☀️ Dry Season

April

Semana Santa and the season in transition

April is a month of two registers. In its first half, the dry season holds its ground — clear, warm, eminently passable. In its second half, the first real rains begin to arrive in the afternoons, and the country starts its slow transformation. The most dramatic week is Semana Santa: Costa Rica observes Holy Week with genuine weight — processions, beach pilgrimages, and a quieter pace that the tourist brochures rarely capture.

Highlights this month

✓Juan Santamaría Day on April 11 — Costa Rica's national hero day with civic pride
✓Semana Santa: Good Friday brings an extraordinary quiet to towns across the country
✓First afternoon rains begin in the Central Valley and southern zones
✓Waterfalls starting to recover — an interesting transitional state worth seeing

Best for

Cultural experiencesThermal poolsCoastal explorationFamily travelBudget travel

Photography

The transitional light of April is underrated. The first rains create a freshly washed quality to the landscape without yet obscuring the sky — a brief window of exceptional conditions.

Worth knowing

Semana Santa week is the most intensely crowded period in Costa Rica. If you're not specifically interested in the cultural experience, avoid the week entirely.

Event note — Juan Santamaría Day (April 11) honours Costa Rica's national hero. A quieter, more locally observed holiday — worth experiencing if you're in the Central Valley.