Costa Rica in August

Traveling during the rainy season has become quite popular during recent years, but August enjoys an interesting time: little summer. It starts in July and during this mini dry season, it stops raining for about three weeks.

Weather

August falls during the rainy season, but most of the rain occurs in the late afternoon and evenings. The mornings are bright and sunny. However, “little summer” occurs in July and stretches until August. It’s a mini dry-season right in the middle of the wet season and you can enjoy the lovely weather in the northwest part of Costa Rica.

The Caribbean side is during the wet season, with rain falling almost every evening.

Just like in July, the beaches and lowlands have high 90s during the day and upper 70 or low 80s during the night. If you look for relief from the heat, go to the mountains where the temperatures drop as you go up.

Some temperatures in August

Alajuela avg 69F/21C
Puntarenas avg high 87F/30C; avg low 75F/23C
San Jose avg high 78F/25C ; avg low 61F/16C

>>read more about Weather in Costa Rica

Facilities

Traveling during the rainy season has increased in popularity but it still doesn’t match the crowds during the high and peak season. You can get away with coming to Costa Rica without booking your hotel or hostel , in advance, but do book the airfare at least several weeks in advance and you can even find special sales for August.

Many accommodations offer discounts of up to 40% because of the lower numbers of travelers during this time of the year.

Alternatives to traveling in August

If you cannot manage to plan your vacation in August, try July – which has a similar weather pattern in Costa Rica. Other good options are May, June and November, with little rain and low season price and crowds.

Things to Do

August is a good month for surfing, but you can also practice other water activities. Don’t forget to use sun screen all the time. Jaco and Playa Hermosa are excellent spots for surfers.

Try a more adventurous approach towards your vacation. Zip lining is fun for both adults and children (of at least 7 years old). White water rafting can be an exciting way to explore a river, while sea kayaking is a less challenging way to explore the waters. Hiking on a volcano will reward you with lovely views of the surrounding area. Poás Volcano is located close to San Jose and can be climbed.

Costa Rica is known for the coffee farms so you can enjoy a strong coffee and see how the trees are grown and the coffee is processed.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see the wildlife very close to you. In Manuel Antonio National Park , the capuchin monkeys swing overhead and you can take lovely photos of them.

Should you stay in San Jose for a while, don’t miss the Jade Museum and the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum. Pick up some souvenirs from the Central Flea Market and enjoy the local cuisine.

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