Costa Rica welcomes rainy season (also called the “green season”) like a parched traveler reaching an oasis after a long, dry desert-crossing. Dry season dust is gone and Costa Rica’s landscape springs back to life with lush green vegetation, carpets of blooming flowers, and new animal life.
Costa Rica in general has two major seasons – “summer,” or the dry season from December to April, and rainy season from May to November. Mornings during rainy season are almost always sunny, with showers in the afternoons or evenings, which thankfully cool the temperature. And there may be many days when it does not rain at all. The exception is that the Costa Rica Caribbean Coast is rainy most of the year and has its Caribbean Summer from about mid-September to mid-November – when the rest of the country is soaked.
Those “in the know” about traveling to Costa Rica know that rainy season means good deals, lower rates in hotels, and fewer crowds. Besides, if you are going to visit a rainforest or a cloud forest, you should expect rain and clouds some of the time!
12 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT VISITING COSTA RICA IN RAINY SEASON:
Rainy season paints the landscape lush, verdant and colorful – a real jungle!
- Mornings are almost always hot and sunny. Rain usually falls for a few hours in the afternoon or at night.
- Rain helps bring the temperature down.
- Sea turtles come to nest on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts during this period, making it “turtle season”.
- Discover the two-week “mini-summer” that happens in July.
- Rain fills the rivers making it the best time for whitewater rafting.
Remember to carry an umbrella when you go out for the day or in the afternoon. Invest in one of those huge golf umbrellas while you are here; you will understand why.
- Plan your day to do all activities – tours, sightseeing, errands, shopping – in the morning and leave the afternoon for indoor pastimes like museum visits, visiting with friends, reading, emails, naps, etc.
You may not want to get up early on your vacation, but think again. You want to do all tours in the morning during rainy season, when it is dry and sunny and pleasant. The earlier in the morning, the cooler the temperature and the more wildlife you see. Hiking or ziplining through a rainforest in a torrential downpour is definitely a memorable experience, but is not very comfortable.
- Be sure to rent a 4×4 vehicle in rainy season, when unpaved roads turn to muddy bogs.
- Skip off to the Caribbean Coast in October for Costa Rica Caribbean Summer.
- You can find better values in rainy season on vacation packages, hotels, tours and transport.
See why rainy season is a great time to travel to Costa Rica on vacation. Design your Costa Rica holiday with Horizontes Nature Tours. The travel agency in Costa Rica has 31 years of experience creating Costa Rica nature holidays, Costa Rica family trips and Costa Rica beach vacations.
Article by Shannon Farley
