Costa Rica in June: Green Season Weather, Beaches, Cloud Forests and What to Do

In June, afternoon showers drum on tin roofs in the Central Valley while the mornings stay bright, and the hills turn a deeper green almost week by week. The coffee plants are green and growing on the slopes, the rivers run fuller, and the beach towns slow down to a comfortable pace. Costa Rica in June is a month for travelers who like lush forest, warm water and a few fewer crowds, and who are happy to plan their days around the rain.

Green hills and a volcano in Costa Rica in the green season · Illustration

What is the weather like in Costa Rica in June?

June is warm and wet across the country, but in different ways: the Pacific side and the Central Valley settle into the green season with afternoon downpours and clear mornings, the Caribbean side is rainy as it is all year, and the highlands stay mild and misty.

Place	Region	Average high (°F)	Average low (°F)	Rain (in)	Rain days	Sea (°F)
San Jose	Central Valley	75.6	64.7	15.09	25.3	Inland
Monteverde	Cloud forest highlands	76.0	66.3	11.59	22.0	Inland
Tamarindo	North Pacific coast	84.4	76.6	11.82	23.0	86.1
Manuel Antonio	Central Pacific coast	79.8	71.3	30.85	28.6	85.8
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca	Caribbean coast	81.7	72.8	14.72	27.4	86.7

The biggest contrast is between the two stretches of Pacific coast. In the northwest, Tamarindo tops the table for heat, and it receives far less rain than Manuel Antonio, which lies farther south and takes a thorough soaking from the green season. Expect showers at Manuel Antonio on nearly every day of the month, often heavy ones, with the best chance of sunshine early in the morning.

Up in the mountains the air is cooler. San Jose and Monteverde have evenings that call for a light layer, and Monteverde’s cloud forest is wrapped in mist for much of the day.

The Caribbean coast does not follow the green-season script at all: Puerto Viejo has rain spread through the month in bursts, with warm nights and sea water that is as warm as bathwater.

Where to go in Costa Rica in June

The Pacific coast: Tamarindo and Manuel Antonio

The green season turns the Pacific coast into a different place from the postcard version. Around Tamarindo on the Nicoya side, the hills behind the beach go from tawny to emerald, the surf towns are easy to move around in, and the mornings are made for a surf lesson or a long walk on the sand. By midafternoon the clouds stack up over the hills and a shower usually sends everyone to the cafés for a smoothoie or a plate of fish tacos.

Manuel Antonio, on the central Pacific, is greener still and wetter. Inside the national park, paths wind through soaking woods, and monkeys and sloths may show up there, so most travelers rely on a guided walk to see them.

Plan the park and the beach for the morning and keep the afternoon free for a covered lunch, a spa or a nap. Rip currents pose a real danger on many Pacific beaches, and most of them have no lifeguards, so ask locals about water conditions before you go in.

The Caribbean coast: Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Puerto Viejo is the best-known stop on the Caribbean side, a laid-back Afro-Caribbean town of bicycles, reggae from open doorways and dark-sand beaches backed by jungle. Puerto Viejo’s Caribbean coast feels quieter than the Pacific. In June the rain arrives in bursts and then lets go, so the days often include a good stretch of sun.

Food is a reason to come here on its own: rice and beans cooked in coconut milk, fish in spicy sauce, and fresh chocolate from small farms nearby. Warm sea, wet jungle walks and plenty of cafés make it a good match for travelers who do not mind getting wet and want a slower rhythm. Beach flags and local advice matter here too, since waves can be strong.

The highlands: San Jose and Monteverde

The Central Valley is where the green season looks like a postcard: coffee farms on the slopes, volcano views when the clouds part, and a capital full of museums, markets and restaurants that work well on a rainy afternoon. San Jose is mostly a base and a stopover, but its Central Market, with its sodas serving casados and its coffee stalls, is a good half day when showers set in.

Monteverde is the place to be in the clouds. Hanging bridges, a night walk to look for frogs and insects, and a morning among hummingbirds are the draw, and the mist and drizzle are part of the scene rather than a spoiler. Bring a rain jacket and be ready for plans to change with the weather. Check each park or reserve’s official website for current entry and reservation rules before you set out.

What to do in Costa Rica in June

Cloud forest, waterfalls and coffee farms

June is a good month for the things that need water. Rivers and waterfalls are full, forests are loud with frogs and birds, and coffee farms around the Central Valley are busy. Coffee fresh from the roaster is a common way for a farm tour to finish, and often the meal also includes gallo pinto, the national breakfast, made by frying rice and beans with onion and sweet pepper.

Wildlife is a chance, never a promise. Guided walks in Manuel Antonio, Monteverde and along the Caribbean give you the best odds of seeing monkeys, sloths, toucans and hummingbirds, and local guides know where to look when the weather turns.

Surf and beach mornings

Tamarindo and the Pacific beaches get lively swell, and lessons are easy to book in town. Ocean temperatures remain balmy throughout June, making an early swim a real pleasure, yet things can shift fast, and since lifeguards and hazard notices are absent at most beaches, ask the hotel or a surf school what is happening that day and never go in alone.

On the Caribbean side, the days are built around the beach, a bicycle ride along the coast road and long lunches. The best plan everywhere is to be on the sand early and be under a roof by the time the afternoon clouds arrive.

