La Fortuna weather in December
December in La Fortuna: warm, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 21 rainy days.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#5 of 12 months in La Fortuna · #777 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 68/100 (tier C)
- Days
- 26°C
- Nights
- 20°C
- Wet days
- 21
- Sun
- 9.7 h
- Humidity
- 92%
- Daylight
- 12 h

Traveller notes on La Fortuna in December
Notes from nearby Jacó (95 km away)
La Fortuna doesn't have its own notes for December yet — these are about Jacó, close enough to share the season.
Regulars are specific this area reads as genuinely drier than areas further south along the same coast, where the rainy season doesn't properly end until mid-to-late December, though conditions here have shifted from the old reputation of reliably rain-free North winds - even the tail end of the month can now bring real rain some years. Our row backs that hot, genuinely wet read, 27.6C reading as a scorching 33C, over 24C nights feeling 29C, with a substantial 278.6mm of rain across 28.5 days and humidity at 86 percent. Regulars are consistent Costa Rica's weather is genuinely location-dependent given how many separate weather systems affect the country, no single verdict applying evenly countrywide. The sea sits at a bath-warm 29.1C. The record: 9.9 hours of sun, a 9.7 kph wind and AQI 32.
Other months in La Fortuna
La Fortuna-forum threads on a January visit describe this as genuinely the start of the more favorable season, posters naming it one of the better months for a real shot at seeing the Arenal volcano's peak. Regulars call the summit genuinely elusive regardless of month, several posters naming roughly sixty clear-view days a year as the honest baseline. Posters call fast-drying clothes and rain gear worth packing no matter the month, several regulars naming this standard advice given how much cloud cover varies day to day. Regulars call January still genuinely warm and humid, several threads naming this a real contrast to how the season's reputation sounds. Posters recommend real flexible plans around volcano viewing, several regulars calling this standard given how unpredictable cloud cover remains even in January. The record: 25.7C days, 19.7C nights, 101.7mm across over 15 days and 89 percent humidity.
La Fortuna-forum threads on April weather describe conditions as genuinely intense in town, posters citing readings near ninety-five Fahrenheit on the hottest days. Regulars call Arenal National Park itself noticeably cooler, highs there typically running in the upper seventies to low eighties even when La Fortuna proper feels considerably warmer. Posters recommend the La Fortuna Waterfall, the 1968 Park, El Silencio Trail and the Mistico Hanging Bridges as strong April picks, several regulars naming all four in the same itinerary. Regulars recommend a Rio Celeste day tour as a real addition for anyone with an extra day, the drive there considered worthwhile on its own. Posters recommend Don Rufino for a nicer dinner and Soda La Parada for a casual, local option, both named repeatedly across April trip reports. The record: 28.9C days feeling like 33C, 21C nights, an extraordinarily high 58.8mm across over 11 days and 78 percent humidity.
La Fortuna-forum threads on mid-July weather describe a familiar daily pattern, posters calling on-and-off showers several times a day standard alongside genuinely hot, humid conditions at midday. Regulars call a heavy afternoon downpour the most likely single event, though some days stay largely sunny throughout with no real disruption. Posters recommend a real umbrella and rain jacket regardless of forecast, conditions here capable of shifting within the hour. Regulars call nearly every tour still running in this weather, zip-lining the main exception when conditions turn genuinely severe. Posters describe July as still worth visiting despite the wetter pattern, the volcano and hot springs both rewarding regardless of a passing shower. Regulars recommend flexible daily plans given how unpredictable the exact timing runs this time of year. The record: 26.6C days feeling like 31C, 21.4C nights, an extraordinarily high 251.2mm across nearly 28 days and 93 percent humidity.
La Fortuna-forum threads on September weather confirm this sits within the wettest stretch of the local year, mornings generally the more reliable window before cloud and a real system build through the afternoon. Posters call the Arenal volcano itself genuinely hit-or-miss for visibility, cloud cover and showers frequently obscuring the peak for stretches at a time. Regulars describe humidity as staying close to saturated throughout, laundry famously refusing to fully air out and a warm afternoon feeling considerably heavier than the same reading in a drier month. Posters recommend scheduling hikes for the morning, afternoon plans genuinely riskier. Regulars call the hot springs and waterfalls worth the trip regardless of volcano visibility, both largely unaffected by a passing shower. Posters recommend real rain gear. The record: 27.5C days feeling like a punishing 33C, 21.4C nights, an extraordinarily high 270mm across nearly 29 days and 92 percent humidity.
Add your own note from La Fortuna's card on the map.
La Fortuna climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in La Fortuna in December
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
BusyChristmas and New Year, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for La Fortuna's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherLa Fortuna's weather peaks February–April.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in La Fortuna in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Holiday
Christmas and New Year
18 Dec – 3 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook earlyCosta Rican families fill the cabinas and the hot springs from Christmas into the first week of January, and the restaurants around the park run one sitting straight into the next. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of La Fortuna — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is La Fortuna?
La Fortuna in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit La Fortuna?
- December in La Fortuna: warm, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 21 rainy days. It ranks #5 of 12 months for La Fortuna on SeasonMap's comfort score (68/100).
- What is the weather like in La Fortuna in December?
- In December, La Fortuna averages a daily high of 25.6°C and a low of 20.1°C, with about 190.2 mm of rain over roughly 21.1 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in La Fortuna in December?
- La Fortuna has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 20 in December.
Within 300 km: Jacó's Olive ridley nesting around 15 Aug – 15 Dec, and Nosara's Arribada at Ostional around 1 Jul – 31 Dec.