What is Costa Rica in June Like? (2024)

June is the second month of rainy season in Costa Rica, although you could say it’s the first real month of rainy season as May is a transition month. Despite the rain, June is a wonderful time to visit Costa Rica with less crowds and lush landscapes. However, there are some extremely important things to know so you don’t get worried or bummed out about rain during your visit.

Here is what Costa Rica in June is like.

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Prices quoted in USD below unless otherwise stated.

Costa Rica Quick Facts

Sunrise and sunset is roughly the same all year round, with a difference of around 15 minutes. Sunrise is generally 6 AM with first light around 530 AM and sunset is 530 PM, dark by 6 PM.
Costa Rica uses 110 V and drives on the right hand side of the road.
Local currency is called the colón. Exchange rate ~500 CRC to 1 USD.
Spanish is the main language.
Costa Rica is 8-12 degrees from the equator.

Costa Rica in June Weather

First and foremost, rainy season does not mean rain 24/7.

Expect typical tropical rainy season weather in Costa Rica in June, which means dry mornings and rainy/cloudy afternoons. Some days, it’s cloudy all day with rain at night. Other days, it’s full on sun in the morning, then a short hard rain in the late afternoon.

Weather will vary depending on which region of the country you’re in, thanks to Costa Rica’s many micro-climates. June is more humid and it can sometimes feel very muggy.

Furthermore, depending on if it’s an El Niño or La Niña year, June may be normal rainy or a-bit-more-than-normal rainy. In 2023, June was drier than normal but in 2024, the rainy season in June came back strong with several tropical storms during the middle of the month, putting much of the country under Orange Alert and disrupting flights.

The normally barren mountains of Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula happily soak in all the rain, turning them lush and green. The Central and South Pacific, which is green all year long due to the tropical rainforests, get an extra good soak in June, particularly the South Pacific.

But fear not. Even the tropical rainforests that see more rainfall such as the Northern Lowlands, Caribbean and Central and South Pacific still tend to follow the pattern of dry sunny mornings and rainy afternoons, so you’ll have plenty of chances for fun in the sun.

What is the Rain Like?

It depends. If it’s a normal rainy day, rain is intermittent. It can be super sunny in the morning, then around sunset time at 6 PM, there can be normal rainfall that lasts anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours. Some days, it can lightly drizzle for a few minutes in the morning, then full blown sun the rest of the day.

If there is a tropical storm or wave, it can be the hard, thundering constant rain that even your windshield wipers can’t get rid of. But when it rains, it’s normally still warm rain, especially on the coasts. If you’re up in the mountains, it can get cool, even cold.

Below are short descriptions of the weather in April for popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica.

Guanacaste and Nicoya Peninsula

As the Guanacaste coast and Nicoya Peninsula are typically drier areas, it is normal to have cloudy and dry mornings, and cloudy and light rain fall in the late afternoons. It doesn’t necessarily rain every day in these areas, unless there is a tropical storm. When the hard rain comes, it’s very refreshing!

Central Valley

The cities, San Jose, Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago normally has beautiful mornings with blue skies, but once noon rolls around, it gets dark and cloudy fast. It can feel very muggy in the afternoons when it rains and it can rain hard everyday for up to a couple hours at a time. Day time temperatures average around mid 70s° – 80s° F (25-29° C). It cools down at night to around 60-65° F (15-18° C).

La Fortuna

La Fortuna can go from sunny to rainy to stormy to down pouring to sunny again all in a matter of a couple hours. Average day time temperatures are around mid 80s° F (29 C). Average night time temperatures are low 70s° F (21° C).

Jaco and Manuel Antonio (Central Pacific)

Jaco, Manuel Antonio and Quepos have very similar weather with beautiful mornings but more consistent rains in the afternoons and nights. Average day time temperatures are upper 80s° to low 90s° F (31 – 33° C). Night time temperatures are around low to mid 70s° F (21-25° C).

