Summer begins on the Pacific side in December. The first two weeks are a favorite of ours, before it gets busy. From mid-December, when schools close, it’s the busiest time of year, and Christmas and New Year need planning well ahead, with peak-season rates.
The country is small, but the weather changes a lot from one region to the next. Here is how December usually looks where most of our travelers go.
Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula
The dry season starts first in the northwest, so Guanacaste turns sunny and dry in December. The Papagayo upwelling cools the water, devil rays start jumping offshore, and the northern humpback whales are here.
Central Pacific: Manuel Antonio and Jacó
The dry season begins here in December too, and the humpback whales from the north are along the coast.
The South Pacific: Uvita and the Osa Peninsula
The south comes last. Around Marino Ballena the dry season starts in mid December, so early in the month can still bring rain.
Arenal and the Northern Plains
Arenal is on the Caribbean side of the mountains and can see rain any day of the year, and that rain is why it is so green. The hot springs are perfect whatever the sky does.
Monteverde
The mountains are cooler and can be misty at any time of year. Bring a light jacket for the cloud forest.
The Caribbean Coast
December is the Caribbean’s rainiest month, and with July it is Tortuguero’s wettest. If the Caribbean is your priority, February to March and September to October suit it better.
Christmas and New Year fill months ahead, so if those are your dates, the sooner we start, the better. Our team has lived here and built trips by hand since 2004, so we know which regions pair well, how long the drives really take and which hotels are worth it. Tell us what you love and we will design your Costa Rica around it.
Holidays and Busy Weeks
Costa Rican schools finish in early December (the 2026 school year ends on 9 December), and from mid-December beach towns fill with local families as well as holiday travelers. 25 December is a public holiday, and 1 December is a holiday too, though not a paid day off.
What to Pack for December
Light clothes, strong sunscreen and a hat for the coast, a light rain jacket for Arenal, the Caribbean and the south, and a warmer layer for the mountains.
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