Costa Rica in March: Dry-Season Weather, Dia del Boyero and Where to Go

On the second Sunday of March, painted oxcarts fill the streets of Escazu for the Dia del Boyero parade. Out on the Pacific coast the hills have turned the color of toasted straw, and the evening light on the beach is long and orange. March is the heart of the dry season, a month for beaches, volcano country and cloud forest, with the Caribbean side on its own softer calendar.

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

What is the weather like in Costa Rica in March?

March is hot and mostly dry on the Pacific coast, warm and pleasant in the highlands and the Central Valley, and showery on the Caribbean side, where it can rain on any day of the year. The mountain spine splits the country in two, so the place you choose matters more than the month.

Place	Region	Average high (°F)	Average low (°F)	Rain (in)	Rain days	Sea (°F)
San Jose	Central Valley	79.5	62.8	2.41	6.0	Inland
Monteverde	Cloud forest highlands	80.2	63.5	0.52	1.5	Inland
Tamarindo	Northern Pacific	91.7	76.2	0.19	0.5	85.2
Manuel Antonio	Central Pacific	82.7	73.4	4.70	14.6	87.2
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca	Caribbean	80.6	70.9	6.00	12.9	83.7

The biggest contrast is between Tamarindo and everywhere else. The northwest corner is the hottest and driest place on the page, with afternoons that call for shade, a long lunch and a swim, and with almost no rain to interrupt the beach. The highlands are a different world. San Jose and Monteverde stay in the high 70s to around 80 by day and cool off enough at night that you will want a light layer, and Monteverde in particular is far drier than its misty reputation suggests this month.

Manuel Antonio and Puerto Viejo sit on the wetter side of the ledger, and both see rain on more than a dozen days. Rain is common in both places in March, and the sea off both is warm. Let the weather, not the date, decide when you head to the sand, and watch the flags and the water closely, because rip currents pose a genuine danger at plenty of Costa Rican beaches.

Where to go in Costa Rica in March

Dry-season March rewards a trip that mixes a beach with a mountain, because the Pacific coast and the highlands are both at their easiest. In March the Pacific coast is hot and dry while the highlands stay cool and green.

Central Valley and the highlands: San Jose and Monteverde

San Jose is a city to use as a base for a day or two rather than a long stay. March mornings are clear and the evenings cool, and the afternoon showers are short when they arrive.

Monteverde is the cloud forest at a drier moment. Trails through the reserves, hanging bridges and night walks with a guide give you a fair chance of seeing birds, and with luck a sloth or other animals, though none of it is guaranteed. Mist still drifts through in the mornings, so a light jacket earns its place.

Northern Pacific: Tamarindo and the Nicoya coast

Tamarindo is where March feels most like a classic beach vacation. Mornings belong to surf lessons and long walks on the sand, midday to the shade of a beach bar, and sunset to the crowd that gathers on the shore with a cold drink. Surf schools and restaurants are in full swing, and the nights are warm enough to eat outside.

The heat here is serious, so start early, drink plenty of water and keep sunscreen close. The surf can be big on some stretches, and most beaches have no lifeguards or warnings about unsafe conditions, so check the conditions before entering the water.

Central Pacific: Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio packs rainforest, white-sand coves and wildlife into a small stretch of coast. Capuchin monkeys, iguanas and sometimes sloths turn up in the park and along the trails, and a guided walk helps you spot what you would otherwise pass under the canopy. The sea here is among the warmest on the page, and the beaches are a draw all day.

This is a greener, wetter stretch of the Pacific than the northwest, so March here brings frequent short showers even in the dry season. They tend to clear quickly, and the forest looks the better for it. Bring a thin rain layer and plan your hikes for the morning.

Caribbean coast: Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Puerto Viejo is the quieter, slower side of Costa Rica, reached by a longer drive from the capital. The town’s Afro-Caribbean identity comes from black-sand shores, bikes rolling along the road that links the coves, reggae floating out of open-air bars, and rice and beans simmered in coconut milk. It follows its own pattern, with rain possible all year, so March here is a gamble on the sky but never a disappointment on the plate.

Expect a mix of sun and showers, warm seas and a lush jungle backdrop. Surf can be strong off some beaches, so heed the flags and ask locally before heading in, and pack for rain even if you are hoping for sunshine.

What to do in Costa Rica in March

The main March event is the Dia del Boyero in Escazu, and the rest of the month is for the outdoors, since the dry season makes trails, beaches and volcano country easy to enjoy.

