Puerto Viejo (Puerto Viejo de Talamanca) weather in December
December in Puerto Viejo: hot, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 23 rainy days.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#5 of 12 months in Puerto Viejo · #715 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 71/100 (tier B)
- Days
- 27°C
- Nights
- 22°C
- Wet days
- 23
- Sun
- 8.9 h
- Humidity
- 84%
- Daylight
- 12 h
Traveller notes on Puerto Viejo in December
Other months in Puerto Viejo
Puerto Viejo's forum consistently rates August as better than the genuinely wet June-July stretch on the Caribbean coast, with the back half of the month described as noticeably improving as September - reportedly the driest, sunniest month here - approaches. That framing is relative, though: some rain most days is still the norm this time of year, and posters were honest that Caribbean-side weather stays genuinely unpredictable regardless of the calendar. Hot and humid is the constant, with the real variable being how much of each day gets interrupted by a shower.
Forum posters describe February as genuinely variable here - some visitors get a good run of sunny days mixed with a few cloudy, showery ones, while others land mostly sunny and dry throughout their stay, with no reliable way to predict which in advance. Posters are consistent that the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, where Puerto Viejo sits, gets real rain year-round unlike the more clearly seasonal Pacific coast, with local experience suggesting roughly 65% of rain falls at night and most daytime rain is a short shower rather than an all-day event. Posters generally rate the destination higher for wildlife and rainforest activities than for guaranteed beach-lounging weather, given the real chance of a rainier-than-hoped stretch even in the relatively better dry season.
Add your own note from Puerto Viejo's card on the map.
Puerto Viejo climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Puerto Viejo 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 Puerto Viejo'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 weatherPuerto Viejo's weather peaks January–March.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Puerto Viejo in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Salsa Brava season
1 Dec – 31 Mar · usuallySurf seasonThe north swells arrive and Salsa Brava breaks over shallow reef straight in front of town — the heaviest wave in Costa Rica and not somewhere to learn. Playa Cocles down the road takes everyone else.
- Holiday
Christmas and New Year
18 Dec – 5 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook earlyThe town is at its fullest and its loudest, with Costa Ricans, long-stay Europeans and the surf crowd all in at once. It also lands in the middle of the swell season, which is not a coincidence. Source ↗
- Season
Wet season
MonsoonRisk23 rainy days and about 261 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 Puerto Viejo — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Puerto Viejo?
Puerto Viejo in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Puerto Viejo?
- December in Puerto Viejo: hot, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 23 rainy days. It ranks #5 of 12 months for Puerto Viejo on SeasonMap's comfort score (71/100).
- What is the weather like in Puerto Viejo in December?
- In December, Puerto Viejo averages a daily high of 26.7°C and a low of 22°C, with about 260.8 mm of rain over roughly 23 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Puerto Viejo in December?
- Puerto Viejo has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 26 in December.
Within 300 km: Jacó's Olive ridley nesting around 15 Aug – 15 Dec, and Bocas del Toro's Surf season around 1 Dec – 31 Mar.