Costa Rica in April: Weather by Region, Semana Santa and Where to Go

On Holy Thursday the beaches of Guanacaste fill with families under beach umbrellas, with coolers, grandmothers in folding chairs and radios playing from every blanket. Up in the Central Valley the landscape is turning green after the first rains, and in the cloud forest the mornings are still bright. The dry season on the Pacific side wraps up in April, which is also when the country begins shifting its colors.

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

What is the weather like in Costa Rica in April?

Come April, the northwest Pacific coast turns hot with little rain, the highlands feel warm and pleasant, the central Pacific coast near Manuel Antonio is wet, and the Caribbean side sees showers. Because a mountain spine divides Costa Rica in half, the conditions you get depend on the slope beneath your feet.

Place	Region	Average high (°F)	Average low (°F)	Rain (in)	Rain days
San Jose	Central Valley	79.6	64.0	3.89	10.2
Monteverde	Northern highlands	81.2	64.9	1.74	4.2
Tamarindo	Northwest Pacific (Guanacaste)	91.6	77.7	1.54	4.2
Manuel Antonio	Central Pacific	81.9	72.9	12.55	22.3
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca	Southern Caribbean	81.6	71.9	6.79	14.4

Tamarindo is the hot corner. Afternoons are scorching, nights stay warm enough to sleep with the windows open, and rain is a rare event. The sea off the beach is in the mid-80s, which means you walk in without a shiver. Monteverde and San Jose are a different world: pleasant days in the high 70s or around 80, and cool nights that call for a light layer.

Manuel Antonio is where the dry season gives way first. Showers come on most days, often heavy, and the jungle behind the beach is a deep, dripping green, with a sea even warmer than Tamarindo’s.

Puerto Viejo sits in between, with a sea in the mid-80s and rain that can arrive on any day, since the Caribbean side does not follow the Pacific calendar. Bring a plan B for every day on these two coasts.

Where to go in Costa Rica in April

Guanacaste and the northwest Pacific

This is the classic April choice for beach time. Tamarindo, with its surf breaks, restaurants and sunset-watching crowd, is the busiest base, while the smaller towns along the coast around it are quieter and more rustic. Mornings are the time for long walks on the sand, surf lessons or a boat trip. The middle of the day belongs to shade, a cold drink and a hammock.

The heat is real, so plan active things for early morning or late afternoon. The nearest airport is Liberia (LIR), which makes the northwest easy to reach without crossing the country. Rip currents are a serious matter on many Pacific beaches, and most beaches have no lifeguard, so ask your hotel or a surf school how the water is that day and keep children within arm’s reach.

Monteverde and the cloud forest

Monteverde is the place to trade beach heat for mist, hanging bridges and the sound of birds. April is still relatively dry here, so mornings are often clear enough to enjoy the canopy walks, the hummingbird gardens and the night walks where guides point out frogs, insects and sleeping birds. Animals are always a chance and never a promise, and a guide helps you spot far more than you would alone.

Afternoons can turn cloudy and breezy, and the evenings are cool enough for a sweater and a hot chocolate in one of the village cafés. It pairs well with a few days on the Guanacaste coast, for those who want both heat and mountain air in one trip.

The central Pacific coast: Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio is lush, popular and wet in April. The national park trails, the small beaches and the monkeys that watch from the trees are the draw, and the green of the forest is at its richest as the rainy season arrives. Mornings are the best moment to walk the trails, before the heat and the cloud build up.

Plan for showers and enjoy the quieter, dripping forest rather than fight it. The town above the beach has restaurants with views over the bay, a good place to wait out a downpour with a plate of fresh fish. The same rip current warning applies on the beaches here.

The Caribbean coast: Puerto Viejo

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is bright, relaxed and a little bohemian, with bicycles on the dirt roads, reggae from the bars and Afro-Caribbean cooking in the kitchens. Rain falls here all year, so April is neither a dry escape nor a washout. Between showers, the beaches and surrounding jungle show Puerto Viejo at its brightest.

It suits travelers who prefer a slow, local feel to a resort one. Try rice and beans cooked in coconut milk and the spicy chicken that goes with it. The sea is warm, but the waves can be strong on the main beaches, so ask locally before swimming.

San Jose and the Central Valley

Most visitors land at Juan Santamaria (SJO) and pass through the capital. The valley is comfortable in April, with mild days and cool evenings, and rain that usually arrives in the afternoon. The central market, the museums and the coffee farms on the slopes make an easy first or last day.

Poas and Irazu rise over the valley, and clouds often hide their summits by midday. Go early, and check the park’s official page before you set out.

What to do in Costa Rica in April

Semana Santa, the big week of the month

Holy Week moves every year, and in Costa Rica it is the biggest family vacation of the spring. Holy Thursday and Good Friday are national holidays, most businesses close, and Costa Rican families head for the coast. The towns go quiet, the beaches go loud, and the atmosphere turns festive and relaxed.

