January is when Costa Rica's dry season reaches its fullest stride. Mountain peaks are visible from the coast, Pacific beaches run long and uncrowded in the early hours, and the coffee harvest is at its busiest in the highlands. After the holiday surge of late December, early January offers a quality of quiet that the rest of the year rarely matches.
Highlights this month
- ✓Coffee harvest at peak in Tarrazú, Tres Ríos, and the Central Valley highlands
- ✓Best month for summit hikes — Chirripó and Irazú at peak visibility
- ✓Wildlife more active and visible as dry conditions open the forest floor
- ✓Dry forest in Guanacaste turns its characteristic golden-brown
Best for
Photography
Early morning mist lingers in highland valleys while skies above stay clear — exceptional conditions before 9am. Golden hour on any Pacific-facing viewpoint is reliable.
Worth knowing
Popular Pacific beaches (Manuel Antonio, Tamarindo) are at peak crowding on weekends. Worth choosing less-visited alternatives.
Places that shine in January
🌊 Waterfalls
Catarata La Fortuna
A dramatic 70-metre waterfall, tropical rainforest, wildlife, and swimming
La Fortuna
🌊 Waterfalls
La Paz Waterfall Gardens
One of Costa Rica’s most famous eco-attractions, located in the cloud forest between Poás Volcano and Sarapiquí
Heredia Province
🚗 Scenic Drives
Valle del Río Orosi
A 37-kilometre valley loop through coffee terraces, colonial churches, and four ecosystems
Orosi
🏊 Swimming
Playa Hermosa (Jaco)
One of the most famous surf beaches and beautiful stretches of coastline on the Central Pacific
Jacó
🏊 Swimming
Nacientes Palmichal
Crystal springs and natural swimming pools
Acosta
☕ Scenic Cafés
Café Finca Los Sueños
Espresso on a working coffee farm with valley views
Naranjo
🌅 Sunset Spots
Playa Santa Teresa
Bohemian surf village with the finest sunsets on the Nicoya Peninsula
Cobano
👨👩👧 Family Friendly
Termales del Bosque
Thermal pools in old-growth forest, best after the sun goes down
Ciudad Quesada
☕ Scenic Cafés
Dota Coffee Region
One of the most beautiful and prestigious coffee-growing areas
Valle de Dota
🔭 Viewpoints
Parque Eólico Valle Central
A ridge of spinning turbines above San José where the city finally makes sense at your feet
Santa Ana
🦜 Wildlife
Uvita
The whale-tail sandbar at low tide — humpback nursery from August to October
Uvita
💎 Hidden Gems
Zarcero
The highland town where the town square is a topiary garden — and has been since 1964
Zarcero