WEATHER

Although Costa Rica is a small country in terms of land, it has a wide variety of climates due to the various elevations at which different parts of the country are located. For example, San Jose and its surroundings have the best climate with an average temperature of 72°F. The area of Guanacaste has a dry arid climate mainly because it is located on the lowlands. The area of Monteverde is located at a high altitude so it is mostly misty and foggy throughout the year. In elevated areas the average temperature is around 56°F, while in the lowlands or at sea level the temperature stays at around 79°F. Overall, the average annual temperature is between 70°F to 81°F and the coolest months of the year are November, December and January. The months March through May are the hottest months of the year.

Costa Rica is located between 8 and 12 degrees north of the Equator, which causes its climate to be tropical and subtropical year round. It is said that Costa Rica has no real summer or winter because most of the year it has over 12 hours of sunshine a day, with the sun shining from 5am until about 6pm. The dry season is between December and April and rainy season between May and November. On the Caribbean coast, however, December is by far the wettest month. The average rainfall in the country is around 100 inches.