Costa Rica Climate & Weather

North Pacific, Nicoya Peninsula, Central Pacific Coast, Central Valley

• The dry season in the North Pacific, Nicoya Peninsula, Central Pacific Coast and Central Valley runs from December to April. The only other season, the "green" or rainy season, lasts for the remainder of the year. The North Pacific coast generally tends to be the hottest and driest area of the country. During the rainy season the Nicoya peninsula becomes impassable because of the rain.

Arenal Volcano and Northern Lowlands

• Rain descends on this central region of the country from June to Oct. making it a bit unpleasant to visit or view the still-erupting Arenal Volcano. The dry season, November to April provides for the best show, especially when watching from the volcano's natural hot springs located at its base.

Monteverde

• The coldest part of Costa Rica, Monteverde, is shrouded in low-lying clouds and fog year round. The rainy season is officially from May to December. The remainder of the year tends to be significantly drier, and November and December are the windiest months of the year.

Caribbean Coast

• The Caribbean coast is by and large the wettest place to be in Costa Rica. There is never really a dry season here, but February, March, September and October tend to be the driest months. In degrees, it is slightly cooler than the Pacific coast, however, the humidity obviously makes the heat much more intense.

Osa Peninsula, Rincon de la Vieja, San Jose, and Southern Costa Rica

• The southern tip of the country, has a generally very mild and temperate climate. The Osa Peninsula, especially so, being that it is a peninsula. Here the dry season, like most of the rest of the country, lasts from December to April and temperatures are generally in the 90s at this time.