Costa Rica · Costa Rica
December
Dry season returns to the Pacific — Christmas week is the single most crowded and expensive period in Costa Rica.
Strong option
#11 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
16°C
Rain
41mm
Sun
7hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How December scores in Costa Rica
Weather
Excellent
Value
Low
Crowds
Low
Events
Very good
Atmosphere
Excellent
What you gain in December
- ↑Pacific coast dries out rapidly through December: by mid-month, Guanacaste beaches are back to dry-season reliability, and the timing coincides with the start of peak visitor season
- ↑Christmas and New Year are festive throughout Costa Rica — San José's Plaza de la Cultura and beach towns like Tamarindo and Manuel Antonio have a genuinely celebratory atmosphere through the holidays
- ↑December offers the unusual combination of improving weather and the full range of wildlife still visible: Manuel Antonio's monkeys and sloths, Arenal's hanging bridges, and early dry-season Guanacaste conditions
What you sacrifice
- ↓Christmas week (Dec 23–Jan 2) is the single most expensive and crowded period in Costa Rica's calendar: hotels near beaches and national parks are booked months ahead, prices hit annual peaks
- ↓Domestic travel surges over the holidays as Costa Ricans join international visitors at the coast; roads to popular beaches are congested and parking at national parks reaches capacity by 7am
- ↓Early December (before the 20th) is a genuine sweet spot with improving weather and pre-peak pricing — arriving mid-December or later requires exceptional advance planning and budget
How December compares to July (best month)
| Factor | December | July ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 8 | 5 |
| Value | 2 | 8 |
| Crowds | 2 | 8 |
December in other destinations
Lisbon (14.4°C)Barcelona (13.8°C)Tokyo (12°C)Bali (30.3°C)Santorini (14.5°C)Paris (6.9°C)New York (5.1°C)Marrakech (18.1°C)Amsterdam (6.4°C)Maldives (30°C)Rome (11.7°C)Bangkok (30.4°C)Istanbul (9.4°C)Vienna (3°C)Seoul (3.7°C)Dubrovnik (11.6°C)Rio de Janeiro (29.5°C)Kyoto (11.3°C)Phuket (31.8°C)Cape Town (25.6°C)Prague (3°C)Amalfi Coast (13°C)Mexico City (21°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (30°C)London (8°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (2°C)Tulum (28°C)Dubai (25°C)Singapore (30°C)Hoi An (24°C)Chiang Mai (27.5°C)Miami (25.6°C)Florence (9.8°C)Queenstown (21°C)Madrid (9.5°C)Porto (14°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (5°C)Budapest (5°C)Kraków (2°C)Tbilisi (7°C)Palawan (29°C)Hanoi (20°C)Osaka (11°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (29°C)Mykonos (14°C)Zanzibar (31°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 →