Costa Rica · Costa Rica
January
Pacific coast at its absolute driest — Guanacaste beaches are perfect, but expect peak crowds and prices.
Strong option
#12 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
15mm
Sun
7.5hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How January scores in Costa Rica
Weather
Outstanding
Value
Low
Crowds
Low
Events
Good
Atmosphere
Very good
What you gain in January
- ↑Guanacaste and the Pacific North are in full dry season: Tamarindo, Nosara, and Playa Conchal deliver reliably sunny days, calm seas, and ideal beach conditions
- ↑Best month for spotting dry-forest wildlife in Guanacaste — without leaf cover, animals including howler monkeys, iguanas, and coatis are far easier to see
- ↑Quetzal season is open: the resplendent quetzal is active in cloud forests from Monteverde to San Gerardo de Dota through to May
What you sacrifice
- ↓Peak prices across the board — accommodation, flights, tours, and rental cars are at annual highs; January is the most expensive month after Christmas week
- ↓Most popular national parks (Manuel Antonio, Arenal, Corcovado) are at their busiest; advance booking essential for accommodation and park entry
- ↓Caribbean coast (Puerto Viejo, Tortuguero) is in its rainy season — if the Caribbean is your goal, this is not the right month
How January compares to July (best month)
| Factor | January | July ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 9 | 5 |
| Value | 2 | 8 |
| Crowds | 2 | 8 |
January in other destinations
Lisbon (13.6°C)Barcelona (13.2°C)Tokyo (9.8°C)Bali (30.2°C)Santorini (13.4°C)Paris (7°C)New York (3.3°C)Marrakech (17.3°C)Amsterdam (5.6°C)Maldives (30.1°C)Rome (11.6°C)Bangkok (31.1°C)Istanbul (8.7°C)Vienna (3.2°C)Seoul (1.1°C)Dubrovnik (11.1°C)Rio de Janeiro (30.9°C)Kyoto (9.2°C)Phuket (31.5°C)Cape Town (26.1°C)Prague (2°C)Amalfi Coast (12°C)Mexico City (21°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (31°C)London (8°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (2°C)Tulum (28°C)Dubai (24°C)Singapore (30°C)Hoi An (24°C)Chiang Mai (29°C)Miami (24.1°C)Florence (9.2°C)Queenstown (22°C)Madrid (9.4°C)Porto (14°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (4°C)Budapest (4°C)Kraków (2°C)Tbilisi (6°C)Palawan (29°C)Hanoi (18°C)Osaka (9°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (19°C)Buenos Aires (30°C)Mykonos (13°C)Zanzibar (32°C)Sri Lanka (31°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Costa Rica, not across destinations. Methodology →