Costa Rica - Dry season versus rainy season

Ted. Seasons in the tropics are different from those found in more temperature climes. For one thing, the days are roughly 12 hours long, year round and the temperature and humidity doesn’t really vary. Locals typically refer to two seasons, distinguished only by the amount of rain that falls. 

In Costa Rica, the dry season lasts from roughly December through April and the rainy season is typically from May through November. However, conditions are fluid (pun intended). We have been told that there was an unusual amount of rain during this dry season and we began experiencing hard rains in the second week of April. One may ask, why, in heavens name, would anyone want to visit a place during the rainy season? During our stay we have observed many changes as the rains have arrived and they are mostly positive. Here are some differences: 

Dry Season 

The mornings are sunny and fairly cool. This is the time to go exploring, visit the beach or sit by the pool. The afternoons are still sunny but incredibly hot. The beach sand is burning so you need to be in the pool or in air conditioning. The roads are hot and dusty and the vegetation is brown and dead looking. Animals are only active at dawn and dusk. There are some flowers and some butterflies. We did not hear any frogs at night. 

Rainy Season 

The mornings are sunny and fairly cool. This is still the best time for adventures. The afternoons can be sunny or there can be a gentle rain or a downpour. Unless it’s a downpour, one can still go out. The rains definitely cool things down and the evenings can be quite pleasant. Air conditioning is typically only found in the bedrooms of hotels and Airbnb’s so a gentle breeze, lower temperature and ceiling fan makes most living spaces and public venues quite pleasant. Local roads are not typically paved and they can have some serious mud puddles to navigate. The rivers are just trickles in the dry season so waterfalls and white water excursions are much more impressive in the rainy season. The rains make food more plentiful for wildlife so this is the time that many species begin their mating rituals in anticipation of new life forming. This also means that mosquitos come out in droves, so repellent is a must. It may be a coincidence but the sea turtle nesting seasons and peak whale watching season on the southern Pacific coast occur in the rainy season. 

Apparently most folks who visit Costa Rica simply want to lie on a beach so the dry season is, by far their favorite time to come. Consequently, the rainy season is less expensive and less crowded. Should you ever decide to visit a tropical destination, be sure to give some thought to the time of year that best fits your needs.