In Costa Rica, if a color of the rainbow overwhelmingly stands out, it is green in all hues and densities. Therefore, there is a whole season named in its honor. The green season in Costa Rica is beautiful and full of opportunities to enjoy the best of this small, diverse, tropical country. Enchanting Hotels invites you to discover five reasons to visit Costa Rica during the Green Season.
The Green Season is when there are daily afternoon rain showers. It begins around mid-May, and the rains end mid to late November. The year is called the Dry or Golden Season as minimal rain falls. While the rain goes, the vibrant green remains for some time, but there are some interesting differences. What is true is that the rain brings life, vibrancy, cleansing, and freshness to the air, the landscapes, and our souls.
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More rainbows after the afternoon rain
With rain comes rainbows, so be prepared to welcome the expansive and citrus-colored rainbows after the refreshing afternoon shower. The afternoons are a symphony of colors, and they are beautiful!
During the Green Season, be prepared for rain after lunch. It usually lasts a few hours and has wrapped up when the sun begins its descent behind the horizon. Much of the time, it is like clockwork with its daily beginning and end, so you can work your adventure or explore the rainforest, the beaches, or volcanoes around it.
What does a Green Season Day look like? It looks pretty beautiful, we say. Sunny mornings begin at 5:30 am with the sunrise and until around 12 – 1 pm when the sun disappears behind the rain clouds. In the afternoon and after a delicious lunch, the rain begins lasting for a few hours, and the temperature drops slightly. Perfect timing for an afternoon nap to refresh and revive before the evening outing.
El Establo Mountain Hotel in Monteverde, Nammbu Bungalows in Guanacaste, and Cristal Ballena on the South Pacific Coast were designed around sunset viewing!
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It is beautifully green.
We can´t say it any louder; the greens of Costa Rica are truly spectacular and are a constant companion as you explore the country from north to south and east to west. With more rain during the Green Season, there is more green too. Leaves, grasses, trees, coffee bushes, forests, mountainsides and tops, the palm trees that line the beaches, and everywhere is green.
Rain is critical for the well-being of the rainforests, cloud forests, and other vegetation covering this beautiful country. Much of the wildlife, especially the climate-sensitive amphibians, thrive in damper environments, so the greener the better for much of the 5% of the world’s biodiversity in Costa Rica. Thanks to the rainfall, the birdlife in the Caño Negro Wetlands also thrives in the water-laden lowlands. Stay at the Hacienda Caño Negro while you are there!
Guanacaste, the north-western province of Costa Rica, goes a beautiful green thanks to the rain, transforming from the golden-brown grasses and dry tropical forest after the dry spell into a lush, verdant color when the rain arrives. Stay at Hacienda Guachipelin on the slopes of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, Papagayo Golden Palms on Panama Beach or Bosque del Mar on Hermosa Beach to enjoy the beautiful greens of Guanacaste.
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It doesn’t rain everywhere.
Despite its size, Costa Rica is very diverse and has a multitude of micro-climates that work and thrive independently. So, while it might be raining in the mountains, it could well be sunny just down the road on the beach, or vice-versa. So, while altitude and ecosystems are part of the reason, geography plays an important role.
Costa Rica is divided down the middle by the continental divide. Here, you will find forested cloud mountaintops, live and sleepy volcanoes, majestic waterfalls, and rivers that snake onto the Pacific Ocean or the Caribbean Sea coast. The coasts and their lowlands are very different thanks to their climate.
When we talk about the Green Season and its rain, we focus on the weather typical of the Pacific Ocean and the Central Valley, where Costa Rica´s capital city is, San Jose. However, these months are drier on the Caribbean Coast and experience much less rain than other months, including the Arenal Volcano region!
So, there will be rain somewhere during the Green Season, but not necessarily everywhere! So, during your travels through the Green Season months, take a ride to the Caribbean for some rain-free days and stay at Le Cameleón Hotel by Puerto Viejo or Tilajari Hotel by the Arenal Volcano for a stellar time.
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Tortuguero is a favorite for witnessing sea turtle arrivals Some events only occur during the green season.
Green Season is also a great time to see some unique natural events that are a real treat in Costa Rica. Of course, wildlife is part of the Costa Rican experience, but it gets some unique visitors during some months, making it a fantastic excuse to come and visit.
Green Season could also be called baby season, as this is when baby Humpback Whales are born and Green Turtles begin their yearly nesting ritual. These natural occurrences are highly emotional as they are the epitome of Mother Nature doing what she does so beautifully well.
Stay at Manatus Lodge in Tortuguero for the arrivals (arribadas in Spanish) of the green turtles on the Caribbean coast and Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in the Golfo Dulce on the far southern Pacific coast to see the majestic Humpback Whales from July through to October. Watch as they protect and nurture their young calves, preparing them for the long journey back to the Poles—an incredible sight to see.
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Fewer people
Costa Rica´s high season for tourism is from November through to April. Thanks to its popularity as a top destination, hotels, beaches, national parks, and tourist-bus-filled roads are part of the dynamics. The plus side is that you rarely feel overwhelmed by the madding crowds with many outdoor activities and adventures.
As is expected, thanks to the higher demands and visitation, prices will rise too. When the Green Season arrives, tourism goes down a notch or two, and so do the prices!! So, you get the same unique Costa Rican experience but at a better price and more exclusivity to enjoy the beaches, volcanoes, rainforests, and winding roads.
When arriving at or leaving San José to begin or end your Green Season adventure, you can still enjoy the Green Season. Stay on the slopes of the Poas Volcano for some great views of the Central Valley at Xandari Resort and Spa, or immerse yourself in a coffee plantation hotel replicating Costa Rica of yesteryear, Don Ernesto Hotel. Why not indulge in a hotel with one of the largest private art collections in Costa Rica, Studio Hotel? What a way to begin or end your Green Season stay! Enchanting Hotels Collection can´t wait to see you!
