Best time to visitPuerto Viejo

There is no single dry season. There are two shorter lulls, and rain is possible in any month.

Feb–MardrierSep–OctdrierAny monthrain possible

The short answer

Two short lulls, not a dry season

Pick the window that suits the rest of your trip, then plan for showers.

Feb–MarFirst dry-ish window

Sep–OctMost dependable window

Dec–Jan, JulRainiest stretches

≈ 184days with rain a year (IMN)

Our take. If you can choose, aim for September or October: the Caribbean’s first lull, while much of the Pacific is in its second rainy period. For a trip across both coasts, February and March is when both are at their driest.

If your dates are fixed, go anyway. Keep beach and snorkel days for the clear mornings and a wet-day plan in your pocket.

Calendar

Pick a trip, then a month

Choose what you want and the best months light up. Tap any month for the detail.

I want

Caribbean rain, relative to the rest of the year

Pacific coast, for two-coast trips

Read it as a table

A month-by-month reading, from IMN long-term averages
Months	What the averages show	Good for	Keep in mind
December–January	The rainiest stretch of the year, driven by cold fronts.	Pairing a dry Pacific week with a flexible Caribbean one.	The most likely time for long wet spells.
February–March	The second relative lull.	Beach, swimming and snorkelling days, and the best overlap with the Pacific dry period.	A lull, not a guarantee: showers still happen.
April	A transition: the new rainy period begins.	Flexible plans and shoulder timing.	Variable from year to year.
May–August	A rainy period with its second peak in July.	Food, cacao and culture days where weather matters less.	Plan outdoor hours for clear windows and expect wet trails.
September–October	The first relative lull. The Pacific is in its second rainy period.	The most dependable window for beach and reef days, and for a Caribbean-only trip.	Rain is still possible: this is a rainy-climate coast.
November	Rain picks up as the cold fronts begin.	Easing into the wetter spell, with time to plan around it.	Rainfall climbs through the month.

The pattern

Three wet stretches, two lulls

The national meteorological institute (IMN) describes two rainy periods interrupted by relative minimums.

JFMAMJJASOND

RainiestLullRainy or transition

From November to February rain picks up, peaking in December and January as cold fronts push down from the north. About 40 per cent of the year’s rain falls in that spell.

From April to August or September a new rainy period builds, with a second peak in July as the trade winds strengthen. About 46 per cent of the annual total.

Long-term averages from 1961 to 1990; individual years differ. La Niña years tend to be drier and El Niño years normal or wetter, and the most extreme rain events cluster at the turn of the year. Roughly 2,500 to 3,000 mm falls in the southern Caribbean in a year, less than in the northern Caribbean.

The last light over the sand at Playa Cocles — The last light over Playa Cocles

Two coasts

Pairing the Caribbean with the Pacific

The two coasts follow different calendars, so timing a trip across both is a choice of overlap.

February and March: both coasts at their driest. September and October: the Caribbean is in a lull while the Pacific is wet.

The South Caribbean is about four and a half to five hours from San José by road. Options in San José to Puerto Viejo.

Driftwood along the high-tide line at Playa Cocles

Low sun over wet sand and a leaning palm at Punta Uva

For wet afternoons, cacao farms and cooking matter less when the weather turns, and the three-day itinerary is built to move around it.

Keep exploring

Where to next?

OverviewThe Puerto Viejo guideTown, beaches and the lay of the land PlanThree days in Puerto ViejoA plan built to bend with the weather StayWhere to stayAreas and three hotels BeachesWhich beach for whatPick by what you want from the day SafetyIs Puerto Viejo safe?Theft, currents, health

Sources. Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) climate summaries: Región Caribe, Pacífico Central and Pacífico Sur (1961–1990 baseline). Averages describe the long-term pattern, not a forecast. The month-by-month rain level is a relative reading of that description. Photographs are credited on Photography credits.