Været i San Juan del Sur (SJDS) i juli

Granada's forum makes clear July's rainy season here isn't a monsoon: rain shows up on maybe four or five days a week, usually a short, heavy burst of two or three hours rather than an all-day soak, and posters said it genuinely doesn't get in the way of sightseeing or day trips. Hot, partly cloudy days with the occasional spectacular thunderstorm is the typical pattern, and the payoff is a country turning noticeably green compared to the dry months. The one real downside forum regulars flagged: bugs are at their worst early in the rainy season.

San Juan del Sur's forum describes September and October as the heaviest rain of the year here, but the typical day still follows a manageable rhythm: cooler and overcast at dawn, clouds burning off by mid-morning, then sunny through the afternoon before rain returns. Posters said showers roll in roughly every other day and usually last only an hour or two rather than the whole day. A few forum regulars specifically preferred August over September, since the risk of a genuinely wet stretch climbs the closer you get to the end of the month.

Forum posters describe March as squarely inside the strong seasonal wind window that runs January through March, with the ocean itself running noticeably cooler (around 17C) during the windiest stretch and beach days sometimes getting genuinely uncomfortable - one reviewer described wind strong enough to feel like it was 'beating' them while trying to lie on the beach. By March the pattern shifts toward hot, dry and dusty conditions on land even as the wind persists, with posters generally naming April (before or right after Easter week) or very early May as calmer, more comfortable alternatives for travelers who prioritize a still, sunny beach day over surf conditions - Papagayo-style offshore winds like this one are prized by kitesurfers even as they frustrate sunbathers.