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What is the Best time to visit Costa Rica?
On countless occasions we consider a trip to one of those destinations that we are wanting to know and, when we start to investigate a little, we realize that the chosen dates – or simply those that we have for various reasons – are not the most appropriate to travel to that particular place.
Precisely for this reason, and if one of your plans is to visit Costa Rica, we want to tell you, based on various questions, what is the best time to visit Costa Rica. So prepare a calendar and go marking your favorite dates in red because we are going to the country of Pura Vida.
What is the climate of Costa Rica?
One of the main questions, when we choose a destination, is to know its climate, something that can be decisive in some countries that suffer from monsoons, hurricanes, or simply rainy seasons that can spoil a good trip. So the first thing is to know what the climate of Costa Rica is like. Indeed, here as a good tropical country, they mainly have two seasons, the dry season and the rainy season. The first runs from December to April and the second from May to November, with a special peak of rainfall in September.
As for temperatures, Costa Rica has a fairly pleasant climate. The lowest temperatures range on average between 14 and 17 degrees and the highest between 24 and 27 degrees. Of course, it must be taken into account that in the areas of higher altitude the temperature can drop to 5 degrees and that Costa Rica is a country with immense diversity also in the climate, so if the idea is to take a tour of different areas, it is most likely that we will not find homogeneous climatic conditions.
Where to go in Costa Rica in the dry season?
Traveling to Costa Rica in December can be a bit more complicated because it is what Costa Ricans call the transition period, which can bring a lot of rain or a lot of sun, in addition to being the high season for the Christmas holidays.
January and February for example, are good months to enjoy the beaches of the Pacific but not so in those of the Caribbean Sea where some storms can be found, and on the contrary, it happens in September and October, benevolent in the Caribbean but not so in the Peaceful.
So if we had to choose the best time to visit Costa Rica, we would very possibly bet on March and not only for the good weather and the lack of rain but also for another of the important variables to take into account when it comes to travel to the country: the best time to visit Costa Rica to see wild animals.
When is the best time to visit Costa Rica to see wild animals?
The dry season has the advantage of warmer weather and no rain but also the fact that the wild animals for which Costa Rica is distinguished also prefer to go out in the sun than under a tremendous downpour. In addition, accessing more secluded and rugged places is easier because the rivers are not so high and there is no mud on the roads.
Some animals do not have a specific time in which they can be seen more likely such as the sloths, one of the most charismatic animals to see in Costa Rica, or the howler monkey, but others do not always appear in these beautiful lands such as it is the case of turtles or whales.
Best time to visit Costa Rica to see turtles
The case of the former, if you are thinking about the best time to visit Costa Rica to see turtles, you have to know that several types arrive in these waters -the leatherback, hawksbill, loggerhead, green or leatherback turtles- and they normally nest between August and October, depending on the Park they go to. In Tortuguero for example, we can see the spawning from April to October, depending on the different species of turtle that arrive. In Las Baulas National Park, the season runs from October to February and in Ostional it is concentrated in September-October. The best time to see turtles is Although yes, you must comply with the rules, be careful and go with a guide so as not to affect them in this delicate process.
Best time to see whales in Costa Rica
When it comes to whales, the best time to see whales in Costa Rica is between August and September, although if what you are looking for is humpback whales then write between December and March and between July and November on your calendar. You can also find orcas, Bryde’s whales, or pilot whales and among the best places to see them are the Uvita National Park, Manuel Antonio, the Gulf of Papagayo, or the Osa Peninsula.
Best time to visit Costa Rica to see quetzals
And finally, if you don’t want to leave Costa Rica without seeing its national emblem and the most beautiful bird in the world, you will have to travel between December and April since this is the best time to visit Costa Rica to see quetzals. Keep in mind that the best time to find them is early in the day and that they live in the highest parts of the trees so it is not easy to see them. If you want to find them, the best option is to take an excursion to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve or Los Quetzales National Park.
