lazuliangel

We're looking to take a group of students and parents on a tour of Costa Rica this coming June. Unfortunately, the word on the street is that June is the rainy season there. Since many of our activities would be outdoors, we're concerned about this. Has anyone been there mid- to late-June? Is the rain dominant throughout the day, or are we talking showers and nothing else?

As always, thanks a bundle.

qwovadis

www.weather2travel.com Costa Rica it is rainy season

general pattern some AM sun clouds by noon rain afternoon/pm

Guanacaste less rain usually PM showers only

So head there for less rain

or just bring raingear not bad.

volcanogirl

http://costa-rica-guide.com/Weather/WeatherMap.html is a good map for showing the rain patterns. Mouse over the areas you're interested in. We like traveling that time of year because things are green and lush, and you can get some good deals. For most of the country, I'd avoid September/October, but I'd have no problem traveling in June. We often go in July and do get a few showers but nothing that keeps us from our plans.

lazuliangel

Thanks for both of these maps--that'll help us a lot. We do have the ability to rearrange some things with our tour company, so we may have some leverage if we say that we are trying to avoid the rainiest areas (especially since one of our outdoor activities is ziplining).

volcanogirl

The most popular itinerary for first timers is Arenal and Manuel Antonio - you'll get volcano time and beach time, as well as wildlife and adventure activities. It's a good sampling of the country.

MonicaRichards

We always go in June/July (been there for Fourth of July three times now!) and it's fine. You will get some afternoon rain but you'll also be up early and will have done your hikes or whatever in the morning so it's not a problem.

lazuliangel

Thanks alot, everyone. We're presenting this year's travel options to the interested parents tonight--we're also proposing three different itineraries for Greece, one for Britain/Ireland and two for Spain--but we're leaning hard towards Costa Rica (our students are well-heeled and well-travelled and nearly all have been to Europe already). I think our tours will get us up early, as MonicaRichards said, so we probably would avoid most of the rain. What you've all said is very promising!

volcanogirl

Definitely - the sun is up and shining at 5:30 - usually birds and howler monkeys going nuts. I doubt anyone will sleep in!

hipvirgochick

Agree with everyone else. I've had no problems having several hours to all day in sunshine during June and early July so far...and this has included areas classified as wetter like Tortuguero and Osa. I can speak for my daughter, a student, she loves it there!

shillmac

Typically, even afternoon showers are usually brief, 45 min to an hour. Can be longer, of course, but that has seldom been our experience in years of traveling during June/July. Don't expect th

shillmac

Sorry. . .don't expect the rain to interfere much. It usually doesn't.

lazuliangel

Thank you, everyone! Hopefully we'll be able to sway the parents into Costa Rica. (The itinerary for that trip is far more exciting than the constant museum/ruins tours we're looking at for Greece.)

volcanogirl

I've been to Greece and Britain - loved them, but they didn't capture my heart like Costa Rica. I hope you get to go.

Allylam

lazuliangel,
Did you present the options last night? How did it go? Let us know if your group is coming to Costa Rica! I have lived here, (in Nosara) for 5 years now. Let me know if I can help!

(Hi shillmac!)

shillmac

Oh my gosh, Allison! I have thought about you countless times over the years and wondered what in the world had become of you. Had no idea if you were still in Nosara or had sold your place or what. So good to see you show up again on Fodors! Wow!

Do you still have Plumeria?

lazuliangel

Sadly, Allylam, we did. We got the official voting results back this morning. Our students want to go--especially the high schoolers--but the parents are just too hesitant. And so, the choices are (drum roll, please) Greece with Santorini or Madrid/Barcelona. Sadly. The parents and students have decided to do a spring break Costa Rica tour, so we'll be doing it in 2011. But ... I'll take whatever recommendations during that time I can get, since we'll have plenty of time to sculpt that tour! Thanks alot, everyone; you've definitely piqued MY interest even more.

Oasisofthetoucans

I'm actually a guy that has been around here 25 years.
Forget what the tour guides tell you. It's nothing more than lies for profit...anything for a buck..made in America.

The absolute best months in CR are May, June , July and the first two weeks of August.Sept and Oct are wonderful but it MAY actually rain on you all day long even for 2 or 3 days straight. MAYBE.
Jan, Feb and March SUCK.It's horribly windy and Texas dry in much of the country.
However. The OSA and Tortugero are always nice.

To Angel. Educate the parents. Most probably don't know squat about Costa Rica other than possibly thinking it is an island.You know. No chillunz leff behine "issues"
If they are thinking of a security problem they better inform themselves about Barcelona/Madrid.That requires turning off the B00B tube and actually reading. The only place with more thieves than there is Italy.
Pura Vida
I see some well informed, well traveled, folks on this forum.
I think I'll follow it a bit.

shillmac

Interesting answwer, oasis. I totally agree those are great months in Costa Rica. We have traveled there in March 3-4 times and the beach areas are so darned hot. Still, we love it anytime, but find those afternoon rain showers refreshing (when they come) and appreciate the lushness of Guanacaste/Pacific this time of year.

Some of our more "well heeled" (that's my nice term) friends would choose Europe over Central America any old day. Sometimes I think because of a desire to protect themselves from perceived 3rd world "inconveniences" including people. Some of these people simply can't be "educated". Their minds are made up, and they really don't care to be around people who are too much different from themselves in looks/social class.

lazuliangel, you guys will have a great time wherever you go, of course. Do get around to experiencing Costa Rica at least on your own sometime. That "Pura Vida" thing is no joke!

hsmithcr

lazuliangel: Can you tell us what the parents' objections were to Costa Rica? I would be very interested to know this. Thanks.

dcorey

Costa Rica is fine in April and May.........wonderful. It rained overnight and hard. The days were great! Spring in Europe can be cool!