Climate

The dry season is from late December to April and is called verano (summer) by Costa Ricans contrary to most Northern Hemisphere terminology. The rest of the year is rainy and is called invierno (winter) by the locals, although the tourist industry dubs it the 'green season' to attract tourists. I The Caribbean region is wetter than the rest of the country and the dry season has rainy days mixed with spells of fine weather. In the highlands the dry season really is dry, with only one or two rainy days per month. The north and central Pacific coastal regions have a similar rain pattern to the highlands, while the southern Pacific Coast can experience rain year round, but with less failing in the dry season. Temperature is mainly influenced by altitude. San Jose has average lows of 15'C and average highs of 26oC. The coasts are much hotter, with the Caribbean averaging 2 1 'C at night and 30'C during the day, and the Pacific Coast averaging about 3'C higher than that.