Puerto Limon high temperature and rainfall in April. © Scott S. Bateman

Costa Rica weather in April is mostly a repeat of many other months of the year. It’s warm and often wet depending on the location.

This Central American country known for ecotourism is a place people visit for rainforests, mountains and natural beauty.

It is especially popular for cruise visitors at Puerto Limon on the Caribbean coast and Puntarenas on the Pacific coast. Both destinations deliver warm temperatures, but their rainfall patterns are quite a bit different, especially during April.

Temperatures in April

Puerto Limon has an average high temperature in April of 86 degrees Fahrenheit or 30 Celsius, according to the Costa Rica National Meteorological Institute (CRMI). The averages are based on more than 40 years of historical data.

The average low temperature is 72 degrees Fahrenheit or 22 Celsius. The average low usually occurs at night.

Puerto Limon, which is on the Caribbean coast of the country, has some of the most steady temperatures in the Caribbean. They vary only one or two degrees each month.

Puntarenas on the Pacific coast is both warmer and its temperatures vary more between day and night than Puerto Limon. The average high temperature for Puntarenas in April is 94 degrees Fahrenheit or 35 Celsius, the CRMI says. The average low is 75 degrees Fahrenheit or 24 Celsius.

Although Costa Rica isn’t known for beaches, Puntarenas usually has better temperatures for swimming than Puerto Limon in April.

Rainfall in April

Puerto Limon gets so much rain that people might swim in it on land.

The area averages about 11 inches of rain in April after an average of eight inches in March, one of the lowest points of the year, according to the CRMI.

The 11 inches for Puerto Limon in April is among the highest in the Caribbean during the month. It does much worse in July and December with an average of more than 17 inches.

It rains an average of 16 days during April, which is similar to other Caribbean destinations. So when it does rain, it rains hard.

Puntarenas has no such problems. April is the final month of its annual dry season, which begins in December.

During April, Puntarenas averages about one inch of rain and eight totals days with any rain. It’s a good month for travelers to visit the port for Pacific coast cruises.

The Puntarenas rainy season hits hard starting in May and continues through November as a result of the Pacific hurricane season.

Whether to Go in April

April is a good time to visit Puntarenas because of the low risk of rain. December through March are better for slightly lower and more comfortable temperatures.

For Puerto Limon, April is one of the better months because it doesn’t have as much rain as most others during the year. But February and March are better choices for a lower risk of rain. Still, expect plenty of rain in April and any other month of the year.

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