When is the cheapest time to visit Costa Rica?

Prices bottom out in May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov — typically 20-40% below peak-season rates on hotels and flights.

Best time to visit · Central AmericaOriginal Research

When to go to Costa Rica

Dry season (December–April) is peak time. The "green season" (May–November) brings afternoon rains but lush landscapes and lower prices.

Best: December–AprilPeak: December–March

Month-by-month

Jan

Great

14°–24°C · 6mm rain
Crowds high · Prices high

Book lodging and rental cars months ahead; prices peak and popular parks fill early.

Feb

Great

14°–25°C · 5mm rain
Crowds high · Prices high

Trade winds strengthen on the Nicoya Peninsula; kite surfers head to Lake Arenal.

Mar

Great

15°–26°C · 8mm rain
Crowds high · Prices high

If Holy Week falls in March, expect closures on Thursday and Friday and packed beaches.

Apr

Good

16°–26°C · 46mm rain
Crowds medium · Prices medium

Book Semana Santa lodging far ahead; the country largely shuts down Thursday and Friday.

May

Okay

16°–26°C · 229mm rain
Crowds low · Prices low

Pacific surf swells build; Caribbean coast enjoys its brief mini dry season.

Jun

Okay

16°–26°C · 241mm rain
Crowds low · Prices low

Some remote lodges close for maintenance; check road conditions in Osa and Corcovado.

Jul

Good

16°–25°C · 211mm rain
Crowds medium · Prices medium

Turtle nesting begins at Tortuguero; book Caribbean lodges and guides in advance.

Aug

Okay

16°–26°C · 246mm rain
Crowds medium · Prices medium

Humpback whales arrive at Marino Ballena; South Caribbean lodges may see intense rain.

Sep

Avoid

16°–26°C · 302mm rain
Crowds low · Prices low

Consider Puerto Viejo and Tortuguero instead; many Pacific lodges shutter briefly.

Oct

Avoid

16°–26°C · 300mm rain
Crowds low · Prices low

Roads to Osa and Corcovado may flood; check park access before booking.

Nov

Good

15°–25°C · 132mm rain
Crowds low · Prices low

Excellent shoulder-season value; late-month bookings compete with early holiday travelers.

Dec

Great

14°–24°C · 41mm rain
Crowds high · Prices high

Prices spike from December 20; reserve rental cars and lodging months in advance.

Festivals worth timing your trip around

Jan

Fiestas de Palmares

Two-week civic festival featuring bullfights in the tico style, concerts, carnival rides, and a horse parade drawing hundreds of thousands from across the country.

Jan

Fiesta de los Diablitos

Indigenous Boruca ceremony reenacting the resistance against Spanish conquistadors, with carved wooden masks, traditional costumes, and ritual battles over three days in the southern highlands.

Feb

Fiesta de los Diablitos (Rey Curre)

Second Boruca community holds its own version of the diablitos ritual, with masked dancers, chicha corn drink, and reenactments of the Spanish colonial conflict lasting three days.

Feb

Envision Festival

Weeklong transformational arts and music gathering on the Pacific coast blending electronic performances, yoga, permaculture workshops, and beach camping near Marino Ballena National Park.

Mar

Dia del Boyero (Oxcart Driver's Day)

Colorfully painted traditional oxcarts parade through Escazu with drivers in typical dress, honoring the country's rural heritage and the UNESCO-recognized craft of oxcart painting.

Mar

National Orchid Show

Costa Rica's largest orchid exhibition displays hundreds of native and cultivated species at the Antigua Aduana, drawing horticulturists and photographers for a long weekend of judging and sales.

Apr

Semana Santa

Holy Week brings solemn processions in Cartago and San Jose, widespread business closures Thursday and Friday, and a mass exodus to beaches as Costa Ricans take their main annual holiday.

Apr

Dia de Juan Santamaria

National holiday honoring the drummer boy who died repelling filibuster William Walker in 1856, marked by parades, marching bands, and civic ceremonies in his hometown of Alajuela.

May

Dia del Trabajador

Labor Day marked by union marches in San Jose and a presidential address to the Legislative Assembly outlining the year's political agenda, with most businesses and government offices closed.

May

Carrera de San Juan

Century-old 22.5-kilometer road race climbing from the capital to Cartago's basilica, one of Latin America's oldest running events drawing elite Central American competitors and amateur pilgrims.

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Common questions about Costa Rica

When is the best time to visit Costa Rica?: December–April. Dry season (December–April) is peak time. The "green season" (May–November) brings afternoon rains but lush landscapes and lower prices.
When is the cheapest time to visit Costa Rica?: Prices bottom out in May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov — typically 20-40% below peak-season rates on hotels and flights.
What months should I avoid in Costa Rica?: Sep, Oct. Consider Puerto Viejo and Tortuguero instead; many Pacific lodges shutter briefly.
When is peak tourist season in Costa Rica?: December–March

See also the full Costa Rica climate deep-dive with temperature heatmap and daily-rainfall breakdown.

— How we report this guide

What you read here, and where it came from.

Climate data — temperature, rainfall, and humidity numbers cite WMO 30-year normals plus the most recent decade where available, cross-checked with the destination's national meteorological service.
Crowd & price calls — sourced from our editors' on-the-ground reporting in Costa Rica plus published hotel ADR and visitor-arrival data. We tell you which months bottom out, not which ones marketing departments push.
Festivals & seasonal flags — verified against the official tourism authority and re-checked at every review. Where dates shift year-over-year (lunar calendars, religious festivals), we flag it explicitly.
Updates — this guide is reviewed by destination.com editors at least once a year and any time conditions on the ground change materially. Send corrections and we'll log them publicly.

✓ Last verified August 9, 2026