Short answer: Costa Rica has a tropical climate with just two seasons — a dry season (roughly December to April) and a green, or rainy, season (roughly May to November). Temperatures stay warm and stable year-round, but they are driven by elevation, not by the calendar, which is why a small country packs in everything from steamy beaches to chilly cloud forests. On the North Pacific coast of Guanacaste, where our Tamarindo office sits, the weather is among the sunniest and driest in the country.
Costa Rica weather at a glance
| Dry season | Green (rainy) season | |
|---|---|---|
| Months | About December to April | About May to November |
| Pacific NW coast (Guanacaste) | Sunny, hot, very little rain | Sunny mornings, afternoon showers |
| Typical coastal highs | 31–34 °C (88–93 °F) | 30–32 °C (86–90 °F) |
| Humidity | Lower, about 60–65% | Higher, about 80–86% |
| Best for | Beaches, surfing, outdoor activities, peak tourism | Lush landscapes, wildlife, fewer crowds, lower prices |
Country-wide, Costa Rica averages roughly 100 to 160 inches (2,500 to 4,000 mm) of rain per year, and some regions top 200 inches (5,000 mm). The Guanacaste and Tamarindo coast is far drier, at only about 72 inches (1,825 mm) per year, making it one of the sunniest, driest areas in the country. Costa Rica also contains 12 of the world’s life zones, which create thousands of microclimates — more on that below.
The two seasons: dry vs. green (rainy)
Many visitors tell us they worried a tropical climate would mean missing the change of seasons. Instead, they come to love Costa Rica’s two very distinct seasons — both beautiful, just different.
Dry season (about December to April)
The dry season lines up almost perfectly with the frigid winters of North America and Europe, which is exactly why so many of our buyers and visitors arrive between December and April to trade snow and grey skies for sunshine. On the Guanacaste coast this is the sunniest, driest stretch of the year: clear skies, low humidity, and very little rain.
It is prime time for the beach, surfing, hiking, and exploring, so it is also the busiest tourist season — popular spots fill up, and the smart move is to book early. Toward the end of the dry season in March and April, the landscape browns out and the heat peaks; this is also when wildfires can occur in the dry hills above the coast.
Green or rainy season (about May to November)
The green season earns its name — forests and hillsides explode into lush color and wildlife is everywhere. On the Pacific side, the typical rhythm is sunny, dry mornings followed by afternoon thunderstorms that often last only an hour or two. In wetter parts of the country, such as the southern Pacific, the central mountains, and the Caribbean, those storms can be heavier and trigger flooding or landslides.
Humidity runs higher, around 80 to 86 percent, and a few attractions may keep reduced hours, but the trade-offs are real: greener scenery, dramatic skies, fewer crowds, and better prices. Because Guanacaste is the driest region, its green season is drier than most of the country — you will still get plenty of beach time between showers.
Why elevation — not the calendar — sets the temperature
Costa Rica sits between 8 and 11 degrees north latitude, squarely in the tropics. When people from the Northern Hemisphere hear “tropics,” they picture two words: hot and humid. That is true at sea level — but it is only part of the story.
Because the country straddles several mountain ranges, temperature is determined mostly by elevation, not by season. Lowland coasts are hot year-round; the Central Valley around San José, at about 1,150 meters, is famously spring-like; and the highest peaks see genuine cold — even frost and hail in the coolest, highest regions. Cartago, in the highlands, averages only about 19 °C (66 °F). That is why two places a couple of hours apart can feel like different countries.
The 12 life zones: Costa Rica’s microclimates explained
You will often read that Costa Rica has 12 climate zones. Here is where that number actually comes from: the Holdridge life-zone system, a global scheme that classifies land by temperature, rainfall, and elevation. Of the world’s roughly three dozen life zones, Costa Rica contains 12 — an extraordinary range for a country smaller than West Virginia — plus many transition zones and, by some counts, thousands of microclimates. These span tropical dry forest, rainforest, cloud forest, mangroves, and high-altitude páramo.
One of the easiest ways to feel this is a bus trip from hot-and-dry Atenas across the cool, crisp Central Valley to the misty city of Cartago. You leave in shirtsleeves and may want a sweater by the time you arrive — three different microclimates in under four hours.
