Best Time to Visit Costa Rica: Weather Month by Month

Q: What is the best time to visit Costa Rica?

February is the best month with 26.0°C highs, 16.0°C lows, 8.1h of sunshine and 9.0% rainy days. The months of February & March offer comparable conditions.

Q: How many hours of sunshine does Costa Rica get in February?

Costa Rica averages 8.1 sunshine hours per day in February. It is the sunniest month with a climate score of 8.5/10.

Q: What is the rainiest month in Costa Rica?

September is the most unfavourable month with September has the lowest climate score of the year and the lowest climate score of the year.

Q: What are the temperatures at night in Costa Rica in February?

In February, overnight lows reach 16.0°C, while afternoon highs average 26.0°C.

Q: Is Costa Rica good in winter?

In winter (December-February), Costa Rica scores 8.2/10 on average — Decent period conditions for cultural visits.. The best month overall remains February with a score of 8.5/10.

Q: When should you avoid Costa Rica?

September is the most difficult month to visit Costa Rica, with September has the lowest climate score of the year. Climate conditions are at their lowest of the year during this period.

Decide

When to visit Costa Rica?

The decision rests on several criteria. Climate score, tourist crowds and feasible activities.

Verdict: In Costa Rica, February and March clearly stand out. October concentrates the least favourable conditions.

Top & avoid

🏆 February · 8.8 March · 8.8 January · 8.6 April · 8.4 ⚠️ October · 4.3

8.6

Jan

8.8

Feb

8.8

Mar

8.4

Apr

7.2

May

4.4

Jun

7.3

Jul

7.3

Aug

4.5

Sep

4.3

Oct

7.2

Nov

8.4

Dec

Best period · ≥ 7 Decent period · 4 – 7 Tough conditions · < 4

What you grasp in 5 seconds

Costa Rica offers 9 comfortable months, without any month really to avoid. The gap stays moderate: 8.8 in February vs 4.3 in October.

What to check next

Your tolerance for crowds and budget. The best months concentrate tourist saturation and higher prices. Shoulder seasons offer a good compromise.

Next action

Scroll down to the detailed table to compare month by month, then open the page of the month that interests you.

Compare the 12 months By your project

How we calculate the score

The score combines 4 weighted criteria using 10 years of real climate data (ERA5).

Source : ERA5 · Open-Meteo · 10 years (2016–2025) · Full methodology →

Understand

Compare all 12 months

Month-by-month details: temperature, rain, sunshine, score and verdict.

✅ 9 comfortable months (Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jul · Aug · Nov · Dec)

Month	T° min	T° max	Rain %	mm/day	Sun	Score	Verdict
☀️ January →	16°C	25°C	11%	1.3mm	7.8h	8.6/10	Best period
☀️ February →	16°C	26°C	9%	1.0mm	8.1h	8.8/10	Best period
☀️ March →	16°C	27°C	11%	1.1mm	8.0h	8.8/10	Best period
☀️ April →	17°C	27°C	26%	3.8mm	6.9h	8.4/10	Best period
⛅ May →	17°C	26°C	55%	12.1mm	4.5h	7.2/10	Best period
🌥️ June →	17°C	24°C	68%	13.0mm	3.8h	4.4/10	Decent period
⛅ July →	17°C	25°C	44%	9.7mm	4.9h	7.3/10	Best period
⛅ August →	17°C	25°C	54%	12.6mm	4.7h	7.3/10	Best period
🌥️ September →	16°C	25°C	73%	14.6mm	3.8h	4.5/10	Decent period
🌥️ October →	16°C	24°C	70%	17.7mm	3.8h	4.3/10	Decent period
⛅ November →	17°C	24°C	50%	11.3mm	4.7h	7.2/10	Best period
☀️ December →	16°C	24°C	18%	2.8mm	7.3h	8.4/10	Best period

Rain %11%

Best period

Best period

Rain %11%

Best period

Rain %26%

Best period

Rain %55%

Best period

Rain %68%

Decent period

Rain %44%

Best period

Rain %54%

Best period

Rain %73%

Decent period

Rain %70%

Decent period

Rain %50%

Best period

Rain %18%

Best period

📊 Quick read

Optimal window

Jan → May

Good transition

Jun · Sep · Oct

Tough period

none

🌡️ Detailed conditions (February)

🌡️ Feel

Warm

☀️ UV

8.5 · Very strong

💧 Humidity feel

14°C · Pleasant

☔ Rain

9% · 1.0 mm/day

🌅 Sunshine

8.1h/day

Week by week

Costa Rica week by week: your odds of avoiding rain

For each week of the year: in how many years out of 10 it was mostly dry (at most 2 rainy days), 2016 to 2025.

Safest week: Feb 26 to Mar 4, mostly dry in 10 years out of 10 (0.3 rainy day(s) on average).

Most exposed: Jun 4 to Jun 10, mostly dry in 0 years out of 10 (6.0 rainy days on average).

