The Best Months to Travel to Costa Rica: Planning Your Visit

If travel planning weren't a challenge and a job to itself before – and we all know that planning a vacation could absolutely be a challenge and a time-intensive proposition before – then arranging travel today is a whole new ballgame. Which is how you found yourself searching for the best places to travel this year – and now, narrowing it down to the best months to visit Costa Rica. Welcome! You're definitely in the right place. Travel is our heart and soul. We're professionals and we're also travelers. And over the last two years, we've learned a thing or two (or twenty) about travel. Because, while travel is good for your health, we also know that you have to take precautions. You know, like choosing a destination with open spaces, abundant sunlight, ocean breezes, and fresh air. A place where you'll spend all day outside and in the surf. Luckily, the best months to visit Costa Rica – and by that, we mean all of them, from January through December (you'll see, soon!) – deliver all of the above. Sun. Open spaces. Fresh air. Space. Distance. And plenty of privacy to call your own. As we said, welcome! You've almost made your way to Costa Rica and so, you're definitely the right place.

The Best Months To Visit Costa Rica

Costa Rica may be smaller than the state of West Virginia, but our terrain and our microclimates haven't received the memo. Costa Rica goes big when it comes to the weather. Of course, we're a tropical country. And no, we don't get snow. And you're right that we're so close to the equator, that we get 12+ hours of sunshine, every day (around 5:45 a.m. and 5:45-6:30 p.m., year-round). And sure, you've read that there are only two seasons here: "dry season" and rainy season." It all sounds so simple... And yet, Costa Rican weather and seasons and travel are so much more than tropical, no-snow, dual seasons; the nation is wild and diverse and wildly diversified, making for many best months to visit Costa Rica. In fact, depending on your preferences, to-do list, and personal travel style, almost any month could be your "best" month. Here are the broad strokes:

January to March: High Sun Season

While the dry season officially begins in December, January marks the full transition from occasional showers to all sun, all the time. This is as close as Mother Nature gets to guaranteeing perfection, if your gauge of "perfect' is set to sun and blue skies. The weather is essentially ideal throughout most of the country, including the Tamarindo area: sun all day, every day, and not a cloud in the sky. Temperatures vary depending on your exact location, but here in Tamarindo, they typically fall into the 75ºF to 90ºF range. Because of the weather, this is the most expensive time of the year.

April and May: Sun, Sunsets & Rainbows Season

Remember the rhyme, April showers bring May flowers? That's only a little bit true in Costa Rica, where April is still mostly sunny. While you may catch an occasional shower or even an unseasonal (but truly impressive) thunderstorm, consecutive daily rains would be uncommon (but not impossible) in April. This seasonal transition not only delivers cooler temperatures and a transition back to greener landscapes, but also a promise of afternoon showers and their accompanying rainbows, turbulent clouds, and absolutely spectacular sunsets. It's the perfect time to relax on your private terrace and watch the changing scenery over the Pacific...

June to August: Rainy Season

By June, Costa Rica is well into the rainy season: daily rain is common, if not guaranteed, though showers often last just an hour or two. Ask most Costa Ricans, and they'll say they love this time of year. Not only is the rainy season a perfect daily excuse to slow down – to take a siesta or mix yourself a drink or read a book, as the rain patters down – but the entire world turns a riot of green. It's everywhere and always there, in a rainbow of emeralds, jades, limes, and avocados that you never knew could look so different.

September and October: RAINY Season

This is when Mother Nature kicks it into high gear: The two rainiest months of the year, September and October typified by sunny mornings and all-afternoon rains. Guanacaste and Tamarindo have slightly better (= drier) weather. These compromises, if you see them that way, are accompanied by the lowest prices of the year, as well as a few you-can-only-do-them-in-rainy-season sights and activities: Sea turtle arribadas, or mass nesting events, reach their height from September to November. The whale-watching sweet spot hits in August and September. Whitewater rivers are frothing and waterfalls are roaring. And that's only just the beginning...

November and December: Green Transitions

If you missed the April/May window, here's your second shot at Costa Rica's transitional season. Like a second spring, these months are marked by a steep decrease in rain, while still reveling in much of what makes the rainy season so wonderful: green, green everywhere. No, EVERYWHERE. It's gorgeous and yet, the sun is almost your constant companion. In Tamarindo, November-December is a time of bright sun, few clouds, and fewer and fewer afternoon rain showers. By mid-December, the rains have all but disappeared, while the landscapes are a blaze of wildflowers and colorful trees, making December arguably the most beautiful month of the year. So, all that said, you tell us: What's the best month to visit Costa Rica?

