Climate of Costa Rica

Generally speaking, Costa Rica has two seasons: dry season and rainy season.  However, the country has a diverse range of microclimates, which depend on the elevation, rainfall, topography and geography of each particular region.

The dry season extends from December to the end of April, and the rainy season goes from the beginning of May to the end of November. During the rainy season there is a dry weather gap called the Veranillo de San Juan (literally the “small summer of St. John”), generally occurring during the last days of June and the first two weeks of July. During this brief period, climate is similar to that during the dry season.

Although there are two seasons in the country, it should be noted that in the Caribbean coast (province of Limón), the rainiest month is December.

Due to its tropical latitude, there are not great differences in temperature within Costa Rica. In the coastal areas, temperatures range between 26°C and 35°C, whilst on the Central Valley they range between 17°C and 27°C. In the highest peaks of the country, like the Irazú volcano and Chirripó, temperatures are usually below 10°C and on some rare occasion they can reach freezing point.

The weather can be checked in detail, by cities and regions, in the webpage of the National Meteorological Institute.