Tamarindo weather in January
January in Tamarindo: sweltering, dry, with clean air — one of the best months to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#1 of 12 months in Tamarindo · #51 of 1413 destinations to visit in January · comfort 93/100 (tier S)
- Days
- 32°C
- Nights
- 25°C
- Wet days
- 1
- Sun
- 10.5 h
- Humidity
- 67%
- Daylight
- 12 h
Traveller notes on Tamarindo in January
Forum posters describe January as dry and beautiful, squarely inside Guanacaste's dry season - daytime highs commonly in the low 30sC with bright sun essentially every day, evenings cooling to a comfortable high-20sC. The landscape stays green early in the dry season, though posters note the strong 'December winds' (part of the broader Papagayo/Guanacaste wind pattern) can already be drying things out fast. Beaches generally aren't too windy through most of January, though the very start of the month - the wet-to-dry season transition - can see a stronger, gustier stretch. Overall, posters consistently rate January among the most reliable months here for classic sunny beach weather.
Other months in Tamarindo
Tamarindo's forum consistently rates July as one of the better rainy-season months - genuinely the driest stretch of the wet season here, with sunny mornings, clouding over by early afternoon, and a shower or thunderstorm that clears out again rather than lingering. Locals reportedly call this the 'little summer of San Juan,' a real break within the rainy season that feels more like a dry-season week. Daytime temperatures stay in the high 80s F, and forum regulars were clear this counts as a genuinely good month to visit, not a compromise pick.
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Tamarindo climate normals — January
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Tamarindo in January
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.
Peak crowdsDry season, Christmas and New Year, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Tamarindo'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).
Best weatherTamarindo's weather peaks January–March.
January includes Leatherback nesting at Las Baulas.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Tamarindo in January
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Nature
Leatherback nesting at Las Baulas
20 Oct – 15 FebTurtle nestingClosuresThe park's season opens on 20 October and closes in mid-February. Playa Grande, across the estuary, shuts at five once it starts: after dark you go with a licensed guide, fifteen at a time, one red-filtered torch between you and no cameras. Source ↗
- Season
Dry season
10 Dec – 30 Apr · usuallyCrowdedBook earlyGuanacaste's dry half of the year, and Tamarindo's busiest. The hills go brown, the dirt roads behind the beach turn to dust, and everything from a surf lesson to a table at eight wants booking a day or two out.
- Holiday
Christmas and New Year
18 Dec – 5 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook earlyThe dearest and fullest fortnight of the year, with San José emptying towards Guanacaste and the beach bars running to dawn on the 31st. Rooms, cars and the Liberia flights are gone by October. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Tamarindo — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Tamarindo?
Tamarindo in January — FAQ
- Is January a good time to visit Tamarindo?
- January in Tamarindo: sweltering, dry, with clean air — one of the best months to visit. It ranks #1 of 12 months for Tamarindo on SeasonMap's comfort score (93/100).
- What is the weather like in Tamarindo in January?
- In January, Tamarindo averages a daily high of 31.6°C and a low of 24.6°C, with about 4.5 mm of rain over roughly 0.9 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Tamarindo in January?
- Tamarindo has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 29 in January.
Within 300 km: Nosara's Dry season around 1 Dec – 15 Apr, and La Fortuna's Dry season and clear Arenal around 15 Jan – 30 Apr.