3 of the Best Places to Stay in 2022

So, you've picked your perfect months. You've begun plotting your itineraries – and if you haven't, you can source some inspiration from our overview of the 23 best activities in & around Tamarindo – and your can't-wait list is growing every longer. Now, it's time to talk where. And not just the where-in-Costa-Rica? but the specific where to your where: Where will you stay? Because Costa Rica is full of wheres. But, when it comes to 2022 and the best months to visit Costa Rica, your choice will probably revolve around your available vacation time and your priorities, now including the standard amenities and comforts, paired with a newer need for total privacy. And that's where luxury vacation homes come out ahead of hotels and even the most luxurious resorts: Not only do vacation villas deliver superior value and expansive spaces, but they up the ante with incredible amenities and the kind of privacy that means never sharing your space with strangers. (Discover more on the benefits of a vacation home vs. hotel.)

Casa Bonita Beach

Hacienda Pinilla | 6 Bedrooms | 6 Baths | Sleeps 19

Set within the luxurious and pristine landscapes of Hacienda Pinilla, Casa Bonita Beach stands at the height of indoor-outdoor living: light-filled interiors – natural stone and soaring glass, rising to high ceilings – that open onto the spectacular outdoors, where await a refreshing pool and waterslide, shaded terrace, and gourmet al fresco kitchen. It's official: You have found your perfect balance of all things light and bright and perfect for vacation: Entertainment meets elegance. Privacy meets expansive space. Sunlight meets shade. It's that just-right tenor and exactly everything you seek and desire from your vacation home. Because this is the kind of home you must experience to truly appreciate: It's that moment at sunset, when light streams through floor-to-ceiling glass doors and oversized windows, illuminating Casa Bonita Beach in a fire of gold and orange, pink and purple. It's prepping your catch-of-the-day in a gourmet kitchen, then grilling it beside the pool as your family splashes down the waterslide. And it's retreating to ensuite and filling the soaking tub after another wonderful day in paradise. Welcome!

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Villa Estrella Azul

Playa Langosta | 8 Bedrooms | 6 Baths | Sleeps 18

Designed both to deliver the amenities of a private boutique hotel and the expectations of a warm, private home, Villa Estrella Azul is a home both expansive and intimate, at once luxurious and cozy. Named for its blue-and-sun-bleached beach palette, the "Blue Star Villa" is a beacon for luxury travelers. Here, no comfort is spared, no amenity is overlooked. And that's part of why we've named it as one of our best places to travel in 2022: Here, you can wrap yourself in the indulgences you crave on vacation, without sacrificing your privacy, your health, or your standards. Because this unparalleled home is a destination unto itself: Just a two-minute walk to Tamarindo's most desirable stretch of beach, Casa Estrella Azul offers a custom infinity pool, gourmet-ready chef's kitchen, brick pizza oven, and expansive outdoor living, including a pergola, verandas, and your very own private yoga pavilion. Add to that, tropical colors, abundant natural light, and catered daily breakfast (every day except Sundays and holidays)... Because in 2022, travel should not require sacrificing your priorities.

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Villa Royal

Tamarindo | 4 Beds | 4 Baths | 9 Guests

There are vacations and then there are the wow moments in life – the we're-never-going-to-forget-this, not-going-to-top-it, going-down-in-holiday-history getaways that you'll look back on, savor, and reminisce about for years to come. Your wow moment likely looks a lot like Villa Royal: A stunning home overlooking some of Costa Rica's best views, this luxury villa embodies the promises of paradise. From its thatched roof and a sparkling pool to its folding glass doors and Pacific Ocean panoramas that stretch as far as the eye can see – this home was built to steal your breath and ignite your sense of wonder, from the moment you set foot on the property. Welcome to a home built for royalty: chic bedroom suites for the ultimate experience and privacy; seamless transitions from indoors to out; and an eye to the true meaning of modern-tropical design, complete with warm woods that complement beachy color palettes, and ocean-jungle vistas seemingly close enough to snuggle up against your private infinity pool. And then, there are the sunsets. The set-the-sky-on-fire, light-your-heart-ablaze, and paint-the-heavens-fluorescent sunsets that your privileged perch delivers every night... All this, within an exclusive gated community just minutes to Tamarindo downtown and all its many promises, including soft sands, nightlife and restaurants, national parks and surfing, tours and activities. Yes, it's safe to say you've finally found your perfect spot.

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Ready to Choose Your Best Months to Visit Costa Rica in 2022?

It's all relative, we know. There are so many factors to consider. So many reasons to choose this month over that month. To prioritize whatever it is that matters most to you. If you'd like help making the most of your time in Costa Rica or planning your day trips from Tamarindo, please get in touch with our concierge, Cris! Her services are complimentary and we promise, she'll connect you with the best options to match your day-touring, make-the-most-of-it adventure style.