San José weather in July

July in San José: hot, soaked, with clean air — a gamble, with 27 rainy days.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

San José🇨🇷 Costa Rica · Costa Rica & Panama · City64
  1. 84Jan
  2. 87Feb
  3. 85Mar
  4. 79Apr
  5. 54May
  6. 55Jun
  7. 64Jul
  8. 61Aug
  9. 58Sep
  10. 56Oct
  11. 59Nov
  12. 78Dec

#6 of 12 months in San José · #1021 of 1413 destinations to visit in July · comfort 64/100 (tier C)

Days
28°C
Nights
19°C
Wet days
27
Sun
7.7 h
Humidity
90%
Daylight
13 h
San José, Costa Rica
Photo: Mario Spencer · Pexels

Traveller notes on San José in July

Notes from nearby La Fortuna (86 km away)

San José doesn't have its own notes for July yet — these are about La Fortuna, close enough to share the season.

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.
LaFortunaJulyRegular · July · 1 month ago · about La Fortuna · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in San José

Forum posters generally rate August as a good month to visit Costa Rica overall, describing a typical lowland or coastal day as sunny and hot in the morning with rain, sometimes heavy, moving in during the afternoon or evening - a pattern posters say leaves the landscape noticeably greener. San Jose itself, at over 1,100m elevation, runs noticeably milder than those hotter coastal descriptions, with comfortable daytime highs rather than genuine heat. Posters are direct that late August specifically can turn genuinely rainy, and while Pacific-slope rain is usually confined to afternoon and evening, posters emphasize there's no guarantee during rainy season. One visitor's second-half-of-August trip found mostly good weather, though posters are consistent that predicting exact conditions for specific dates isn't really possible. Posters generally rate August as workable and even good for a San José-area visit, rain gear recommended regardless.
Tripadvisor community · August · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
February is deep in Costa Rica's dry season, and San José sits at altitude, so it runs cooler than the coasts — near 26°C by day, dropping to 17 at night. "Dry season" is the forum's own phrase and their own caveat: it does not mean it cannot rain, and eight wet days is the record's answer. Regulars pack an umbrella regardless. Two regional notes matter more than the capital's own weather: the Caribbean side is reliably rainier and cloudier than the Pacific in February, and Guanacaste gets serious wind this month while La Fortuna, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio generally do not.
Tripadvisor community · February · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from San José's card on the map.

San José climate normals — July

Daytime high28°C / 82°F🥵 hot
Nighttime low19°C / 65°F
Feels like (high)32°C / 90°F
Rainfall272 mm / 10.7 in⛈ soaked
Rainy days27 days
Humidity90%💦 very humid
Dew point17°C / 63°F
Sunshine7.7 h/day
Daylight12.6 h
Wind9 km/h / 5 mph
Air quality (US AQI)31🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in San José in July

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.

BusyRomeria to Cartago, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for San José'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 weatherSan José's weather peaks January–March, best around February.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in San José in July

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Season

    Green season

    1 May – 30 Nov · usuallyOff-season shutdown

    Costa Rica's low season: mornings are usually clear and the rain comes in afternoon bursts. Hotel rates drop, the central valley turns green, and day trips to volcanoes are best started early. Source ↗

  • Festival

    Romeria to Cartago

    25 Jul – 2 AugPilgrimage seasonCrowdedClosures

    Hundreds of thousands walk from San Jose to the basilica of La Negrita in Cartago, most overnight on 1 August. Traffic on the Cartago road is restricted, and 2 August is a national holiday. Source ↗

  • Season

    Wet season

    MonsoonRisk

    27 rainy days and about 272 mm in the month — the real kind of rainy season, not afternoon showers.

    from the climate normals

What's on around the world in July →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of San José — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is San José?

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San José in July — FAQ

Is July a good time to visit San José?
July in San José: hot, soaked, with clean air — a gamble, with 27 rainy days. It ranks #6 of 12 months for San José on SeasonMap's comfort score (64/100).
What is the weather like in San José in July?
In July, San José averages a daily high of 28°C and a low of 18.6°C, with about 271.8 mm of rain over roughly 26.8 rainy days.
What is the air quality in San José in July?
San José has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 31 in July.

Within 300 km: Jacó's Humpback whales around 15 Jul – 15 Nov, and Tortuguero's Green turtle nesting on 1 Jul – 31 Oct.