Costa Rica Weather & Climate - Serendipity Adventures

Weather & Climate in Costa Rica

Weather in Costa Rica: Expect the Unexpected

Weather and climate in Costa Rica can be far more nuanced and unpredictable than many travelers expect. Beyond the postcard-perfect images lies a dynamic environment where rain showers can sweep in unexpectedly, and microclimates create pockets of weather that defy expectations. There are no hard and fast rules on weather patterns, however much research you may do or however many weather sites you check. Our advice is to be prepared and embrace the weather, rain or shine.

Costa Rica Weather: What to expect?

Even though Costa Rica is only 8 degrees above the equator, Costa Rica weather is much more “temperate” than most North American locations. Costa Rica is cooled by two oceans and, no matter where you are in in the country, you are always within 70 miles of a coast. A typical day starts out about 65 degrees Fahrenheit, gets up to the mid-80s, then starts dropping before sunset. Daylight is for 12 hours year-round, so there are no long, hot afternoons. Beaches are warmer (they are at sea level, of course!) and the central highlands, where 80% of the population lives, are cool enough during the day that almost none of the residents (and few hotels) have air conditioning, and warm enough at night that no one has a heating source.

Rain

Yes, we have rain! But, we have a very different “style” of rain in the equatorial region to large parts of the U.S. and Europe. In fact, Serendipity rarely cancels events because of rain — there’s nothing quite as wonderful as riding a horse, riding a bike, hiking in the jungle, or, best of all, rafting a whitewater river in the pouring rain.

There are two distinct weather zones, separated by the Continental Divide:

The Central Valley and Pacific

San Jose and the Pacific beaches are in the Pacific zone. The Pacific weather zone has very distinct rainy seasons. Late April through mid-June is a short and mild rainy season, with showers normally beginning late in the day. September through November is a REAL rainy season, with intense rains often in the morning.

The Caribbean

The central mountain range (including Arenal, Poás, Irazú, and Turrialba volcanoes) creates the Continental divide, and everything “north” and “east” of the range is in the Caribbean zone. The Caribbean zone includes all the lushness normally shown in photos of Costa Rica — magnificent rainforests, cloud forests, waterfalls, misty mountains, true wild jungle. It’s home to the best rafting, hiking, canyoning, horseback, with small towns and, of course, very active volcanoes. The Caribbean (Atlantic) weather zone has rain that is more evenly spread year-round, but (hopefully!) rain every day or two. Without the daily afternoon rain, the green would turn brown, the rivers would go dry, waterfalls disappear, and the mountains would become barren of birds and butterflies and monkeys.

Tropical Storms

Unlike weather systems that travel across the United States, the weather here does not get pushed along by frontal systems (like the Jet Stream pushes big storms into the Midwest from western Canada in the winter, or hurricanes drive big rains and tornadoes all along the eastern half of the U.S. in summer). That’s the good news.

The bad news is that there are storms (we call them “temporales”) that form ‘right over your head’. And the storm stays there sometimes for 2-5 days — there’s no jet stream to push it out to sea. Big storms are magnificent, and huge, in the tropics. There’s rarely lightening — only constant, often deafeningly hard, rain. And no wind. When do we get temporales? Completely unpredictable; they can, and do, happen year-round, two or three occur each year in each area of the country. Interestingly, you can usually find some place in the country that is free of the storm. Sometimes just cross the Continental Divide and you’ll be out of a “temporal”. Or into one.

Hurricanes

Even though Costa Rica is in the Caribbean, because Costa Rica is so far south it is extremely rare that a hurricane strikes land over Costa Rica.

Top Tips for Costa Rica Weather

– Be prepared. Regardless of the season or area you are visiting in Costa Rica, it can rain at any time. You may leave your hotel in the morning in bright sunshine and a few hours later be caught in a downpour. Therefore, it is always a good idea to bring a rain jacket and a dry bag for your electronics.
– Rise early. You’ll notice that a lot of activities in Costa Rica start earlier in the morning. This is usually because wildlife tends to be more active earlier in the day, but you will also miss the midday heat or afternoon showers. Any hour of the day, it is important to wear sunscreen and keep hydrated.
– Avoid the heavy rain. We say that driving at night should be avoided and the same goes for when the rain is particularly heavy. If you are already on the road, slow down or even stop somewhere safely to wait while the rain is at its heaviest.
– Be aware of altitude changes. Costa Rica is mountainous, and the temperatures can vary quite significantly depending on which part of the country you will visit. Therefore, if you are planning on visiting cloud forest at high altitude, be prepared for the temperature to drop, especially at night.
– Dress accordingly. At Serendipity Adventures, we will advise on what to wear depending on the activity (see our Preparation Tips). In general, light layers that you can put on or take off will be useful. Quick dry material is preferable for activities, given the humidity levels in some parts of the country it can take a long time for heavy materials to dry.
– Embrace the Costa Rica weather. We find that the happiest travelers are those who are open to the adventure, rain or shine. Even we can’t control the weather, so we recommend not letting it put a dampener on your experience.