Best Time to Visit San Jose

Dry season: December to April

San Jose sits high in the Central Valley, so it's mild all year. Days feel like a warm spring. Nights are cool enough for a light jacket. From December, the rain backs off and the sky clears. February is the driest month, with 23 mm, and March is the warmest, with highs of 28°C. April is also 28°C, but afternoon showers start to creep in.

This is the best time for walking the city. Wander the Barrio Amón and Barrio Escalante neighbourhoods, visit the Mercado Central, and take in the Gold Museum without a soaked jacket. It's also the best time for day trips to Poás Volcano, where clear mornings give you a real chance of seeing into the crater. Cloud often fills it by midday, so go early.

It's also high season. Many visitors pass through on the way to the beaches, and the Christmas and New Year weeks are busiest. Families also travel around Easter, known here as Semana Santa. Locals head to the coast, so the capital itself can feel quieter, but buses and beach towns get packed. Travelling with kids? Expect full buses and no empty beds on the Pacific side that week.

Green season: May to November

Rain defines these months. It usually comes as a heavy afternoon downpour, often after a bright morning. But the data shows it's wetter than that: May has rain on 25 days, and September and October on 28. October is the wettest month at 342 mm. Sun is scarce, with under 3 hours a day from May to November.

It's not all bad. The city stays green, prices tend to drop, and museums, cafés and the National Theatre make good rainy-day stops. If you hate crowds, you'll like this season. Plan sightseeing for the morning and leave the afternoons for indoor stops.

Hiking and volcano trips are hit and miss now. Views often vanish into cloud, and roads can turn slick. June to August is a touch drier than September and October, and it's the easier stretch if you must travel mid-year. Mid-July brings the Guanacaste Annexation Day holiday on 25 July, though it's mostly felt in the northwest. In mid-September, Independence Day on 15 September brings parades and lantern processions.

Which month should you pick?

For the easiest trip, choose February or March. They're both rated Excellent, with plenty of sun and little rain. December and January are also lovely, and they fall at the start of the festive season. That includes the Festival de la Luz parade in December, when floats and lights fill the downtown streets.

On a tight budget, or if you don't mind getting wet, try June to August. Skip October unless you really want quiet streets and don't mind heavy rain.