Guanacaste is known as “dry tropical forest,” with the “dry” indicating that it doesn’t rain here as much as it normally does in other tropical regions. It can be cool and wet up in the mountains but 92 and sunny at the beach. Much of the cattle ranching is in this part of the country. The bougainvillea thrives!
December through April is called “summer” where there is literally not a drop of rain, while the Green season from May through early November is called “winter.” Temps are milder but never get below 70, with highs in the 80’s. Perfect beach weather! There is no spring and there is no fall.
I love the rain. It sounds awesome, with fat droplets hitting the palm fronds. It smells earthy and fresh. The first downpour washes everything clean – every leaf in the jungle. The rain also prompts fresh growth, making new plants spring up everywhere. A few good rains and everything greens up instantly; hence the Green Season. Our gardener once told us that all you have to do is spit a seed in the ground and something will grow!
One interesting feature of the Costa Rica rain is that it almost always occurs late in the afternoon or overnight. This means the mornings and early afternoons are sunny and have glorious blue skies. Even in the height of the rainy season in September and October, everyone can go about most or all of their day without getting wet. Play golf, go for a sail, surf, take a hike, go zip lining, lay around the pool, take a walk on the beach.
Sometimes it’s raining across the bay but sunny and dry over at Casa Las Brisas. It’s great fun to watch the storm move across the water and frequently miss our beach house completely. There are also awesome light shows where the lightning bolts snake across the sky sideways, upwards, or straight down, with the rumble of thunder in the distance; just stunning.
So if there is an occasional downpour, you find a hammock, sit on our covered terrace or curl up and take a nap. You read a book, a magazine, play some cards, some backgammon, you check Instagram. Also a perfect time to find an open air bar serving up cold Imperials, a local brew or an icy tropical cocktail. Embrace it; Pura Vida!
