What's the best time to visit Costa Rica
Visiting Costa Rica is a great experience but depending on your travel expectations you should be aware of the different seasons. There are only two seasons in Costa Rica, Dry Season and Rainy Season, here's a little guide so you can choice the best time for your next vacation:
Dry Season (From December to April)
Dry Season is great, is what we call summer time in Costa Rica, there's no much rain (though it can rain anytime), roads conditions are good meaning you can take any kind of transportation to get to your destinations, Private Transfers, Shared Shuttles, Domestic Flight, you name it, it will depend on your budget and your schedule, if you're looking for sunny days then this is your season. Starting on November on the North Pacific following the Central Valley and South Pacific in December the dry season is perfect for escaping from the winter time in the US, Canada and Europe.
Prices
Dry Season means high season that's why hotels rates are usually higher during this period, it officially goes from December 15th to April 15th, but be sure to consider Christmas, New Year's and Holy week where prices are even higher.
Rainy Season or Green Season (From May to November)
I love rainy season in Costa Rica! Green green green everywhere, nature is happy, of course some roads are difficult, probably if you're traveling from San Jose to Monteverde you might find that a Private Transportation with an experimented costarican driver as Erick is a good idea, but if you want to drive yourself consider renting a 4x4 vehicle, you wont regret, if you're on a budget then Shared Shuttles are always an economic and safe way to travel during the rainy season. There's so much to do during these months, places are not crowded and the prices are very affordable, it is the rainy season but it doesn't mean that it rains all day long, sometimes it rains sometimes it doesn't, you can have beautiful sunny mornings and a an overwhelming thundershower in the afternoon, just take a nap on you hammock or just put on your raincoat and take a hike, is the rainforest anyway!
The most rainy months are September and October.
Prices
This is the best part nobody told you before, prices are lower in the rainy season in Costa Rica and yes you still get sun and nature. There's a mini high-season in July, what we call "Veranillo de San Juan", so please advice that during this time prices can get as high as in the high season.
Conclusion
In conclusion there's no better time to visit Costa Rica, I like the summer because I love sunny days at the beach, but I'm very fan of the rain too and how the nature explodes with it. If you're a nature lover you can visit Costa Rica anytime, if you're just looking for perfect sunny days you should probably consider traveling from December to March.