Number = years out of 10 with at most 2 rainy days in the week. Source: ERA5 reanalysis (ECMWF) via Open-Meteo, daily data 2016-2025. Rainy day = at least 1 mm, as everywhere on the site.
Jan	Jan 110/1024°C	Jan 89/1025°C	Jan 159/1025°C	Jan 228/1026°C	Jan 2910/1026°C
Feb	Feb 59/1026°C	Feb 129/1026°C	Feb 199/1026°C	Feb 2610/1027°C
Mar	Mar 59/1027°C	Mar 127/1027°C	Mar 1910/1027°C	Mar 2610/1027°C
Apr	Apr 27/1027°C	Apr 96/1027°C	Apr 167/1027°C	Apr 237/1027°C	Apr 306/1026°C
May	May 76/1026°C	May 142/1026°C	May 211/1025°C	May 281/1025°C
Jun	Jun 40/1025°C	Jun 110/1024°C	Jun 182/1025°C	Jun 252/1024°C
Jul	Jul 22/1025°C	Jul 92/1024°C	Jul 167/1025°C	Jul 233/1025°C	Jul 302/1025°C
Aug	Aug 62/1025°C	Aug 133/1025°C	Aug 202/1024°C	Aug 271/1025°C
Sep	Sep 30/1025°C	Sep 101/1025°C	Sep 172/1025°C	Sep 241/1024°C
Oct	Oct 10/1024°C	Oct 80/1024°C	Oct 150/1024°C	Oct 221/1024°C	Oct 292/1024°C
Nov	Nov 53/1024°C	Nov 123/1024°C	Nov 194/1024°C	Nov 264/1024°C
Dec	Dec 37/1024°C	Dec 109/1024°C	Dec 179/1024°C	Dec 247/1024°C

A specific date? The app computes the same figure day by day.

10-year trend

Annual temperatures — Costa Rica

Min/max temperature curves observed over the past 10 years (ERA5). Shows climate stability and trend.

Tailor

For your trip

A few angles depending on what kind of trip you are planning.

🌞 Dry season🏖️ Beaches🌊 Surf

Book

Plan your trip

Hotels at their lowest outside peak season, highest on comfortable months. Shoulder seasons offer a good price/climate compromise.

🏨

Stay

Hotels & rentals · Costa Rica

Expedia →

🎟️

Activities

Tours, tickets, experiences

See ↓

✈️

Flights

Multi-airline comparator

Kiwi →

🎟️ Activities & tours · Costa Rica

GetYourGuide selection · free cancellation

See all →

Affiliate link · GetYourGuide

Practical info

What you need to know before you go

Three angles: the country (language, currency, safety, budget), the year-round climate, and the specifics of a tropical stay.

Country · Costa Rica

🗣️LanguageSpanish

💶CurrencyColón costaricain (₡)

🚗DrivingRight-hand

🛡️Safety ⓘVery safe · 1/5

💰Cost of living ⓘModerate · 3/5

🌡️ Climate

🌍Climate typeEquatorial tropical

📈Climate trend ⓘStable

🔥Hottest monthMarch · 27°C

❄️Coolest monthJune · 24°C

🌧️Rainiest month ⓘSeptember · 73%

🏝️ Tropical stay

🌞Dry season ⓘMay → Sep

🌧️Wet season ⓘDec → Mar

🌀Cyclones ⓘNone (equator)

Explore

Related destinations & guides

If this destination doesn't fit your dates, here are alternatives and guides.

Similar climate destinations

San José · Costa Rica→

Granada · Nicaragua→

Panama · Panama→

Monrovia · Liberia→

Nearby destinations

Monteverde · Costa Rica91 km →

Nicaragua · Nicaragua340 km →

Providencia · Colombia481 km →

San Salvador · El Salvador696 km →

Guides & rankings

World ranking 2026See →

Best summer destinationsSee →

Winter sunSee →

Where to go in JulySee →

🗺️ Climate map of 754 destinations

Location

Where is Costa Rica ?

Global position + regional geographic context.

🌍 World

🔍 Geographic context

Equatorial tropical climate with a 8.8 → 4.3 gap between best and worst month. 10 years of ERA5 data to choose by project.

9.93°N · 84.08°W

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is the best time to visit Costa Rica?

February is the best month with 26.0°C highs, 16.0°C lows, 8.1h of sunshine and 9.0% rainy days. The months of February & March offer comparable conditions.

How many hours of sunshine does Costa Rica get in February?

Costa Rica averages 8.1 sunshine hours per day in February. It is the sunniest month with a climate score of 8.5/10.

What is the rainiest month in Costa Rica?

September is the most unfavourable month with September has the lowest climate score of the year and the lowest climate score of the year.

What are the temperatures at night in Costa Rica in February?

In February, overnight lows reach 16.0°C, while afternoon highs average 26.0°C.

Is Costa Rica good in winter?

In winter (December-February), Costa Rica scores 8.2/10 on average — Decent period conditions for cultural visits.. The best month overall remains February with a score of 8.5/10.

When should you avoid Costa Rica?

September is the most difficult month to visit Costa Rica, with September has the lowest climate score of the year. Climate conditions are at their lowest of the year during this period.