and others it’ll rain only once. 

During these rainy days, it tends to rain about half the day. Again, there will of course be some days where it rains longer, and some where it just downpours for an hour.

But following this norm, we usually advise our guests that if it’s raining when they wake up in the morning, it’ll most likely be a sunny afternoon. And if it’s sunny when they wake up, plan to be home by mid-afternoon – or have an umbrella handy.

Getting caught in the rain isn’t actually as bad as it might sound. Honestly, it’s pretty magical.

Our tropical rains here are so refreshing that it can be a relief getting caught outside when the heavens open up!

While reading about getting caught in the rain, you might be sitting there imagining being outside in an absolute ringer of a hurricane. 

Costa Rica has the great fortune of being located underneath the hurricane belt, which means that we don’t get the heavy winds and storm-like conditions that frequent the Atlantic Ocean and some other Central American countries.

So when you do get caught in the rain, we generally believe that it’s a joyous experience! There aren’t gale-force winds, ground-shaking thunder, or flashes of lightning to watch out for – just beautiful, refreshing rain.

The Best Things about Visiting During the Rainy Season

Here’s the part that you’ve probably been waiting for – the best things about visiting Costa Rica during the rainy season.

But before we dive into that, we want to reiterate that the purpose of this blog isn’t to convince you to change your plans and visit during the rainy season. 

We just want to open your eyes to the fact that your dream Costa Rica trip might be best suited for this time of year!

Aside from cooler temperatures brought by the rain and the thriving rainforests, here are some of our favorite things about being in Costa Rica during the rainy season.

Fewer Crowds

Visiting Costa Rica during the months of the rainy season is great for avoiding the large crowds that can be common during the peak tourist season.

This is because, like we said, many people purposefully avoid visiting during the rainier months.

This isn’t because it’s a bad time to visit; it’s just the misconception that the best time to come is during the dry season – which we now know isn’t the case!

Coming during this time means that beaches, hotels, restaurants, national parks, rivers, and waterfalls, are much less crowded.

Less Expensive

As the rainy season tends to be a quieter period in terms of visitors, the price of many accommodations and tours/activities around Costa Rica tends to drop by about 10-15%.

Some of these tours, like whitewater rafting, for example, are even better during the rainy season anyway!

Even here in Uvita, it’s common to find cheaper deals on Airbnb’s and activities during the rainy season months.

Peak Season for Wildlife Experiences

One of the things that draws visitors here to Uvita, Costa Rica year after year is the whale migration season. It’s actually what our national park is named after – El Parque Nacional Marino Ballena (The Marine Whale National Park).

We have two whale seasons here, and guess what – one of them is during the rainy season!

From September to November, humpback whales cross our warm waters. A very popular activity here is to jump on a boat and take a whale-watching tour.

During this time period, visitors can also head to the national park and witness turtle releases – whereby park guards release recently hatched turtles on the beach to make their way into the ocean.

Surfing in the Rain

It’s hard to explain, but there’s just something magical about surfing in the rain.

Personally, I came to Costa Rica to intern at Bodhi Surf + Yoga in October, the rainiest month. So, for my first few weeks here, all I knew was surfing in the rain, and I loved it.

I always tell our guests now when they ask me about surfing in the rain that “it feels like being in a music video”. It’s just got that dramatic feeling to it.

If you’ve ever surfed in a warm tropical rain, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, you need to try it.

Plus, the rain can be great for the surfing conditions. If there is on-shore wind (that causes waves to break and crumble), the rain can push the wind down and stop it from having this effect.

The Rivers and Waterfalls are Fuller

One of the first things that comes to mind when thinking of Costa Rica is its wealth of incredible waterfalls and rivers.

Some of Costa Rica’s most impressive waterfalls are close to us here in Uvita, including Nauyaca Waterfalls, Eco Chontales, and our local Uvita Waterfall.

And of course, these waterfalls are at their most impressive when they’re roaring with lots of water.

The Sun Still Shines

As we mentioned earlier on in the blog, the rainy season is by no means cold and gloomy.

One of our favorite things about the rainy season is that you can still enjoy the hot weather while not always having to worry about overheating or burning.

It’s like having the best of both worlds – waking up to the gorgeous sunshine and going to bed to the relaxing sounds of the rain.

Is Your Dream Costa Rica Trip Best Suited for the Rainy Season?

Depending on what it is that you’re looking for here in Costa Rica, the rainy season could be the most ideal time to visit.

But likewise, it could also be that the dry season (a.k.a. the peak tourism season) is a better time of year for your visit depending what you’re looking for.

Check out our blog on the best places to visit in Costa Rica to get an idea for what to do and where. From there, you can begin to decide which time of the year is best suited for your visit.

We will let you in on one little secret though.

While many of our guests do enjoy the heat and dryness of the dry season, many often do visit during the rainy season when visiting us for their second time.

Don’t get us wrong—we also love the dry season. We’re just aware of the fact that the rainy season can be a more manageable and relaxing time of year, depending on what you’re after. There are also many health benefits to visiting during our hottest months.

We encourage you to look out for our upcoming YouTube video on the benefits of visiting Costa Rica during the rainy season.

We’d be stoked to have you down here this “green season” to enjoy the magically warm tropical rains with us!