Water Temperatures

Costa Rica Water Temperatures

Costa Rica lies between Panama and Nicaragua in Central America, and the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Caribbean Sea to the west. It’s the perfect spot for a break at most time of years, and visitors have a choice of friendly locations and exciting activities such as the fabulous beaches of the Central Pacific Coast, white water rafting and turtle spotting in Caribbean Costa Rica, world class surfing in the Guanacaste region or magical South Pacific Costa Rica where you will discover a spectacular variety of flora and fauna.


Most parts of the country are easy to reach, although Caribbean Costa Rica is more isolated, and there are daily international flights to the capital, San Jose.

Jacó water temperature by month

pacific ocean water temperature by month

Max. Water

Temperature (°C)

ø. Water

Temperature (°C)

Min. Water

Temperature (°C)

January

28.1 28 27.8

February

28.3 28.1 27.8

March

28.9 28.5 28.2

April

29.1 28.9 28.8

May

29.2 28.9 28.6

June

28.9 28.6 28.4

July

28.9 28.7 28.5

August

28.8 28.7 28.5

September

28.6 28.3 27.9

October

28.1 28 27.8

November

27.8 27.6 27.5

December

28.1 27.8 27.7

pacific ocean water temperature by month

Max. Water

Temperature (°F)

ø. Water

Temperature (°F)

Min. Water

Temperature (°F)

January

82.6 82.4 82

February

82.9 82.6 82

March

84 83.3 82.8

April

84.4 84 83.8

May

84.6 84 83.5

June

84 83.5 83.1

July

84 83.7 83.3

August

83.8 83.7 83.3

September

83.5 82.9 82.2

October

82.6 82.4 82

November

82 81.7 81.5

December

82.6 82 81.9

Best time to visit Costa Rica
The country has a tropical climate which is only broken into seasons regarding the amount of rain that falls. The dry ‘summer’ is from December to March, while the ‘wet’ winter season falls between the months of April and November.

However, this just means that humidity is higher in the winter period from April onwards, particularly on the Caribbean coast and the dry northern plains. Temperatures of 81F or 26C to 82F or 27C throughout the year make Costa Rica a great destination at any time. Pack light, cotton clothing and be ready for occasional early morning or late evening showers during the ‘wet’ season.

The top attractions in Santa Barbara
Since the 1990’s Costa Rica has been one of the leading eco-tourism destinations in the world and a high percentage of visitors come for the diverse wildlife and flora. Visit Dominical in South Pacific Costa Rica for stunning tropical beaches, national parks and exceptional wildlife spotting opportunities. The country has numerous national parks and is incredibly beautiful.

For volcanoes and remarkable scenery visit Rincon de la Vieja Volcano National Park or Arenal Volcano, or choose the Monteverde and Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserves for exotic flora and fauna. Surfers are spoiled for choice on the Pacific Coast and some of the most famous spots include Tamarindo, Dominicalito and Esterillos. The Caribbean coast town of Limon is the perfect base for turtle spotting, while nearby Tortuguera National Park is a treasure trove of swamps, waterways and canals where you’ll see iguana, sloth, monkey and if you’re incredibly lucky, maybe even a jaguar.