Say “rainy season” to most travelers and they picture a washed-out vacation. In Guanacaste, that picture is simply wrong — and it's the reason the smartest travelers book September through November, when the landscape is at its greenest and the crowds are at their thinnest.
Guanacaste is Costa Rica's driest, sunniest province — that's true all year. In green season, a typical day starts sunny and warm. If rain comes, it usually arrives as a brief afternoon shower that cools everything down, and then it's done. Mornings on the beach, an afternoon pause by the pool while the shower passes, golden evenings. The ocean stays warm — 82–84°F — every month of the year.
And in mid-July there's a stretch locals call the veranillo — the “little summer” — when the skies often stay surprisingly dry for weeks.
Remote workers and long-stay travelers get the most out of it — Cacique Retreat welcomes monthly stays (28+ nights), and there's fast WiFi and a dedicated workspace waiting. Families on flexible schedules love it too: the pool doesn't care what month it is.
So if a brief afternoon shower is the price of a greener, quieter, better-value Costa Rica — we think that's the best trade in travel.