Costa Ballena and Osa Peninsula

The South Pacific, Osa Peninsula and Costa Ballena (Dominical, Uvita, Ojochal) normally rains more than the Central Pacific, with dry mornings but longer afternoon and night rains. Average temperatures are upper 80s° to low 90s° F (31 – 33° C) and average night time temperatures are around mid 70s° F (25° C).

Caribbean Coast (Tortuguero, Limon and Puerto Viejo)

The Caribbean coast (Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limon and Tortuguero) has its own weather pattern. June does tend to be a wetter month on the Caribbean coast, it can still have dry mornings but be prepared for anything. Average day time temperatures in the high 80s° (31-32° C) and cools down at night to around low 70s° (21° C).

Monteverde

The cloud forest town, Monteverde, can still have beautiful sunny mornings, but it can start getting dark and rainy by 10 AM or so. Then it can clear up after a few hours of rain, and then rain again at night/overnight. Average day time temperatures are high 70s° F (25° C). Night time temperatures are around low 60s° F (15° C).

Prices in Costa Rica in June

June is a great time to visit Costa Rica if you have a small wallet. As it’s considered low season, rates are much lower and you can save a good amount of money on car rental and hotels, which can be 20% cheaper or more. Save more money by booking a car with our Costa Rica car rental discount and freebies!

Tours are still the same price, but some operators may run June specials or more generous group discounts.

Airfare tends to be much less in June, at least the beginning of the month. You can find good deals and flash sales, so put on your flight alerts. The end of June tends to see a tiny bit higher prices, especially if your travel overlaps to July.

Since lots of families travel in June and you may be buying flights for 5+ people, we highly recommend getting a travel credit card like the Chase Sapphire to collect points to use for travel reward.

Crowds in June

June is low season. It’s way less busy than January – April, even for popular destinations like Jaco, Tamarindo, La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio. It’s very similar to crowds in May. You don’t need to be booking 3 months out for this time of June, a few weeks is perfectly fine.

However, the end of June is busier. Multi generational families love visiting in June as a graduation present and many schools have their summer programs, so expect lots of school groups and big families.

Availability for car rentals and resorts gets limited towards the latter half of June, so you will want to book those at least a month or two out or you may be scrambling for a last minute rental.

When July rolls around, Costa Rica will be in a second “high” tourism season until mid August or so. If your trip falls between the end of June to July, book your services at least a month or more out.

Trip Planning in June

Book your activities for the morning as it’s normally dry and sunny in the mornings. By early afternoon, clouds appear and rain may fall around 3-4 PM. Mornings also give better chances to see wildlife and birds and improved water clarity for snorkeling/scuba diving.

Try not to drive long routes 2+ hours in the evenings or nights to avoid driving at night and getting caught in strong rainstorms. Try to leave much earlier to drive as much as possible in the sun and dry weather. Remember it gets dark by ~6 PM everyday.

If you aren’t sure about pre-booking tours due to the weather, you can wait until a few days before. Availability for shared tours is not limited. But availability for private guides may be very limited towards the end of the month, as large families prefer private services.

If there a tropical storm, there is a very good chance ocean activities like fishing, snorkeling, and sunset sailing may be cancelled. Make sure to have Wifi/Internet, a prepaid SIM card or an international data plan to stay connected with your tour provider on updates.

Best Things to Do in Costa Rica in June

Enjoy all things indoor and outdoor in Costa Rica in June!

Hot Springs

Relaxing in the natural hot springs while it’s raining is one of our favorite things to do! Enjoy hot springs in La Fortuna, Guanacaste (Hacienda Guachipelin, Buena Vista, Rio Perdido, Las Hornillas, Borinquen, Vandara) and Orosi (Hacienda Orosi).

Surf

June can bring some epic waves due to big swells from the storms up north. The Pacific coast has fantastic waves for intermediate level and expert surfers, especially down in the South Pacific beaches like Jaco, Playa Hermosa, Dominical, Pavones and Matapalo.

For beginners and novices, the North Pacific beaches are still suitable for lessons and first timers (Tamarindo, Avellanas, Samara). Witch’s Rock (Roca Bruja) can get some very big swells, so only experienced surfers should do this epic surf trip to the Santa Rosa National Park.