This density of microclimates is a big reason Costa Rica holds an estimated 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity on just 0.03 percent of the planet’s land. Climb a volcano and you will watch the plants and wildlife change as you ascend, each band a slightly different ecosystem.
The practical takeaway for buyers: where one microclimate stops and the next begins is not something you can fully map online. Wind direction, humidity, and rainfall can shift noticeably from one ridge or valley to the next. That is exactly why it pays to work with local agents who actually live in the area they sell — they can tell you what a specific neighborhood feels like in October versus March.
Weather on the North Pacific coast (Guanacaste and Tamarindo)
Our coverage area runs along the North Pacific coast in Guanacaste — the driest province in Costa Rica and a major reason this stretch is so popular with buyers and vacationers. Days are warm and sunny most of the year, tempered by ocean breezes, and the rainy season is noticeably milder here than in the rest of the country.
Here are typical monthly averages for the Tamarindo and Guanacaste coast (approximate, based on long-term coastal lowland data):
| Month | Avg high | Avg rainfall | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 °C / 88 °F | ~3 mm (0.1 in) | Dry, sunny, breezy |
| Feb | 32 °C / 90 °F | ~3 mm (0.1 in) | Driest month |
| Mar | 33 °C / 91 °F | ~6 mm (0.2 in) | Hot, sunniest skies |
| Apr | 33 °C / 91 °F | ~33 mm (1.3 in) | Hottest; dry season winds down |
| May | 32 °C / 90 °F | ~240 mm (9.5 in) | Green season begins |
| Jun | 31 °C / 88 °F | ~230 mm (9 in) | Sunny mornings, afternoon showers |
| Jul | 31 °C / 88 °F | ~175 mm (7 in) | “Veranillo” mini-dry spell common |
| Aug | 31 °C / 88 °F | ~240 mm (9.5 in) | Lush and green |
| Sep | 30 °C / 86 °F | ~355 mm (14 in) | Wettest stretch |
| Oct | 30 °C / 86 °F | ~355 mm (14 in) | Wettest month |
| Nov | 31 °C / 88 °F | ~120 mm (4.7 in) | Drying out, very green |
| Dec | 31 °C / 88 °F | ~13 mm (0.5 in) | Dry season returns |
Nighttime lows on the coast generally sit around 22 to 24 °C (72 to 75 °F), and the annual average temperature is roughly 27 °C (80 °F) — not the high-80s °F you will see quoted elsewhere, which are actually daytime highs.
How much rain falls in Costa Rica?
Rainfall is where Costa Rica’s regions differ most. Country-wide, the average is about 100 to 160 inches (2,500 to 4,000 mm) per year, and some areas of the southern and mid-Pacific coast and the Caribbean exceed 200 inches (5,000 mm).
The Guanacaste coast is the exception: at roughly 72 inches (1,825 mm) a year, with most of it concentrated in September and October, the North Pacific is significantly drier than the rest of the country. During the dry season, some Guanacaste areas can go weeks with essentially no rain at all.
Does Costa Rica get hurricanes?
Rarely, and direct hits are extremely uncommon — but it is worth understanding the real picture. Costa Rica sits south of the main Atlantic hurricane belt, so for most of recorded history no hurricane reached it directly. That changed with Hurricane Otto in November 2016, which made landfall right at the Nicaragua–Costa Rica border and became the first hurricane on record (since 1851) to cross directly over Costa Rica. Flash floods and landslides in the northern zone claimed about 10 lives, with damages near 190 million dollars.
The following year, Tropical Storm Nate in October 2017 caused even more damage — roughly 560 million dollars — making it the costliest natural disaster in the country’s history at the time. More recently, storms passing to the north, such as the November 2024 systems, have brought flooding rains without destructive winds. The pattern is consistent: the main hazard is heavy rain from outer storm bands, not the storms themselves.
Here is why Guanacaste is the most sheltered region: the systems that affect Costa Rica arrive from the Caribbean side and have to cross the country’s central mountain ranges, which strip out most of their energy. The heaviest rain falls in those central mountains; by the time anything reaches the North Pacific coast, it has been weakened considerably. It is one more reason the Gold Coast enjoys such reliable weather.
