Dry season: December to April
Most places you look, December through April, will be described as the dry season in Costa Rica. Take that with a large pinch of salt, grain of coffee or dollop of Gallo Pinto.
That’s true in part — it is hot and dry in the Pacific northwest, drier than usual further south, and perfect beach weather on the Nicoya Peninsula. But Costa Rica is not one-size-fits-all. This is a small country with a tall spine of mountains running through it, which means the Pacific and Caribbean sides play by different rules. So “dry season” looks a little different depending on where you stand.
What to Expect by Region
Pacific Coast (Nicoya, Osa, Uvita)
- Classic beach weather in Nicoya: days filled with sunshine and minimal rainfall.
- Osa and Uvita: still dry, wildlife-rich, and February brings migrating humpback whales.
- A note for turtle lovers: this is the least good time for nesting on Pacific beaches like Ostional — it’s simply too hot for eggs to survive.
Central Highlands & Cloud Forest (San Gerardo, Chirripó, La Fortuna)
- Always cool and misty — you’re literally in a cloud.
- February onwards, resplendent quetzals start nesting, a real treat for birdwatchers.
Central Valley (San José, Turrialba)
- Coffee harvest is in full swing through March, filling the hillsides with activity.
- A great time for cultural visits and day trips from the capital.
Caribbean Coast (Cahuita, Tortuguero)
- Hot, humid, and still rainy, but rainfall is lower Dec–Apr than the rest of the year.
- By late March, leatherback turtles begin arriving to nest on the beaches.
Seasonal Highlights
- December: Festive buzz, dry season kicks off. Direct BA flights make it easier to arrive.
- January–February: Peak dry season — perfect for beaches, hiking, and the coffee harvest. Quetzals begin nesting in the highlands.
- March: Reliable sunshine, but also the busiest month — plan ahead to swerve the crowds.
- April: Signs of the green season returning, but still warm and dry on the Pacific. Quieter beaches and vibrant, lush scenery inland.
Why Travel in the Dry Season?
- Reliable sunshine: Especially on the Pacific coast.
- Adventure-ready: Easier road conditions, perfect for hiking, rafting, ziplining.
- Wildlife spectacles: Quetzals in the highlands, whales in Uvita, leatherbacks on the Caribbean.
- Cultural colour: Coffee harvests, Easter celebrations, lively villages.
Things to Keep in Mind
- Peak season = more people and higher prices — book flights, hotels, and tours early.
- “Dry” doesn’t mean uniform — pack sunscreen and swimsuits, but also a jumper for cloud forests and a light rain jacket for the Caribbean.
- If you prefer quieter trails and beaches, early December or late April are sweet spots.
Ready to Plan?
Costa Rica is wonderful all year, but December–April delivers that picture-perfect mix of sunshine, wildlife, and cultural buzz. The trick is knowing where to go, and when, to get beyond the crowds.
That’s where we come in — designing trips that balance the postcard beaches with coffee harvests in the hills and quetzal spotting in misty forests.
Thomas Power
Co-founder & CEO of Pura Aventura
Thomas has run a café in northern Mexico, lived on a Honduran island, guided tour groups throughout Spain and worked for the UN in Santiago. But it was in the mid-nineties that the seeds for Pura Aventura were sown, through a chance meeting with fellow co-founders in Chile's Torres del Paine and his experiences hitchhiking up through Patagonia along the Carretera Austral. So beautiful were the landscapes through which he passed, and so warm was the hospitality he received, that he decided to start a tour operator primarily dedicated to sharing these special places, no matter how unknown they were at the time.
20 years on, and many more special places later, Pura Aventura is still dedicated to protecting and benefiting their destinations and partners overseas, enabling clients to experience both the ‘bumpy beauty’ and iconic highlights of Spain, Portugal and Latin America.
Pura Aventura has been recommended by The Independent, Wanderlust and Condé Nast for innovative sustainability initiatives, is trusted by BBC Radio 4, The Financial Times & CNN as a voice for certifiably responsible travel, and praised by Which? for commitment to fair and open customer service during the Covid-19 pandemic. Handpicked as the official European launch partner of Patagonia's Route of Parks, the world’s most ambitious conservation tourism project, in 2020 Pura Aventura became one of the first UK travel companies to achieve B Corp certification.