Costa Rica · Month comparison

September vs February

September ranks #2 overall vs February at #6. The wettest month on the Pacific — but the Caribbean coast enters its mini-dry season, and prices are at their lowest.

Costa Rica September — the vivid blue waters of Rio Celeste in Guatuso, one of the world's most striking natural phenomena

September

#2 of 12 months

Best match

The wettest month on the Pacific — but the Caribbean coast enters its mini-dry season, and prices are at their lowest.

  • ↑Cheapest month to visit Costa Rica by a clear margin: budget airlines, rock-bottom accommodation rates, and tours at reduced prices — the same country at a fraction of high-season cost
  • ↑Caribbean coast (Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Cahuita National Park) enters its own mini-dry season in September–October: while the Pacific drowns, the Caribbean enjoys better weather, calmer seas, and excellent reef snorkelling
Costa Rica February — palm trees at Santa Teresa beach with clear dry-season sky

February

#6 of 12 months

Strong option

The driest month on the Pacific — and the Monteverde Music Festival makes the cloud forest worth the trip.

  • ↑February is statistically Costa Rica's driest month on the Pacific coast: 5mm is virtually nothing, and Guanacaste's beaches are as reliably sunny as anywhere in the Americas
  • ↑Monteverde Music Festival (mid-February) brings classical and world-music performances to one of the country's most atmospheric settings — cloud forest by day, concerts by night
FactorSeptemberFebruary
Weather score
3
10
Value score
10
2
Crowd score
10
2
Events score
7
7
Atmosphere
6
8
Avg high temp24°C26°C
Monthly rain305mm5mm
Daily sunshine4.6hrs8.2hrs

September trade-offs

  • ↓305mm of rain is serious: September is the wettest month on the Pacific coast, with long heavy downpours that can last all day rather than the predictable afternoon pattern of other months
  • ↓Sunshine hours fall to 4.6 daily and coastal roads can flood; rivers swell and some adventure activities (white-water rafting class grades increase, can close) become more intense or limited
  • ↓The Pacific beaches are genuinely difficult to enjoy in September — this is not a month for beach holidays on the Pacific side; the Caribbean coast requires a plan B mentality

February trade-offs

  • ↓The most expensive month of the year alongside December: hotels in Tamarindo, Manuel Antonio, and Arenal area require significant budgets and advance booking
  • ↓Main tourist sites are at capacity — the hanging bridges at Monteverde and the Manuel Antonio beach trail can feel crowded by mid-morning
  • ↓Pacific surf is at its calmest (good for swimming, poor for surfers); if you came to surf, the green season is your better bet
See all 12 months for Costa Rica →September in detail →February in detail →
Scores compare months within Costa Rica. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →