Manuel Antonio (Quepos) weather in December
December in Manuel Antonio: hot, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 30 rainy days.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#4 of 12 months in Manuel Antonio · #733 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 70/100 (tier B)
- Days
- 27°C
- Nights
- 22°C
- Wet days
- 30
- Sun
- 9.9 h
- Humidity
- 90%
- Daylight
- 12 h

Traveller notes on Manuel Antonio in December
Notes from nearby Jacó (57 km away)
Manuel Antonio 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 Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio's forum describes a fairly consistent August rhythm: clear, pleasant mornings, thunder rolling in over the mountains by early-to-mid afternoon, and rain arriving anywhere from 4 to 6pm that can continue into the night or clear up fast - though posters admitted the exact timing varies day to day and forecasts aren't reliable. The first half of the month tends to be somewhat less rainy than the back half. It's hot, humid and genuinely one of the wettest stretches of the year here, but the payoff repeated by multiple visitors is how lush and green everything gets - worth planning mornings for outdoor time and afternoons for a siesta.
Forum posters name February as the hottest month of the year here - typically 90-97F in the jungle, occasionally hotter right on the beach - and call it peak season for good reason, with humidity staying high (70%+) under blue skies dotted with big white clouds. Posters describe February as Manuel Antonio's driest month by local standards, though this is still a rainforest climate with real, near-daily rain even at its driest - the honest framing is 'least wet' rather than genuinely dry, since afternoon showers remain a common feature even in February, just shorter and less frequent than the region's true wet season (May-November). Posters are also emphatic that online weather forecasts for this area are essentially useless - conditions shift too fast and locally to trust anything beyond the broad seasonal pattern.
Add your own note from Manuel Antonio's card on the map.
Manuel Antonio climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Manuel Antonio 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 Manuel Antonio'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 weatherManuel Antonio's weather peaks January–March, best around February.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Manuel Antonio in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Rule
Park closed Tuesdays, tickets online
1 Jan – 31 DecClosuresBook earlyManuel Antonio shuts one day a week and sells entry only through the SINAC site, in numbered time slots. Turning up at the gate with cash does not work, and the early slots go first in the high season. Source ↗
- Holiday
Christmas and New Year
18 Dec – 3 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook earlyThe dearest fortnight of the year on this stretch of coast, with the hotels along the ridge on minimum stays and Quepos full of Costa Rican and North American families at once. Source ↗
- Season
Wet season
MonsoonRisk30 rainy days and about 438 mm in the month — the real kind of rainy season, not afternoon showers.
from the climate normals
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Manuel Antonio — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Manuel Antonio?
Manuel Antonio in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Manuel Antonio?
- December in Manuel Antonio: hot, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 30 rainy days. It ranks #4 of 12 months for Manuel Antonio on SeasonMap's comfort score (70/100).
- What is the weather like in Manuel Antonio in December?
- In December, Manuel Antonio averages a daily high of 26.7°C and a low of 21.5°C, with about 438.3 mm of rain over roughly 29.9 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Manuel Antonio in December?
- Manuel Antonio has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 22 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.