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The climate of Costa Rica is tropical and sub-tropical. But the climate varies greatly in relation to the altitude, in fact in the areas of the plateau, between 600 and 1,600 meters high, where the largest inhabited centers of the country are located, the climate is temperate throughout the year. Here the average minimum temperatures vary between 14 ° C and 17 ° C, and the average maximum temperatures vary between 27 ° C and 24 ° C. In this part of the country the rains are concentrated in the months between May and November, while the dry season runs from December to April. In these areas, the annual average rainfall is around 1,800 mm.
On the mountains at over 2,000 meters the temperatures drop considerably with average temperatures between 5 ° C and 14 ° C and strong temperature variations between day and night. The coastal area of the Caribbean Sea is particularly rainy with an average annual rainfall of around 4,000 mm, here the rainiest month is December.
The driest region of the country is instead the coast of the Pacific Ocean which records an annual average of rainfall around 1,000 mm, with the rainy season between May and November, while the dry season runs from December to April.
The sea water temperature on both coasts of Costa Rica is stable between 26 ° C and 28 ° C.
WHEN TO GO TO COSTA RICA
The months between December to April are the best time to visit Costa Rica.
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THE CLIMATE OF COSTA RICA: CLIMATIC TABLES
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| SAN JOSÉ (1172 meters) | ||||
| Month | Average low (°C) | Average high (°C) | Precip. (mm) | Precip. days |
| January | 18,5 | 28,2 | 6,3 | 3 |
| February | 18,7 | 29,1 | 10,2 | 3 |
| March | 18,8 | 29,9 | 13,8 | 5 |
| April | 19,1 | 30,3 | 79,9 | 10 |
| May | 19,2 | 28,8 | 267,6 | 23 |
| June | 19,0 | 28,2 | 280,1 | 22 |
| July | 19,0 | 28,2 | 181,5 | 20 |
| August | 18,8 | 28,3 | 276,9 | 22 |
| September | 18,3 | 27,8 | 355,1 | 26 |
| October | 18,5 | 27,1 | 330,6 | 25 |
| November | 18,3 | 27,2 | 135,5 | 17 |
| December | 18,3 | 27,9 | 33,5 | 8 |
| YEAR | 18,7 | 28,4 | 1971,0 | 184 |
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| SÁMARA, COSTA RICA (Pacific Ocean) | ||||
| Month | Sea Water Temperature °C | |||
| January | 27,3 | |||
| February | 27,9 | |||
| March | 29,0 | |||
| April | 29,3 | |||
| May | 29,4 | |||
| June | 28,8 | |||
| July | 28,9 | |||
| August | 29,0 | |||
| September | 28,7 | |||
| October | 27,9 | |||
| November | 26,6 | |||
| December | 28,0 | |||
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| PUERTO LIMÓN, COSTA RICA (Caribbean Sea) | ||||
| Month | Sea Water Temperature °C | |||
| January | 27,4 | |||
| February | 27,6 | |||
| March | 28,2 | |||
| April | 28,1 | |||
| May | 28,6 | |||
| June | 29,1 | |||
| July | 28,9 | |||
| August | 28,9 | |||
| September | 29,3 | |||
| October | 29,0 | |||
| November | 28,3 | |||
| December | 28,0 | |||
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