Climate change in Costa Rica
Those of us who have lived here for 20-plus years have noticed shifts in weather patterns — the rainy season is less “set your watch by it” than it used to be — though the changes so far have not been severe on this coast.
Nationally, the picture is more complex. The cloud forests of the central mountains, which depend on constant moisture above about 1,000 meters, are sensitive to warming: as temperatures rise, those forests are expected to creep upslope and eventually run out of mountain, threatening species that cannot migrate. The El Niño cycle is already producing sharper swings between drought and flood — recent droughts even cut into Costa Rica’s hydropower in 2023 and 2024. Under higher-emission scenarios, the National Meteorological Institute has projected average temperatures could rise several degrees by 2070, and the IPCC has flagged Costa Rica as a regional climate hotspot.
What Costa Rica is doing about it
Costa Rica has one of the strongest environmental track records on Earth. It was the first tropical country to stop and reverse deforestation, and it generates about 98 to 99 percent of its electricity from renewable sources (98.6 percent in 2025), mainly hydro, wind, and geothermal.
Its 2019 National Decarbonization Plan targets net-zero emissions by 2050, with aggressive goals for electrifying transport, the country’s fastest-growing source of emissions. Electric-vehicle adoption is climbing quickly, and the United Nations awarded Costa Rica its Champions of the Earth honor for environmental leadership. This stewardship is part of the national identity — and part of what makes the country such an appealing place to live.
When is the best time to visit (or move to) Costa Rica?
It depends on what you want. For guaranteed sun and beach weather, the dry season from December to April on the Guanacaste coast is as reliable as it gets, though it is also the busiest and priciest. For green scenery, wildlife, and value, the green season from May to November offers lush landscapes, fewer crowds, and lower prices, with sunny mornings most days; September and October are the wettest.
For the sweet spot, many residents love late November into early December and again May into June, when the country is green, rates are gentler, and the coast still sees plenty of sun.
If you are considering a move rather than a visit, the best advice is to experience a neighborhood in both seasons before you buy. The microclimate that charms you in February can feel different in October — and knowing that difference is exactly the kind of thing a local agent is there for.
Frequently asked questions
What is the weather like in Costa Rica year-round?
Warm and tropical, with two seasons: a dry season (roughly December to April) and a green or rainy season (roughly May to November). Temperatures are stable all year and depend mostly on elevation — hot at the coast, spring-like in the Central Valley, and cool in the mountains.
What are the dry and rainy seasons in Costa Rica?
The dry season runs about December to April, with sunny skies and low rain. The green or rainy season runs about May to November, typically with sunny mornings and afternoon showers. On the North Pacific coast, the rainy season is milder than in most of the country.
Does it rain every day in the rainy season?
Not usually on the Guanacaste coast. The common pattern is a sunny, dry morning followed by an afternoon thunderstorm that lasts an hour or two. Heavier all-day rain is more typical of the southern Pacific, the central mountains, and the Caribbean.
Where is the warmest and driest weather in Costa Rica?
The North Pacific coast in Guanacaste — including Tamarindo and the surrounding Gold Coast beaches — is the warmest, sunniest, and driest part of the country, averaging around 72 inches (1,825 mm) of rain a year.
Does Costa Rica get hurricanes?
Direct hits are extremely rare. Hurricane Otto in 2016 was the only hurricane on record to cross directly over Costa Rica. The usual impact is heavy rain from storms passing to the north, and Guanacaste is the most sheltered region thanks to the central mountains.
What is the best month to visit Costa Rica?
For sun and beaches, the dry-season months of December through April are most reliable. For green scenery, wildlife, and better value with fewer crowds, May and June and late November are excellent.
Thinking about Costa Rica’s North Pacific coast?
Most of our team has lived in Guanacaste for decades, and we are happy to share what we have learned — including which microclimates and beach towns best fit how you like to live. Explore Guanacaste real estate, browse our communities and beaches, or contact us with your questions.
Sources for figures: Costa Rican Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN), World Bank Climate Knowledge Portal, NOAA and the National Hurricane Center, and long-term station data for Guanacaste and Tamarindo, plus local observations from the RE/MAX Ocean Surf & Sun team.