What's on in Jacó, Costa Rica through the year

Peak crowds — Dry season, Christmas and New Year

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Dry season (15 Dec – 15 Apr (usually)), Christmas and New Year (18 Dec – 3 Jan)

Busy — Dry season

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Dry season (15 Dec – 15 Apr (usually))

Peak crowds — Semana Santa, Dry season

• Holiday

  Semana Santa

  29 Mar – 5 AprEaster & Holy WeekCrowdedBook early

  The Central Valley drives to the coast for Holy Week and Jaco is the nearest beach to San Jose. The road in backs up from Thursday, and the town runs full through to Easter Sunday. Source ↗

Still on: Dry season (15 Dec – 15 Apr (usually))

Peak crowds — Semana Santa, Dry season

• Season

  South swell season

  1 Apr – 31 Oct · usuallySurf season

  The southern-hemisphere swells arrive through the middle of the year. Playa Hermosa a few minutes down the coast is the serious wave and holds national contests; Jaco's own beach is where people learn.

Still on: Semana Santa (29 Mar – 5 Apr), Dry season (15 Dec – 15 Apr (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

• Season

  Green season

  1 May – 30 Nov · usuallyMonsoon

  Mornings stay clear and the rain comes after lunch, hard and short. Rates drop by a third, the hills opposite turn over, and September and October are the two months that genuinely stay grey.

Still on: South swell season (1 Apr – 31 Oct (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in June.

Still on: South swell season (1 Apr – 31 Oct (usually)), Green season (1 May – 30 Nov (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Nature

  Humpback whales

  15 Jul – 15 Nov · usuallyWhale season

  Southern-hemisphere humpbacks calve along this coast from July into November, which with the northern group arriving December to March gives Costa Rica one of the longest whale seasons anywhere.

Still on: South swell season (1 Apr – 31 Oct (usually)), Green season (1 May – 30 Nov (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Nature

  Olive ridley nesting

  15 Aug – 15 Dec · usuallyTurtle nesting

  Olive ridleys nest on Playa Hermosa from August, heaviest through September and October, and the hatchery releases at dusk. The beach is patrolled at night and you go with the project or not at all.

Still on: South swell season (1 Apr – 31 Oct (usually)), Green season (1 May – 30 Nov (usually)), Humpback whales (15 Jul – 15 Nov (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: South swell season (1 Apr – 31 Oct (usually)), Green season (1 May – 30 Nov (usually)), Humpback whales (15 Jul – 15 Nov (usually)), Olive ridley nesting (15 Aug – 15 Dec (usually))

Quiet — one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: South swell season (1 Apr – 31 Oct (usually)), Green season (1 May – 30 Nov (usually)), Humpback whales (15 Jul – 15 Nov (usually)), Olive ridley nesting (15 Aug – 15 Dec (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Green season (1 May – 30 Nov (usually)), Humpback whales (15 Jul – 15 Nov (usually)), Olive ridley nesting (15 Aug – 15 Dec (usually))

Peak crowds — Dry season, Christmas and New Year

• Season

  Dry season

  15 Dec – 15 Apr · usuallyCrowded

  The rivers drop, the hills behind the town go brown and dusty, and the place runs at capacity from Christmas through to Easter. Weekends are San Jose's as much as anyone's.

• Holiday

  Christmas and New Year

  18 Dec – 3 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook early

  Costa Rican families take the whole fortnight at the beach and rates roughly double. The town is at its loudest between Christmas and the first week of January. Source ↗

Still on: Olive ridley nesting (15 Aug – 15 Dec (usually))