The weather is diverse in Costa Rica and as you’ll discover there’s much more to it than a dry and rainy season. This blogpost aims to uncover what that looks like. As always, be prepared for anything and I hope the below helps you plan your upcoming Camino de Costa Rica hike.
Tom Ranieri has been living in Costa Rica for 20+ years. His home is located on Stage 6. We asked him to share his insight on what to expect for weather on the Camino and below was the email he sent us.
January
This is an interesting month because it’s a shoulder or transition season that can be rainy in some parts of the country like the Caribbean and dry season weather as you approach the Pacific slopes. For the most part, this is the start of the season for the Camino de Costa Rica and just like anywhere in the tropics you should come prepared for anything and everything.
As we will mention in every month, the temperatures vary more throughout the day than they do throughout the year. The Camino gets a taste of it all. Starting at the lowlands, you will have hot, humid air for your first couple of stages and then gradually move to higher elevations as you hike west.
But in a nut-shell, I don’t have a crystal ball and you could get a good amount of rain on the Caribbean or you could have little rain. The later you start your trek in January the better chance you have of a less muddy hike and drier weather.
February
Here you are getting more into the heart of the dry season. Don’t get me wrong you can still have rain. With climate change and the Caribbean never being predictable any blog you find online is an “average” of what to expect. The further away you get from the Caribbean in February the more of a chance you will have of clear skies and drier weather. Your temperatures will drop as you rise into the higher lands and with no rain it makes life a little more comfortable.
March
March we typically have great weather however last year we had a week of heavy rain, so as always, be prepared for anything.
Chances are a trip in March will have the perfect weather that will enhance all the views with clear skies and minimal cloud coverage.
April
April I am putting my money on good great weather some would call it the shoulder season of the dry and wet season but 8 times out of 10 I would say it’s still prime dry season. Let this be a reminder that none of this information is set in stone and I am no more than someone who has been living on the trail for 22 years and going by what my human radar and a little research have allowed me to gather.
If you do get rain it’s not a lot so it’s just enough to cool down the afternoons and also get the green season back into its vibrant colors. Costa Rica is green year round but it really pops come the rainy season and you have a better chance of seeing wildlife.
May
If we wanted to make things confusing then May is our month. This is a short dry season in the Caribbean for the most part while the rest of the country starts to experience afternoon rain. This doesn’t affect the hike because most of the hiking is done in the morning and the skies are blue and you might get an afternoon shower of about an hour around 3PM.
June
This is a prime time for hiking the Camino and the reason is that you are getting the best of both worlds. You get just enough rain to keep it interesting and just enough dry weather to experience the views and have the trails dry for good hiking.
Because of the summer months, it’s a popular time for the trail but this doesn’t mean it’s crowded. You might come across a few groups but it’s not like it’s Yosemite National Park on a Saturday
July
This has been often argued as the best month to visit Costa Rica because of its benefits to fishing, and humpback whales, a two week summer season referred to as “Summer of San Juan” and one of the peaks of the tourism season as our summer months come to an end.
If there’s weather it is usually over by the evening or afternoon leaving time for the trails to dry in the morning.
August
August is usually one of the months that you really have to flip a coin. You could get great weather or you could get quite a bit of rain. As you get closer to the Pacific side you will see less and less rain.
September
The next two months again are odd because on the Caribbean it’s some of the most beautiful weather you will find all year. Clear blue skies and a chance to experience a dry Caribbean. As you make your way into the mountains you will start to encounter what the rest of the country is going through and that is more and more rain.
October
October has the same effect of perfect weather on the Caribbean and is almost a mirror copy of what September will look like on the trail.
November
Here you are getting into one of the rainiest months in Costa Rica and we are talking about from coast to coast. Sometimes the clouds and the storms make for a surreal scenery that few others will experience because of the low volume of trekkers on the trail.
December
This is another shoulder season which is hard to tell but we do expect rain on our December treks and a good amount of wind. The winds are actually called the winds of December and as you get closer to the Pacific side and depending on what time of December you decide to travel you will gradually get into more and more sunny blue skies and probably end your trip with great weather assuming you are going from the Caribbean to the Pacific.
