The Best Time to Visit Playas del Coco (Honest Month-by-Month)

Guanacaste is Costa Rica's driest, sunniest province — which is why the "when should we come?" answer here is friendlier than almost anywhere else in the country.

Dry season: mid-November to April

Blazing sun, zero rain, big evening breezes. This is peak season — Christmas/New Year's and February–March book out months ahead (our calendar regularly sells the whole season by summer). Book early, especially festive weeks.

Green season: May to mid-November

Guanacaste's "rainy" season is gentler than the Caribbean side's: mornings are usually sunny, an afternoon shower rolls through, evenings clear up. Everything is greener, prices dip, restaurants have tables, and the sunsets get dramatic. May, June and July are sleeper-hit months — and September/October bring the best deals of the year (and the odd all-day rain; bring a book and a rain jacket).

Month-by-month cheat sheet

• Dec–Jan: perfect weather, festive buzz, highest prices — book 4–6 months out.
• Feb–Mar: hot, dry, busy; prime snowbird months.
• Apr: hottest month; Easter week is a Costa Rican holiday crush.
• May–Jun: green, warm, quieter — great value.
• Jul: the "veranillo" (little summer) often brings a dry spell; families everywhere.
• Aug: warm with afternoon rain; good rates.
• Sep–Oct: lowest prices, fewest crowds, greenest hills; the gamble months for rain.
• Nov: the sweet spot — landscape still green, rain ending, prices pre-peak.

Water lovers' note

Diving visibility is best May–November (yes, green season); surfing boat trips run year-round; turtle nesting at nearby beaches peaks September–December.