Costa Rica · Costa Rica
August
Green season in full swing — whale watching continues, turtles peak at Tortuguero, and the jungle is impossibly lush.
Best match
#5 of 12 months
There are better months for Costa Rica — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
25°C
Low
18°C
Rain
241mm
Sun
5hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How August scores in Costa Rica
Weather
Average
Value
Excellent
Crowds
Excellent
Events
Excellent
Atmosphere
Very good
What you gain in August
- ↑Humpback whale watching at its best: August is peak whale month on the Pacific south coast, with high probability of sightings from Uvita and Drake Bay
- ↑Tortuguero sea turtle nesting peaks in August — green turtles are nesting in the highest numbers, and leatherback and hawksbill turtles are also present
- ↑The Pacific coast surf is excellent all month — consistent south swells make August one of the best months for surfing at Playa Hermosa (near Jacó) and Pavones
What you sacrifice
- ↓241mm of rain — the heaviest green-season month alongside June; Pacific beaches are wet by afternoon and the landscape is vibrantly tropical in a way that limits sunbathing
- ↓Lowest sunshine hours of the year (5.0 daily): if a beach holiday with clear skies is the goal, August is genuinely the wrong month on the Pacific
- ↓Some roads to remote beaches (particularly Osa Peninsula) can become difficult in heavy rain; a 4WD vehicle is advisable for exploring off the main routes
How August compares to July (best month)
| Factor | August | July ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 4 | 5 |
| Value | 8 | 8 |
| Crowds | 8 | 8 |
August in other destinations
Lisbon (26.5°C)Barcelona (28.6°C)Tokyo (32.1°C)Bali (29.9°C)Santorini (26°C)Paris (24.3°C)New York (27.7°C)Marrakech (35.8°C)Amsterdam (21.4°C)Maldives (30.3°C)Rome (30.4°C)Bangkok (31.5°C)Istanbul (28°C)Vienna (25.9°C)Seoul (29°C)Dubrovnik (28.5°C)Rio de Janeiro (25.9°C)Kyoto (33.7°C)Phuket (31.3°C)Cape Town (17.2°C)Prague (26°C)Amalfi Coast (31°C)Mexico City (23°C)Medellín (29°C)Fiji (26°C)London (24°C)Sydney (18°C)Iceland (14°C)Tulum (33°C)Dubai (42°C)Singapore (32°C)Hoi An (33°C)Chiang Mai (31°C)Miami (33.3°C)Florence (31.8°C)Queenstown (9°C)Madrid (35.2°C)Porto (27°C)Edinburgh (19°C)Copenhagen (22°C)Budapest (28°C)Kraków (24°C)Tbilisi (31°C)Palawan (30°C)Hanoi (32°C)Osaka (34°C)Goa (30°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (15°C)Mykonos (30°C)Zanzibar (26°C)Sri Lanka (30°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Costa Rica, not across destinations. Methodology →