Costa Rica Geography

The country known as Costa Rica – Spanish for “Rich Coast” – is part of a thin isthmus land bridge that joins the large continents of North and South America. Although part of what we know as Central America, Costa Rica is a geographic component of continental North America. It has two distinct coastlines: the Atlantic (or Caribbean) coast, and the long Pacific shore. Its diverse beaches attract a multiplicity of wildlife and its waters are home to gigantic whales as well as tiny mollusks in delicate circular shells. The Pacific coastline wiggles and stretches 1,016 km (631 miles) around three peninsulas – Buriya, Nicoya and Osa – and in the process forms two significant gulfs, Golfo de Nicoya and Golfo Dulce. Although it has a narrow land mass – little more than 300 km (200 miles) at its widest – a series of rugged cordilleras (mountain ranges) part its length and form what’s also known as the great Continental Divide. It has been reported that from atop Costa Rica’s highest point, Cerro de Chirripó (Mount Chirripó) at 3,820 meters (12,530 feet), you can see both oceans. The same has been reported at Irazú Volcano (3,432 meters/11,257 feet), the highest volcano, but you would have to be very lucky because clouds and haze obscure the view. High mountain ranges separate the climate between east and west coasts. Occasionally, when one half of the country is being drenched by rain, the other may be having a sunfest.

Costa Rica Climate

As in most Central American countries, you can choose your climate in Costa Rica not so much by moving north or south, but by changing your altitude. You could also change your attitude, but that’s a different story. The beach communities at sea level on both coasts can be very hot and humid, while the climate of the Central Valley, for example, at 1,500 meters/4,934 feet, is spring-like year-round. Unlike most of North America, Costa Rica has only two seasons: the rainy season, which runs from May to November, and the dry season, from December through April. During the rainy season, rain generally falls in the afternoon and evenings; mornings are frequently sunny and bright. And, depending on your location, it doesn’t necessarily rain every day. Then again, we once sat through a solid three-day downpour deep in the rainforest. The sound that heavy raindrops make on the thick foliage of the forest is hypnotic and reassuring that life goes on. In the dry season clouds can also roll in and precipitate, especially in the afternoons. The dry season is more popular time with tourists. The rainy season has its advantages, though there is little difference between the summer and winter temperatures. The intense rainfalls you may encounter are known as temporales, while the soft rains of March are known as aguaceros de cafeleros, or coffee grower’s showers.
Overall, Costa Rica’s climate is a very pleasant “tropical,” with an average temperature of 22°C (72°F).