While it is certainly common for us to throw out some travel advice, I found it interesting that I got two requests for information in as many days. If not interesting, at least mildly notable to me. Ok, maybe not even that. But I'm trying to journal a little more often and I already took the time to type up a response regarding Guanacaste weather, so I thought I'd take advantage of it to fill some space. there, I admit it!

Here's my off the cuff guide to seasons in Tamarindo.

October is soaking wet, rains nearly every day. The occasional breaks are wonderful, but I wouldn't book a trip here during October unless you can sincerely attest to enjoying mud and damp clothes.

November is a great month to come down, usually. Temps aren't so high, things are very very green and as the month goes on, the rain gets less and less likely. Tamarindo is an excellent Thanksgiving destination.

By December, it is only raining once/week. Xmas is mayhem. Tradition in Costa Rica dictates that everyone go to the beach from December 22 through the end of the year. Madness. Don't come unless you like crowds at the beach. Now... on the other hand, you'll find mountain destinations to be fairly deserted, and the weather is usually excellent.

January is another very popular time to come. Right when North America is getting cold, it is getting sunnier and drier here. The winds do start to pick up in January, which is really refreshing and beautiful.
Jan/Feb/Mar is considered "high season" rates are a tad higher.
Feb... fantastic. Stuff is drying out just a little bit, turning brown, but some of the BIG trees are blooming. It is beautiful and amazing. Wind tends to be more reliable but that means that it is getting a little dustier.
March. The winds are in full tilt. Great for surfing. Great for laying by the pool with brilliant sun and a fresh breeze. Not as great for laying on the beach (your towel can literally fly away) but especially in the morning, the weather is wonderful. Also monkeys are starting to inch closer to towns so that they can munch on tasty garden shrubs instead of dry trees.
April... uh, oh, where did the wind go? Sometime around April/May the wind shuts off, the temps spike up to 100 and the humidity starts climbing. Things are generally dry and dusty. I quite like this time of year, but nobody can claim it is the most comfortable nor the most picturesque. If you don't have somewhere with AC at night, you are going to be sweaty.
May, the rains usually start. This year we had a solid week of rain at the end of May. If the rains don't start, it is stupefyingly hot and humid. Even with the rain, it is one of the least comfortable months here w/regards to temperature.
June is usually pretty nice- you'll get some rain, but also fantastic sunsets and everything is green again. The temps are usually dropping. At night, those of us who live here start donning long sleeves, maybe even a sweatshirt. Most visitors won't feel that need. Daytime temps are still hot and muggy.
July- if you are very lucky, you'll nail July during what we call "veranillo" which is "little summer". Veranillo lasts about a week. The rain stops cold. Everything is fresh, clean, in full leaf, and the weather is absolutely .... perfect. If you hit it wrong, well, it's going to be light rain with occasional thunderstorms. Not too muddy, not usually too buggy, but definitely 50/50 chance in any given hour of having sun or rain.
August. More like 40% sun/ 60% rain. Getting muddier. Still excellent sunsets.
September. 20/80? No, not that bad. But it can rain for four days straight. It has happened.
Then October again. Most likely going to rain on any given day. The sunny days are marvelous, but mostly in contrast to the rain. Buggiest time of the year (or rather, most mozzies.) And when I say rain, I mean... there are days in which we exceed the annual rainfall of San Diego county. A couple of feet per week is normal for October. I mean RAIN.

Now the disclaimer: all of the above is specific to Tamarindo. If you are in San Jose, or the Carib coast, then the weather is different. October is supposed to be a GREAT time of year in Cahuita (east coast).

The least-popular tourist months here are October and May. Either June or September comes next.

Highest "month" is Dec 15 through January 15.

Further disclaimer: In recent years, the "normal" weather patterns have gotten more blurry. Far more blurry. It rained really late/early this year. Last October the rain was relatively mild at times and we never got a solid veranillo, but rather two or three times when we all looked up and said "I guess this is veranillo?!?"

Labels: Costa Rica, tamarindo, vacation, weather