Dia del Boyero in Escazu

The Dia del Boyero is a parade of painted oxcarts held on the second Sunday of March in Escazu, just outside San Jose. It honors the oxcart drivers who once carried coffee down to the coast, and the carts are the star, each covered in the bright, geometric patterns that have become a national symbol of Costa Rican craft.

Oxen walk slowly beside their drivers, who often wear traditional dress, and the sound of the wooden wheels is part of the spectacle. Stay for the street food, the music and the crowds of families. Because the date falls on a Sunday and the town is close to the capital, it works well as a half-day outing from San Jose.

Wildlife walks, volcanoes and cloud forest

Dry-season trails are firmer and easier underfoot, which suits first-time rainforest walkers. A guided walk in Manuel Antonio or Monteverde is how most visitors spot sloths, monkeys, toucans and other birds, and guides tend to find animals that untrained eyes miss. Sightings are always a chance, never a promise.

Volcano country is a good day out too, though summits can be hidden by cloud at any time. Check the official page for each park before you head out.

Beaches, surf and a good plate

Pacific beaches are the obvious March plan. Tamarindo suits surf lessons and long sunsets, Manuel Antonio suits swimming between forest walks, and the Caribbean suits slow days of cycling and snorkeling when the sea allows. Most beaches do not have lifeguards, so treat the water with respect.

Eat as locals do. Gallo pinto, rice and beans fried with onion and sweet pepper and served with eggs and sour cream, is a common breakfast, while the casado comes at lunch. Fresh fruit juices and grilled fish at a beachside kitchen round out a good day.

Is Costa Rica busy in March?

Yes, March is one of the busier months in Costa Rica, because the dry season and the end of the North American winter bring plenty of visitors to the Pacific coast and the highlands.

U.S. spring break sends families and students south, and Holy Week, which falls in March in some years and April in others, brings Costa Ricans onto the beaches in numbers. When it falls in March, the coast gets noticeably fuller and rooms and rental cars are harder to find.

Tamarindo and Manuel Antonio are the places that fill up first, with restaurants and beach bars lively into the evening and tour groups at the park entrance. Monteverde and the popular cloud forest trails are also busy, so early starts help. Book rooms and popular tours well ahead.

The Caribbean side keeps a calmer rhythm, and Puerto Viejo has space on the sand even in a busy month. San Jose itself is easy, since most visitors pass through rather than stay. If you want quiet, choose smaller beach towns, go on weekdays and visit the headline sights early in the morning.

What to pack for Costa Rica in March

Pack for heat on the Pacific, for cool evenings in the mountains and for showers on the Caribbean and around Manuel Antonio. Light clothes that dry fast cover most of it, and power outlets are the same as at home, so your devices work without an adapter.

Lightweight, breathable clothes and a swimsuit for the Pacific coast, where afternoons run hot.
A light jacket or sweater for evenings in Monteverde and San Jose.
A thin rain layer for the Caribbean coast, Manuel Antonio and the cloud forest.
Sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses, because the dry-season sun is strong.
Sturdy closed shoes or trail sandals for wet forest paths and muddy trails.
A reusable water bottle and insect repellent for jungle and beach evenings.

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.

In March, the Pacific side and the Central Valley are dry, but the Caribbean side receives rain throughout the year, so showers there are typical and not a sign of a storm. Check the current U.S. State Department advisory before you travel, and remember that rip currents are very dangerous and that most beaches have no lifeguards or warnings about unsafe conditions.

Is March a good time to visit Costa Rica?

Yes, March is an excellent month for the Pacific coast and the highlands, and the best choice is the northwest around Tamarindo if you want sun and sea above all, or Monteverde and the Central Valley if you want mountains in comfortable weather. For travelers who enjoy a slower rhythm and don’t mind some rain, the Caribbean works well.

Compared with February, March is a touch hotter and the land is drier, with the countryside looking more golden than green. Compared with April, it is still firmly in the dry season, before the heat builds toward the first rains of the green season. That makes March a reliable month for planning a trip that mixes beach days and forest walks.

The trade-off is crowds, since the same sunshine that draws you draws everyone else, and the best rooms and tours go early. Plan ahead, travel midweek where you can and start your days before the heat. What sets March apart is the Dia del Boyero, when painted oxcarts roll through Escazu in a parade that still honors the men who once hauled coffee to the coast.

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