If you are on the Pacific side that week, expect crowded sand, music and barbecues, and book rooms early. In the cities, you will find shops shut and a few church processions in the streets. When Holy Week falls in early April or late March changes the feel of the whole month.

Juan Santamaria Day

April 11 is Juan Santamaria Day, a national holiday honoring a young soldier who became a national hero. Towns hold parades with school bands, drums and dancing, and Alajuela, his hometown, is the center of the celebration. It is a good moment to see Costa Rican civic pride, with kids in uniform and families on the curbs.

Everyday April pleasures

With the Pacific dry season ending, April is a good month for surfing, snorkeling trips, sunset sails, zip lines and canopy tours. Mornings are for activity, afternoons for a swim or a nap. Around La Fortuna, hot springs fit nicely into a cooler afternoon, while coffee tours suit the Central Valley.

Eat the way locals do: a casado, the plate of rice, beans, plantain, salad and a protein, at a small family restaurant, and gallo pinto, the rice and beans mixed with onion and cilantro, for breakfast with eggs and a cup of local coffee. Fruit stands sell pineapple, mango and watermelon by the roadside. Wildlife sightings are chances rather than promises, and a guided walk is how most visitors find sloths, monkeys and birds.

Is Costa Rica busy in April?

It can be, especially during Holy Week, when Costa Rican families fill the beaches and the popular coastal towns run full. Outside that week, April feels like the end of the high season, with fewer visitors than the winter months and an easier pace at the sights.

North American spring break and Easter holidays bring travelers to Guanacaste, Manuel Antonio and La Fortuna, so those are the places where rooms and tours fill first. The central Pacific beaches and Tamarindo are lively on weekends and during the holiday week. Book your lodging early if your trip overlaps with Easter.

The calmer corners are the highlands, small towns off the main routes and the Caribbean coast, where the rhythm follows its own calendar. Puerto Viejo can feel more relaxed than the busiest Pacific resorts, while Monteverde generally keeps a steadier pace. Airports and the road to the beaches get busy around the holiday days, so give yourself extra time on those travel days.

Restaurant bills usually include both a sales tax and a service charge, so whether to add extra for a tip is entirely up to you.

What to pack for Costa Rica in April

Pack for several climates. Guanacaste asks for the lightest clothes you own and strong sun protection, the highlands want a warm layer for the evenings, and Manuel Antonio and the Caribbean coast call for rain gear whatever the morning looks like.

Light, breathable clothes and a hat for the Pacific heat, plus quick-drying swimwear.
A light rain jacket or poncho for afternoon showers, especially around Manuel Antonio and Puerto Viejo.
A fleece or sweater for the cool evenings in Monteverde and the Central Valley.
Closed shoes with good grip for wet forest trails, and sandals for the beach.
Sunscreen and insect repellent, since the sun is strong and the forest is full of mosquitoes at dusk.
A dry bag or waterproof case for your phone and documents on boat trips and rainy days.

A reusable water bottle is handy on long days of walking, and a small day pack keeps everything within reach on a trail. Leave room in your bag for a bag of local coffee on the way home.

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 U.S. State Department rates Costa Rica Level 2, exercise increased caution, because of crime, and it says petty crime is common throughout the country and that violent crime also affects tourists. Look up the guidance for every area on your itinerary.

You will need a passport that is valid for your entire stay, and you also must carry a return ticket or show proof that you are traveling onward. Rip currents pose such a serious danger that multiple U.S. tourists lose their lives to drowning annually, and lifeguards are absent at most beaches, where you will also find no warnings about unsafe conditions.

Is April a good time to visit Costa Rica?

Yes, especially if you want beach weather on the northwest Pacific coast, where April is hot and mostly dry. Guanacaste is the best region this month for sun and sea, while Monteverde and the Central Valley give you comfortable days and cool nights. Manuel Antonio and Puerto Viejo are rewarding, but you should expect rain there and plan around it.

Compared with March, April is a little closer to the change of season: the same heat in Guanacaste, but more chances of cloud and a shower further south and in the mountains. On the Pacific side, April remains the tail end of the dry season next to May, the month that begins the green, rainy stretch lasting through November, when rain typically arrives in the afternoon.

That in-between quality is what makes the month interesting. Outside Holy Week, the brown of the dry season is giving way to green, the coffee country is waking up, and the beaches are warm without the winter peak’s crowds. For travelers who plan their days around the morning and keep the afternoon flexible, it is an easy month to enjoy.

What is special about April is the mix of a national family holiday and a country in transition. You can watch Costa Rican families celebrate Holy Week on the sand, hear the parade drums on April 11, and then slip off to a cloud forest where the first afternoon mists are drifting in.

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
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