Luscious Rainy Season

I love rainy season in Costa Rica. As soon as rainy season began in June the temperatures dropped by 10 degrees to a balmy and comfortable 85. The nights are deliciously cool, dropping into the low 70s. Our daily costume is still shorts and tank tops, but we enjoy the lovely prickle of coolness on our shoulders as we drink our coffee in the morning. I’ve even found myself drawing a sarong around me as I sway in my hammock at night. 

We’ve only had a handful of days this season with all-day clouds and even fewer with all-day rain. I manage to get sunburned most days that we go to the beach. Usually we get a chunk of sunny morning and then in the afternoon the light changes to these ominous and gorgeous slanting rays of sunlight as the dark blue storm clouds roll in. Soon the thunderous rain storm begins with rain pounding on the tin roofs and running in rivulets down the palm trees. When a rainstorm catches us at the beach it rarely dampens our fun. We keep boogie boarding and surfing. It does change our after beach drink from glasses of icy coconut water to hot cocoa and steaming coffee.

 The rainy season hit a new crescendo on a recent weekend. On Saturday morning we enjoyed a lovely sunny walk on the beach with the kids and the dogs. By 4 pm the rain set in and by 6 pm it had rained 4.5 inches! The river in front of Villas Espavel, rose higher than we've ever seen it before. It ran like frothy chocolate milk carrying all manner of things to the waiting sea. The thunder and lightning cracked overhead and it felt like the time was right to climb into the ark. The storm passed during the middle of the night and Sunday dawned sunny and fresh. 

 

If you are eager to experience Costa Rica but you’re worried about trying to exist and sleep in the steamy tropical heat, then the rainy season is perfect for you. If you love watching a tropical downpour and then cozying up with a good book in a nice dry hammock with the rain drumming on the roof, look no further. Town is quiet and the beaches are empty. It feels like you’re in on a secret of which the rest of the world is unaware. 

 

Here are some of our favorite things about rainy season:

 

• Everywhere you look the landscape is cloaked in a deep emerald green 

• The rainy deluges wash mosquito larvae away, so there are few mosquitos

• The nights are alive with dancing fireflies 

• Dynamic lightning and thunderstorms punctuate the evenings

• The beach landscape changes daily, the intense rains swell the rivers and, with the help of the tide, carve the beach into deep canyons. 

• With Costa Rica’s predominantly dirt roads, the rain keeps the dirt compacted and the air dust-free.

• Blue Morpho butterflies float around our riparian setting

• Mamon Chinos are everywhere - similar to the Lychee, these spiky sweet red fruits are sold by the Kilo on the roadside

• Mangos are prolific from May to August. 

 

Rainy season isn’t without its drawbacks: 

• the wretched Costa Rican dirt roads become even more wretched as the rain creates car eating potholes

• the rivers swell and become impassible so certain driving routes are longer during rainy season. 

• The visibility is low for snorkeling when the rivers gush particulate into the sea

• The humidity can be so high that your sheets feel damp as you climb into bed

 

None of the drawbacks dampen our enthusiasm for rainy season. If you live in a place like Texas with scorching hot summers, come to Sámara for a respite in July – September. If you live in an area where summer doesn’t take hold until mid-July, come get a burst of sun and salt water in May - June.

 

Stats

• Rainy season starts gradually in May and fades in November

• The peak is usually September / October 

• Airplane tickets & hotels are usually cheaper in our green seasons: May/June & Sept/Oct

• The mini-high season occurs in July & August during the North American summer and Sámara is relatively full of people

• Some Samara businesses close for October so you'll have slightly reduced options for eating out.

And then sometimes, it really rains!