Rainy-afternoon plans and the Costa Rican table

Those little family-run places known as sodas turn out the usual plate of the day, a casado, which pulls together rice, black beans, plantain, salad and some kind of protein, and when an afternoon turns rainy, it truly hits the spot. Add a coffee, a fresh fruit juice or a slice of tres leches and the shower is over before you finish. Chocolate workshops, cooking classes, hot springs near the volcanoes and a long museum visit in San Jose all work well when the sky turns gray.

Is Costa Rica busy in June?

June is quieter than the dry months, since the green season is not the time most visitors choose, though pockets of the country still fill on weekends and when school vacations begin for American families.

The beach towns that draw surfers, such as Tamarindo, keep a steady crowd, while the national parks and cloud forests have a calmer feel than in the dry season. Manuel Antonio still draws day visitors, and its busiest hours are in the morning, before the rain. You will find easier going at hotels, restaurants and tours than in the months from December to April, and rooms are often easier to find.

The Caribbean coast is calm in most months, and Puerto Viejo stays relaxed, with a mix of backpackers, families and surfers. San Jose is the transit hub and has steady traffic through the month, especially around the airport and the bus stations. For a quiet visit, aim for weekdays, start early, and keep the afternoon for something indoors.

If you want a particular lodge, a guided night walk or a popular park hike, book ahead anyway. Small places with limited rooms can fill even when the country feels calm, and guides are in demand for wildlife walks.

What to pack for Costa Rica in June

Packing changes with where you are going. The Pacific and Caribbean coasts call for light, quick-drying clothes and sandals, while the Central Valley and Monteverde need a warmer layer for the evenings and a proper rain jacket.

Think in terms of getting wet and drying out again: showers are common everywhere, so everything should dry fast and your electronics should stay protected. American plugs work as they are, so there is no adapter to carry.

A light, packable rain jacket, which is more useful than an umbrella on forest trails and in windy coastal showers.
Quick-drying shirts and shorts for the coast, plus one pair of long pants for the highlands and for evenings in San Jose.
Sturdy sandals and closed shoes with good grip, since cloud forest and park trails turn muddy.
A dry bag or zip-top bags to keep your phone, passport and camera safe from afternoon downpours.
Sunscreen and a hat, because the morning sun on the coast is strong even when the afternoon turns gray.
Insect repellent for evenings on the Caribbean coast and near the forest.

Good to know before you go

The U.S. State Department rates Costa Rica Level 2, ‘Exercise increased caution,’ due to crime; it says petty crime is common throughout Costa Rica and that violent crime also affects tourists, including armed robbery, homicide and sexual assault.

The Atlantic hurricane season, which covers the Caribbean Sea, runs from June 1 to November 30, so June opens it, and the peak comes in September.

Check the advisory for each region before you book, keep valuables out of sight and pay attention to local advice on the beaches. You must have a passport that stays valid for your whole trip, plus either a return ticket or proof you are traveling onward.

Is June a good time to visit Costa Rica?

June is a good time for travelers who want green landscapes, warm water and fewer visitors, and the best choices are the north Pacific coast around Tamarindo, where the rain is lighter, and the highlands around Monteverde for cloud forest. Plan on a showery month and arrange your days around mornings.

Compared with May, which is the first stretch of the green season and often feels like a transition, June is settled into the pattern of clear mornings and wet afternoons. July is usually similar in rhythm, and on much of the Pacific side the rains can ease for a short stretch in the middle of the green season, though that is no promise for any given week. The Caribbean coast follows its own calendar and does not share the pattern.

Manuel Antonio and the central Pacific are the places where the rain is hardest to ignore, so allow flexibility there. San Jose is a good base for museums, markets and coffee, and for day trips that you can start early. Travelers who want guaranteed sun on a beach may prefer the dry months, while those who like lush forest and slower towns will find June rewarding.

What makes June special is the moment the country turns green: the first reliable afternoon storms, the clouds sliding off the volcanoes by morning, and a table set with gallo pinto at breakfast and a hot casado at lunch while rain drums on the roof.

Sources

Open-Meteo / ECMWF ERA5, normals 1991-2020 computed for the grid cell at 9.9281N 84.0907W, checked October 8, 2026
Open-Meteo / ECMWF ERA5, normals 1991-2020 computed for the grid cell at 10.3009N 84.8248W, checked October 8, 2026
Open-Meteo / ECMWF ERA5, normals 1991-2020 computed for the grid cell at 10.2993N 85.8371W, checked October 8, 2026
Open-Meteo Marine API, average 2015-2024, checked October 8, 2026
Open-Meteo / ECMWF ERA5, normals 1991-2020 computed for the grid cell at 9.392N 84.1366W, checked October 8, 2026
Open-Meteo / ECMWF ERA5, normals 1991-2020 computed for the grid cell at 9.6558N 82.7541W, checked October 8, 2026
U.S. Department of State, Costa Rica Travel Information, Safety and security (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/CostaRica.html), checked October 8, 2026
NOAA National Hurricane Center, Climatology (https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/), checked October 8, 2026
U.S. Department of State, Costa Rica Travel Advisory, issued April 1, 2026 (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/costa-rica-travel-advisory.html), read via the State Department open data API on October 8, 2026
U.S. Department of State, Costa Rica Travel Information, Entry and exit requirements (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/CostaRica.html), checked October 8, 2026