Costa Rica has two seasons summer (verano) and winter (invierno) which are also known as the dry season and rainy season from a meteorological perspective, or the high season and low season in the tourist industry.
In general Costa Rica�s dry season extends from sometime in mid November or early December until late April or May, and not surprisingly the tourist high season and accompanying doubled crowds and prices coincide.
Rainfall in Costa Rica follows a predictable pattern and it's relatively easy to understand. From May through September the tilt of the earth creates long, warm summer days in North America and brings the sun directly overhead in Costa Rica.
Where the sun shines straight down it heats more, warm air picks up moisture near the surface, then rises and expands. Expansion cools the air forcing the water out, first as tiny droplets that form clouds, then as the droplets combine into drops, rainfall. The rainy season in Costa Rica corresponds with this period of increased heating during the northern hemisphere summer (we call these months winter).
By November the earth has realigned and the sun shines directly overhead somewhere south of the equator, moving the band of intense rainfall with it. This marks the beginning of Costa Rica�s dry season.
There are advantages and disadvantages to travel either at peak or off peak times, but if you know about Costa Rica�s secret mini dry seasons you can have the best of both worlds.
Known as mini dry season is along the southern Caribbean in September through mid November, while the Pacific coast is still in the midst of the rainy season, indeed the southern Pacific gets most of its rain in these three months; Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, Uva and Manzanillo are reveling in sun and surf during some of their driest months.
Official name:
