Best Time To Visit Costa Rica
The Best Time to Visit Costa Rica's Rainforests, Beaches and Spectacular Wildlife
Costa Rica is a place of outstanding beauty and incredible wildlife. Travellers can surf, cruise through the cloud forest, relax on the beach, climb volcanoes,
search for howler monkeys or toucans and there is a huge range of activities for adrenalin junkies! With so much on offer, it has become a popular destination with tourists, so it is well worth finding out how to avoid the rush and still experience everything Costa Rica has to offer…
Climate: Costa Rica’s rainy season is from May to November, with September and October being the wettest months. The best time to go to Costa Rica is therefore sometime between December and April, although in a country with microclimates ranging from Caribbean to Pacific coasts and everything from tropical rainforest to damp cloud forest in between, you’re likely to see a range of weather on any trip. For those who enjoy surfing, the best times are a little different as the swells on the Pacific Coast get greater and greater through the rainy months, peaking in September and October. On the Caribbean Coast, the waves are better from November to May, and some swells are good all year round.
If possible, we recommend avoiding Spring Break (sometime in February-April) as the country is flooded with American students on recess.
Wildlife: The Endangered Green Sea Turtles are nesting between July and October, so this is a great time to visit Tortuguero National Park. You may see them laying there eggs or, later in the season, maybe even watch as the eggs hatch and thousands of tiny little turtles scuttle down to the ocean. Leatherbacks and Hawksbill turtles also nest in the same place around this time, and Olive Ridley Turtles can be found nesting at Ostional Park on the Nicoya Peninsula. In November Leatherbacks and Olive Ridley Turtles can be found on Tamarindo Bay. January brings Sperm and Humpback Whales to the coast of Corcovado National Park.
Birding is fantastic at anytime throughout the year, however if you want to watch any of the migrations, either March to May or September through to November is best. For those looking for the bright and rewarding quetzal, November to April is a great time.
If you wish to enjoy a spot of fishing, anytime of year is rewarding, however if you are looking to catch tarpon, you will need to hit the Caribbean coast between January and May, or for Snook, between September and November.
Primates can be seen throughout the year, however you will need to take into consideration the weather, spotting these hyperactive creatures swinging through the trees is quite a bit harder in the pouring rain!
Public Holidays
New Years Day (Jan 01), St Joseph’s Day (March), Easter, Juan Santamaria Day (Apr), Labour Day (May 01), Corpus Christi (Jun), St Peter and St Pauls Day (June), Guanacaste Day (Jul), Assumption Day (Aug 15), Independence Day (Sep 15), Columbus Day (Oct 12), All Souls Day (Nov) Christmas Day (Dec 25)
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To speak to our specialist in this region please call or email sales@worldprimatesafaris.com
Tel: 0044 (0) 1273 691 642
US Toll Free: 1866 357 6569
