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Visit Costa Rica And Experience The Awesome Climate
Author : Ivy Doreen
Submitted : 2011-11-05 Word Count : 870 Popularity: Not Rated
Tags: costa rica climate, climate of costa rica, costa rica
The climate of Costa Rica is tropical year round. Temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the year, and the seasons are indicated by the level of precipitation.
The temperature and amount of rain varies by elevation. Higher up, in the mountains, you'll see cooler temperatures and more rain. By the coast, the weather is warmer and more humid.
There are two main seasons in the climate of Costa Rica - a dry season and a rainy season. You may see the dry season also referred to as "high season" and rainy season referred to as "green season." Just remember that high season equals higher prices. (It costs more for most just about everything at this time.) The "more desirable" climate of Costa Rica during this time is what brings in the travelers. It's the busiest time of year for tourists to travel to Costa Rica.
The dry season runs from December to May and is referred by the locals as verano, or summer. For the most part the days are dry, warm, and sunny but in January and February the winds start whipping up. It's a bit cooler during these months.
Rainy season, from June to late November, is also known as invierno or winter. ("Winter" is a loose approximation of the word here in Costa Rica!) We got married in August, so our honeymoon happened to coincide with the green season. As it turns out, August is one of the drier months of the season. We didn't encounter much rainfall until we got up into the mountains and the cloud forest. It rains quite a bit more on the Caribbean coast than it does on the Pacific.
What's nice about traveling during the rainy season is that everything is far less crowded and room rates were 30% cheaper that during the high season. Tours were cheaper too. We didn't have any problems getting on the tours we wanted, and none of the places we went to felt crowded. Which made for an exceptional honeymoon. Sure, the weather is a bit wet at times, but the temperatures are also cooler.
The travel package we went with for our honeymoon gave us a 4x4 and the freedom to go where we wanted to when we wanted to. That meant booking hotel rooms as we traveled the country. We had no problems doing so. I'm not so sure that would be feasible traveling during high season.
The weather in the Central Valley (where San Jose, the capital, is located) is arguably the most enjoyable. With an annual mean temperature of 72 degrees F (22 degrees C), you'll certainly find it very comfortable.
Down by the coasts the temperatures are usually +10 degrees F (+5-6 degrees C) warmer. And way more humid.
Being less than 10 degrees away from the equator, there's a good, solid 12 hours of daylight throughout the year. Day break is 5 - 5:30am and sunset is around 6pm. So wake up early and take in as much as you can before relaxing in the evening. (Or do a rain forest night tour!)
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Do not forget, there are plenty of Costa Rica vacation spots to explore. But before you go, make sure that you have an idea of what the climate of Costa Rica is like all year round.