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Climate · Costa Rica

Arenal

Warm all year, wet from May to December and drier from February to April.

Typical weather, averaged over 30 years10.5°N410 m above the sea
  1. Jan81°27°67°19°Rain on about four days a week.
  2. Feb82°28°67°19°Rain on about three days a week.
  3. Mar85°29°67°19°Rain on about two days a week.
  4. Apr87°31°69°21°Rain on about two days a week.
  5. May86°30°71°22°Rain on about six days a week.
  6. Jun84°29°71°22°Rain on almost every day.
  7. Jul83°28°70°21°Rain on almost every day.
  8. Aug84°29°70°21°Rain on almost every day.
  9. Sep84°29°70°21°Rain on almost every day.
  10. Oct83°28°70°21°Rain on almost every day.
  11. Nov81°27°69°21°Rain on about six days a week.
  12. Dec81°27°68°20°Rain on about five days a week.
Each month: its typical high and low, and dots for wet days a week. Tap a month to open it.The best months

Highs hardly move, between 81°F and 87°F all year, with nights near 69°F. The rain comes from May to December, on about six days a week. February to April is the driest stretch, with rain on about two days a week. Daylight runs from about 11½ hours in December to 12½ hours in June.Highs hardly move, between 27°C and 31°C all year, with nights near 21°C. The rain comes from May to December, on about six days a week. February to April is the driest stretch, with rain on about two days a week. Daylight runs from about 11½ hours in December to 12½ hours in June.

Where Arenal sits

America/Costa Rica
this place
typical high in Januarytypical high in Februarytypical high in Marchtypical high in Apriltypical high in Maytypical high in Junetypical high in Julytypical high in Augusttypical high in Septembertypical high in Octobertypical high in Novembertypical high in December 40°F4°C95°F35°C
Latitude
10.5°Nnorthern hemisphere
Above the sea
410 mlow-lying
Sunrise, mid-JanuarySunrise, mid-FebruarySunrise, mid-MarchSunrise, mid-AprilSunrise, mid-MaySunrise, mid-JuneSunrise, mid-JulySunrise, mid-AugustSunrise, mid-SeptemberSunrise, mid-OctoberSunrise, mid-NovemberSunrise, mid-December
6:00 AM5:59 AM5:47 AM5:28 AM5:17 AM5:17 AM5:24 AM5:29 AM5:28 AM5:27 AM5:34 AM5:48 AMsets 5:34 PMsets 5:47 PMsets 5:50 PMsets 5:50 PMsets 5:53 PMsets 6:01 PMsets 6:05 PMsets 5:58 PMsets 5:40 PMsets 5:22 PMsets 5:13 PMsets 5:19 PM
Nearest of ours
Bijagua51 km north-west

The land around Arenal, shaded by its typical high in January, the planning map's own layer.The land around Arenal, shaded by its typical high in February, the planning map's own layer.The land around Arenal, shaded by its typical high in March, the planning map's own layer.The land around Arenal, shaded by its typical high in April, the planning map's own layer.The land around Arenal, shaded by its typical high in May, the planning map's own layer.The land around Arenal, shaded by its typical high in June, the planning map's own layer.The land around Arenal, shaded by its typical high in July, the planning map's own layer.The land around Arenal, shaded by its typical high in August, the planning map's own layer.The land around Arenal, shaded by its typical high in September, the planning map's own layer.The land around Arenal, shaded by its typical high in October, the planning map's own layer.The land around Arenal, shaded by its typical high in November, the planning map's own layer.The land around Arenal, shaded by its typical high in December, the planning map's own layer. Hover the map for the figure at that spot; tap it on a phone. Clock times are local, for the 15th.

Through the year

week by week

Temperature

Highs from 81°F in November and December to 87°F in April.Highs from 27°C in November and December to 31°C in April.

Chance of a wet day

Wettest in October (99% of days), driest in March (28%).

Cloud cover

Clearest in January (51% cover), cloudiest in June (83%).

Daylight

From 11h 31m in December to 12h 44m in June.

Week by week, lightly smoothed. Shading marks the seasons; the olive line, the best months. Hover or tap a week for its figures.

Month by month

°F°C
Arenal, month by month: the typical high and low, wet days a week, cloud cover and daylight.
MonthTypical low to highWet days a weekCloudDaylight
JanuaryAt its best
67°19°81°27°
4 days51%11h 35m
FebruaryDry seasonAt its best
67°19°82°28°
3 days55%11h 47m
MarchDry seasonAt its best
67°19°85°29°
2 days58%12h 03m
AprilDry season
69°21°87°31°
2 days69%12h 21m
MayRainy season
71°22°86°30°
6 days82%12h 36m
JuneRainy season
71°22°84°29°
7 days83%12h 44m
JulyRainy season
70°21°83°28°
7 days79%12h 40m
AugustRainy season
70°21°84°29°
7 days78%12h 27m
SeptemberRainy season
70°21°84°29°
7 days79%12h 10m
OctoberRainy season
70°21°83°28°
7 days82%11h 52m
NovemberRainy season
69°21°81°27°
6 days75%11h 38m
DecemberRainy season
68°20°81°27°
5 days56%11h 31m

When is the best time to visit Arenal?

The best months are January to March: highs near 83°F, nights near 67°F, and rain on about three days a week.The best months are January to March: highs near 28°C, nights near 19°C, and rain on about three days a week.

How we judge it: every month is scored on how close its typical high comes to the range from 70°F to 80°F, how mild its nights are, and how rarely it rains. The best months are the run of months that scores best.How we judge it: every month is scored on how close its typical high comes to the range from 21°C to 27°C, how mild its nights are, and how rarely it rains. The best months are the run of months that scores best.

Questions

What is the warmest month in Arenal?

April, with highs near 87°F and lows near 69°F. The coolest are November and December, with highs near 81°F.April, with highs near 31°C and lows near 21°C. The coolest are November and December, with highs near 27°C.

When does it rain most in Arenal?

October, with rain on almost every day. March is the driest, with rain on about two days a week.

How long are the days in Arenal?

From about 11½ hours in December to 12½ hours in June.

When are the skies clearest in Arenal?

January, when cloud covers about 51% of the sky on average. June is the cloudiest, at about 83%.

Places with a year like Arenal's

by their highs, lows and wet days

Their highs, lows, wet days and cloud run closest to Arenal's through the year, one place a country. “Six months apart”: their winter is Arenal's summer.

Elsewhere in Costa Rica

All of Costa Rica

Where to stay

1 in our collection
Open the planning map

Typical weather, averaged over 30 years (1995–2024), from the 11 km grid square nearest Arenal. Temperatures are adjusted against 66 weather stations: daytime highs read about 3.1°F cold in the source data and are raised to match, and both highs and lows are adjusted for the town's height (410 m) against the climate model's (533 m).Temperatures are adjusted against 66 weather stations: daytime highs read about 1.7°C cold in the source data and are raised to match, and both highs and lows are adjusted for the town's height (410 m) against the climate model's (533 m). Daylight is calculated from latitude. Charts are lightly smoothed week to week; the figures in the table are not. Source: Copernicus ERA5-Land reanalysis; cloud cover from NASA's MERRA-2 reanalysis, on a coarser grid of about 50 km. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026; neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use of it. These are averages, not a forecast.

Daylight is calculated from latitude. Charts are lightly smoothed week to week; the figures in the table are not.

Source: Copernicus ERA5-Land reanalysis; cloud cover from NASA's MERRA-2 reanalysis, on a coarser grid of about 50 km. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026; neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use of it. These are averages, not a forecast.