Dry season
Costa Rica weather in March
Yes, as long as you dodge Semana Santa (Easter week) if it lands in March. The weather is still reliably dry and sunny almost everywhere.
By Aaron Bailey
Daytime highs
57–95°F
14–35°C depending on altitude
Driest
Guanacaste Airport (LIR)
0.2 in (5 mm) of rain
Wettest
Cahuita National Park
6.1 in (155 mm) of rain
What March is like
March is late dry season: hot, sunny, and dusty on the Pacific, with Guanacaste pushing into the mid-90s°F. The Central Valley warms up too, and the cloud forest is about as dry as Monteverde ever gets. It's one of the driest months on the Caribbean coast as well, so this is a rare month where nearly the whole country cooperates.
The thing to check is the calendar. When Easter falls in March, Semana Santa turns beach towns into a national holiday party. Hotels fill with Costa Rican families, prices jump, and some shuttles and businesses don't run on Thursday and Friday of Holy Week.
In March, average daytime highs in Costa Rica range from 57°F (14°C) at Irazú Volcano National Park to 95°F (35°C) at Guanacaste Airport (LIR). Rainfall ranges from about 0.2 in (5 mm) at Guanacaste Airport (LIR) to 6.1 in (155 mm) at Cahuita National Park.
Crowds and prices
High season. Easter week is the second-biggest domestic travel spike of the year after Christmas, so book early or plan around it.
Happening in March
- The northern whale season in Uvita tapers off by the end of the month.
- Semana Santa (Holy Week) lands in March some years. Check the dates for your year.
- It's one of the few months with good odds of dry weather on both coasts.
Towns and airports in March
Long-term monthly averages, driest first.
| Destination | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guanacaste Airport (LIR) | 95°F / 35°C | 72°F / 22°C | 0.2 in / 5 mm |
| Tamarindo | 94°F / 34°C | 73°F / 23°C | 0.2 in / 5 mm |
| Santa Teresa | 93°F / 34°C | 73°F / 23°C | 0.2 in / 5 mm |
| Nosara | 94°F / 34°C | 73°F / 23°C | 0.2 in / 5 mm |
| Samara | 93°F / 34°C | 73°F / 23°C | 0.2 in / 5 mm |
| San José Airport (SJO) | 81°F / 27°C | 62°F / 17°C | 0.4 in / 10 mm |
| San José | 79°F / 26°C | 60°F / 16°C | 0.4 in / 10 mm |
| Jaco | 91°F / 33°C | 74°F / 23°C | 0.4 in / 10 mm |
| Manuel Antonio | 90°F / 32°C | 73°F / 23°C | 1.4 in / 36 mm |
| Monteverde | 73°F / 23°C | 58°F / 14°C | 1.4 in / 36 mm |
| Dominical | 88°F / 31°C | 73°F / 23°C | 1.9 in / 48 mm |
| Uvita | 90°F / 32°C | 73°F / 23°C | 2 in / 51 mm |
| La Fortuna | 85°F / 29°C | 67°F / 19°C | 3.5 in / 89 mm |
| Puerto Viejo | 85°F / 29°C | 72°F / 22°C | 5.1 in / 130 mm |
National parks in March
Long-term monthly averages, driest first.
| Destination | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rincón de la Vieja National Park | 95°F / 35°C | 73°F / 23°C | 0.2 in / 5 mm |
| Manuel Antonio National Park | 90°F / 32°C | 73°F / 23°C | 1.4 in / 36 mm |
| Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve | 73°F / 23°C | 58°F / 14°C | 1.4 in / 36 mm |
| Irazú Volcano National Park | 57°F / 14°C | 39°F / 4°C | 1.8 in / 46 mm |
| Marino Ballena National Park | 90°F / 32°C | 73°F / 23°C | 2 in / 51 mm |
| Corcovado National Park | 89°F / 32°C | 71°F / 22°C | 2.6 in / 66 mm |
| Poás Volcano National Park | 63°F / 17°C | 46°F / 8°C | 2.8 in / 71 mm |
| Arenal Volcano National Park | 85°F / 29°C | 67°F / 19°C | 3.5 in / 89 mm |
| Tortuguero National Park | 85°F / 29°C | 74°F / 23°C | 4.4 in / 112 mm |
| Cahuita National Park | 83°F / 28°C | 73°F / 23°C | 6.1 in / 155 mm |
Check your own itinerary
Add each stop on your trip and see the March weather, rainfall, and what to pack for each one.
Open the March weather plannerMarch in Costa Rica: quick answers
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