October rains swell Sabalo Lodge's stream with runoff from the mountains
Since Costa Rica is positioned so close to the equator we only have two seasons here: Rainy Season and Dry Season. Rainy season is pretty self explanatory; Dry Season is like Summer time in the United States.
Rainy Season generally starts in mid to late April. Here in the Osa Peninsula rainforest the average rainfall is 200 inches a year! To put that in perspective Washington gets 85 inches of rain a year, less than half of what the Osa gets.
As I write this the rain is coming down steady; its 4:59 pm on Saturday May 2, 2009. We generally get rain later in the afternoon or early in the morning. The rest of the day the sky battles back and forth from blue to grey and back again. Other times there are no battles of blue and grey just the gloom of grey for the whole day. The rains are short bursts now and will increase in intensity and length of time as the months go by. October and November (and sometimes September) are the most rainy months and we generally close during that time.
Late June to mid July we have a mini-Summer in the Osa Peninsula where we tend to see more blue skies and less rain during the day. We have less tourists during the months of June – August, (August being the busiest month of the three) when we generally see more Europeans than Americans traveling here.
Visiting the Osa Peninsula during Rainy Season is very different from visiting during Dry Season. The rains are necessary to create this primitive environment that is called the “rain” forest. The rains seem to re-energize the jungle, intensifying the many colors of green in these primary forests.
Rainy Season is a great time to visit Costa Rica and the Osa Peninsula, here are a few reasons why:
- The temperature is lower during Rainy Season making it a little more tourist friendly.
- The rains tend to happen during the early morning or evening giving you most of the day to enjoy activities and exploring.
- There are fewer travelers this time of year so you don’t have to worry about crowds and you will probably enjoy more personalized service and more chances to see wildlife.
- Some hotels offer lower rates during the rainy or what they call the “Green Season”.
- The jungle returns to its more primitive state during Rainy Season: the colors, sounds, and animals all seem more vibrant.
- If you enjoy watching and listening to intense lightening and thunder, Rainy Season is a great time to experience this type of thing.
- You can worry less about sunburn.
A sunny afternoon in July during the middle of "Green Season"
Pack your rubber boots or Crocs, poncho and your sense of adventure for a real Rain Forest Experience and we’ll be here waiting for you with some fresh Costa Rican Organic Shade Grown Coffee.
Thank you for reading our post.
Dan & Holly Pesta
Sabalo Eco Lodge – Costa Rica