Museums and Cultural Sites

If you happen to get caught on a rainy day(s) in San Jose, there are plenty of indoor activities to enjoy. Head to the museums in downtown, such as the Gold Museum or Jade Museum. You can also peruse the Central Market to take in the sights and smells of the Costa Rican food scene.

If you like architecture and history, a visit to the National Theater cannot be missed. This is Costa Rica’s cultural gem, with beautiful neoclassical facades and paintings.

Fishing

June’s a great time to fish in Costa Rica. Book a full day fishing charter to catch dorado (mahi mahi), sail fish, marlin, yellow tail, amberjack and tuna. Half day charters offer opportunities to catch wahoo, snook, snapper, grouper, jack crevelle and Spanish mackerel.

Hike

Even in the rain, a hike through the tropical dry and rain forests is still fun! And if you are in the dry tropical forest regions like Guanacaste, the rain is actually very refreshing as it brings down temperatures, though it does get more humid. Just make sure to bring a poncho or rain jacket.

Cooking Classes

Play chef for a day on a farm to table cooking class (normally outdoor for the farm, indoor for the cooking). Our favorite cooking class so far has been in La Fortuna where you get to learn the ins and outs of farming, pick your own vegetables and cook up your own lunch/dinner.

Tubing/Rafting

Rivers start filling up fast in June so tubing and rafting will be super fun!

Wildlife

June is not the very best month to see certain wildlife such as turtles and humpback whales, but there are dolphins galore. You will also be able to see the year round animals like monkeys, sloths, frogs, iguanas and the like.

July is the start of the second humpback whale season and turtle nesting season will just be getting under way in June in Tortuguero and Ostional.

The Resplendant Quetzal nesting season ends in June/July, so your chances of easily seeing them greatly diminishes after that time.

Other Things to Know About Costa Rica in June

Mosquitoes are bad. Although mosquitoes are in Costa Rica all year long, they’re worse in rainy season. Do NOT forget mosquito repellent.
Everything is available in June (tours, restaurants, stores, etc.).
Do not forget to apply sunscreen. Even if it’s cloudy or rainy, you can still get burned!
Bring raingear with you, wherever you are visiting in Costa Rica. Always have it with you, even if you’re just running to the supermarket. It can be super sunny when you get there, then pouring down rain when you leave.
June sunset time is around 615 PM or so, instead of 6 PM. Enjoy that 15 minutes of more light.
Do not take a detour or “shortcut” when driving. Stay on main roads and highways as much as possible. A 4×4 may be required for certain destinations. Rivers may not be at their fullest in June, but do not attempt to drive across rivers without security or experience.

What to Pack for Your June Trip to Costa Rica

Essentials: Valid original passport, valid original drivers license if you plan to rent a car, credit card with no foreign transaction fee, travel insurance, medicines.

Lightweight clothes that dry fast and wick away sweat will be your savior if you’re visiting in June in Costa Rica. Forget any jeans, thick sweatpants or cotton shirts as you’ll just get super hot, sticky and sweaty.

MUST BRINGS: Waterproof rain jacket or rain shell, insulated water bottle, dry bag, waterproof backpack or backpack rain cover, mosquito repellent, hat, sunscreen, poncho, closed toed hiking sandals or water shoes for light water activities, board shorts, swimsuits, flip flops, hair dryer.

If you aren’t able to do laundry while you’re here, we recommend to bring a dedicated dirty clothes plastic bag with a secure closure. Also pack some fresh dryer sheets in your luggage to help with the stinkiness.

Check our full Costa Rica packing list and packing list for rainy season.

Itineraries

7/8 Days for Families: La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio + Samara and Bijagua

8 Days: La Fortuna and Playas del Coco

5 days Tamarindo

Two Weeks: Tamarindo, Monteverde, Bijagua and Rincon de la Vieja

2 weeks: La Fortuna, Monteverde, Santa Teresa and Playas del Coco

Costa Rica By Months

January
February
March
April
May

Costa Rica Vacation Checklist

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