Tortuguero weather in December

December in Tortuguero: hot, soaked, with clean air — a gamble, with 28 rainy days.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Tortuguero🇨🇷 Costa Rica · Costa Rica & Panama · National park60
  1. 68Jan
  2. 75Feb
  3. 74Mar
  4. 69Apr
  5. 55May
  6. 50Jun
  7. 51Jul
  8. 52Aug
  9. 56Sep
  10. 49Oct
  11. 51Nov
  12. 60Dec

#5 of 12 months in Tortuguero · #984 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 60/100 (tier C)

Days
27°C
Nights
23°C
Wet days
28
Sun
9 h
Humidity
91%
Daylight
12 h
Tortuguero, Costa Rica
Photo: John Menard from Phoenix, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0

Traveller notes on Tortuguero in December

Other months in Tortuguero

Tortuguero-forum threads on a May visit describe turtle timing as genuinely mixed, posters calling the main Atlantic green turtle season not really underway until June, while leatherbacks nest in low numbers across March through May. Regulars call turtle release events, distinct from nesting tours, a real feature running May through August for a guaranteed sighting of hatchlings. Posters describe May itself as genuinely wet, real afternoon and evening showers a standing feature this deep into the rainy season. Regulars call the boat-based wildlife viewing, sloths, monkeys, caimans and birdlife, worth the trip independent of turtle luck. Posters recommend a guided night tour specifically if leatherback nesting is the priority, odds still real but lower than peak season. Regulars call real waterproof layers standing advice. The record: 29C days feeling like a punishing 36C, 24.1C nights, an extraordinarily high 285.4mm across 28 days and 89 percent humidity.
TortugueroMayRegular · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Tortuguero-forum threads on an April visit describe turtle season as technically underway but still early, posters calling leatherback nesting the more realistic target this month, green turtle season not properly starting until July. Regulars call guides promising a high sighting probability worth real skepticism, actual odds this early running lower than the pitch. Posters describe April as genuinely pleasant weather-wise regardless of turtle luck, warmer and less windy than other months and within the better stretch. Regulars call the boat-based wildlife viewing, sloths, monkeys, caimans and birdlife along the canals, worth the trip independent of turtles. Posters recommend a guided night tour for the best shot at nesting activity this early. Regulars call the village genuinely worth visiting any time of year, turtles simply a bonus. The record: 28.7C days feeling like a punishing 35C, 23.5C nights, an extraordinarily high 141.2mm across over 24 days and 86 percent humidity.
TortugueroAprilRegular · April · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Tortuguero-forum threads on a June visit are direct real turtle nesting for the common Atlantic green sea turtles genuinely doesn't peak until July through October, June sitting just ahead. Posters describe one lucky June visitor witnessing an early nest regardless, though regulars call this the exception rather than something to plan around this early. Regulars describe real precipitation as a year-round feature, several posters reporting heavy systems during their stay but still calling the boat-based wildlife tours worth doing. Posters recommend real waterproof gear, this rainforest environment genuinely soaked most of the year. Regulars call the wildlife-watching boat tours the real highlight regardless of turtle timing, sloths, monkeys and birds all visible. Posters recommend July onward for turtle nesting specifically. The record: 28.7C days feeling like a punishing 35C, 23.9C nights, an extraordinarily high 408.4mm across nearly 29 days and 91 percent humidity.
TortugueroJuneRegular · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Tortuguero-forum threads on September weather are direct this Caribbean-coast park stays genuinely humid and showery essentially year round, a real feature of the rainforest setting regardless of month. Posters describe canal boat tours and wildlife spotting as unaffected by a passing shower, most of the experience happening under forest canopy anyway, and call September a solid window for turtle activity even though peak nesting runs a bit earlier in summer. Regulars recommend building genuine flexibility into a multi-day itinerary, sudden downpours common enough that indoor-friendly backup plans are worth having. A serious rain jacket and waterproof pouches for electronics are essential regardless of dates chosen. Posters call the combination of turtle nesting, canal wildlife and rainforest atmosphere worth the consistently wet conditions. The record: 29.1C days feeling like a punishing 34C, 23.9C nights, an extraordinarily high 312mm across nearly 29 days and 90 percent humidity.
TortugueroSeptemberRegular · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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

Tortuguero climate normals — December

Daytime high27°C / 81°F🥵 hot
Nighttime low23°C / 73°F
Feels like (high)32°C / 90°F
Sea temperature28°C / 83°F♨️ bath-warm
Rainfall262 mm / 10.3 in⛈ soaked
Rainy days28 days
Humidity91%💦 very humid
Dew point23°C / 74°F
Sunshine9 h/day
Daylight11.5 h
Wind11 km/h / 7 mph
Air quality (US AQI)24🍃 good

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

Crowds in Tortuguero 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)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Tortuguero'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 weatherTortuguero's weather peaks February–April.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Tortuguero in December

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

  • Hazard

    Cold-surge rains (empujes frios)

    1 Nov – 28 Feb · usuallyWinter storms & gales

    While the rest of Costa Rica dries out, cold surges from the north push rain and wind onto the Caribbean side from November to February. Expect grey spells that last for days and a wetter, choppier boat ride in; no turtle nesting tours run then either. Source ↗

  • Holiday

    Christmas and New Year

    18 Dec – 3 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook early

    The lodges fill with Costa Rican families over the holiday even though the turtles are long gone; the draw is the canals, the caimans and the boat ride in. Source ↗

  • Season

    Wet season

    MonsoonRisk

    28 rainy days and about 262 mm in the month — the real kind of rainy season, not afternoon showers.

    from the climate normals

What's on around the world in December →

Nearby, and something's on

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

Where is Tortuguero?

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Tortuguero in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Tortuguero?
December in Tortuguero: hot, soaked, with clean air — a gamble, with 28 rainy days. It ranks #5 of 12 months for Tortuguero on SeasonMap's comfort score (60/100).
What is the weather like in Tortuguero in December?
In December, Tortuguero averages a daily high of 27.2°C and a low of 22.5°C, with about 262.2 mm of rain over roughly 27.6 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Tortuguero in December?
Tortuguero has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 24 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.