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Best Times to Visit/Travel

Nature moves in cycles, bringing new spectacles with every changing season. While it’s always a good time to travel in Costa Rica, we want it to be the right time for you. Whether you’re dreaming of whale watching or seeing baby sea turtles, find out the prime times to make the most of your journey here.

Plan your trip
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Aerial view of rivers connecting to the ocean

Dry season, green season and local weather patterns

Four seasons in Costa Rica

There is no single best month for every Costa Rica vacation. The right time depends on the regions, activities and wildlife experiences that matter to you. The Pacific side has more defined dry and green seasons, while Caribbean rainfall patterns are different and local microclimates can change conditions.

Compare seasons and regions

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sea turtle laying on the sea floor

All about turtles!

We’ve been blessed with an abundance of wildlife, and that includes five species of sea turtles – leatherback, green, olive ridley, hawksbill and loggerhead. Stretches of sand along the Pacific and the Caribbean coasts welcome nesting turtles, followed by tiny hatchlings scampering into the sea. 

See the peak months

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Female squirrel monkey in tree with baby holding her

Wildlife spectacles on land

Did you know that squirrel monkeys in Manuel Antonio National Park have a different birthing schedule than those in Corcovado National Park? Or that you could be hearing six different species of frogs singing in the rain at once? Learn more about the seasonal habits of animals in Costa Rica.

All about the wildlife

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Aerial view of beach in Isla del Caño

Costa Rica by sea

With the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Caribbean Sea to the other, it’s no wonder that Costa Rica is teeming with marine life spectacles. (In fact, Costa Rica shelters more than 6,700 marine species, 90 of which are unique on the planet.) From humpback whales courting in the winter to manta rays summoned by the trade winds, discover what lies beneath the surface of the sea.

Marine life in action