Things to Do in Costa Rica in March
March weather, activities, events & insider tips
Shoulder Season · Good Value
March Weather in Costa Rica
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
82°F (28°C)
High Temp
64°F (18°C)
Low Temp
0.5 inches (13 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
⚠ UV is fierce. Northern visitors burn fast.
Is March Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + March grabs the dry season's tail. Expect those blazing Costa Rican sunrises over the Pacific, the ones that paint the sky behind Manuel Antonio's forested cliffs a deep, painterly orange. The air stays dry. Dust lifts from Guanacaste dirt roads. Trade winds haven't revved up yet.
- + The landscape hasn't flipped to full wet season green. Deciduous trees in the northwest stand mostly bare, a bonus for wildlife watchers. You can clock howler monkeys a hundred meters out and scarlet macaws flare neon against gray branches.
- + Surf sweet spot. The big winter swells that hammered the Pacific from December through February have eased by March, leaving kinder waves for learners or longboarders. Playa Sámara and Playa Dominical keep consistent surf minus the intimidating, overhead walls.
- + Peak holiday crowds have gone. Yet everything runs full tilt. No July scramble for rental cars, no December booking frenzy for top jungle lodges. The mood lightens. The country feels like it belongs to travelers who stepped just outside the lines.
Considerations
- − Shoulder season tipping point. Statistically dry, March still flips a coin. You might score two weeks of flawless blue sky, or watch afternoon clouds stack over the Central Valley by 2 PM and dump a drumming tropical hour. Packing turns into an act of faith.
- − Heat in Guanacaste can brutalize. Expect 28°C (82°F) that feels like 35°C (95°F) on sun-bleached volcanic sand without shade. Humidity, though lower than later months, still carries weight. Skip ambitious midday hikes unless you're heat-hardened.
- − Some migrants, including the resplendent quetzal, slip away as March advances toward higher, less accessible breeding grounds. Want that perfect quetzal shot? Your odds edge higher earlier in the dry season.
Best Activities in March
Top things to do during your visit
National Park Nature Walks
March is prime for this classic Costa Rica pursuit. Dry forest undergrowth stays thin, sightlines stretch, and animals crowd the last water holes. In Manuel Antonio or Corcovado, reduced foliage lets you spot a sloth's slow silhouette or white-faced capuchins without a guide's scope. Morning air stays cool and smells of damp earth and blooming guaria morada orchids. By late afternoon insects and frogs rev up, ready for possible rain.
Booking Tip: You can usually book these walks a few days ahead in March. For guides who reveal the nearly invisible eyelash viper or explain the bullhorn acacia tree's ant partnership, reserve at least a week out. Pick operators stressing small groups and certified naturalist guides. See current guided walk options in the booking section below.
River Tubing & Rafting Adventures
Rivers hit their Goldilocks zone in March: still flush from the tail end of the rainy season. Yet not raging brown torrents. Tubing the Celeste River means drifting past banks of electric-blue water, the color caused by a unique mineral suspension most vivid at these levels. You'll feel cool spray, hear water gurgle over rounded boulders, and breathe the clean, green scent of riparian forest. Active, not arduous.
Booking Tip: These tours hinge on weather, so reserve a day or two ahead to check conditions. Solid operators supply helmets, life jackets, and secure dry bags. Top trips add a hike up to the Rio Celeste waterfall. Check the booking widget for current river adventure tours.
Pacific Coast Surf Lessons
March surf stays friendly. Water stays warm, no wetsuit required, and morning winds blow light offshore, grooming waves into clean, ridable lines. The sound of a beginner popping up, half shout, half laugh, echoes across Sámara or Jaco. Salt spray coats your lips. The waxed deck feels sticky and sun-warmed under your palms.
Booking Tip: Surf schools on the main beaches take last-minute bookings even in March. Want family lessons or a private coach? Lock in a couple of days ahead for your preferred morning slot. Seek ISA-certified instructors. Current surf lesson options sit in the booking section.
Cooking Experiences Focused on Local Ingredients
March brings harvest for several key ingredients. A cooking class now doubles as a tactile seasonal tour. You might grind fresh coriander seeds for salsa, peel sweet, just-ripe plantains for patacones, or brew a drink from tart, purple sour cashew fruit (marañón) that's in season. The kitchen fills with scents of toasting rice for horchata, frying tortillas, and the herbal punch of culantro (not cilantro). It's a sensory, surprisingly filling way to ride out a rainy afternoon.
Booking Tip: These classes feel like dinner at a friend's house. Ten seats max. Reserve seven days out. The best ones swing by the farmers' market first. Check the widget below for culinary tours.
Inshore & Sport Fishing Charters
March turns the gulf into a fish highway. Roosterfish, snapper, jack crevalle crowd the inshore reefs. Mornings stay flat calm. Light glints like shattered glass. Diesel thumps under your boots. Cold lager lands in your hand after the fight. Reels scream. You see the coast from quiet water.
Booking Tip: Book the half-day morning charter. Back before the breeze builds. Call several days ahead for a licensed captain who releases billfish. Options sit in the booking section.
Where to Stay in Costa Rica in March
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for March travellers.
Packing Checklist
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Climate-specific gear, brand recommendations, and what to leave at home.
View Costa Rica Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Locals watch for the Veranillo de San José. Mid-to-late March can flip sunny for days. Don't bank on it.
Rural farmers prep fields now. Expect tractors and short detours. Add buffer time.
March is your last easy month for Osa or Tortuguero dirt roads. April mud traps even seasoned drivers.
Listen for the change in the frog chorus. As March progresses, you might notice the nighttime soundtrack in jungle lodges getting louder and more varied. It's a subtle, beautiful audio cue that the ecosystem is preparing for the wet season's return.
Avoid These Mistakes
Do not hike Palo Verde at noon after a northern winter. Heat exhaustion strikes fast.
Not having a 'Plan B' for rainy afternoons. March weather can change in minutes. Have a list of indoor or covered alternatives ready: a coffee tour near San José, a visit to the Museo de Oro, a cooking class, or simply a good book and a hotel with a covered balcony.
Packing only for 'beach vacation' or 'jungle adventure.' Costa Rica in March demands a hybrid wardrobe. You need gear that can handle a humid forest walk, a downpour, a nice dinner, and a sunny beach day, sometimes all within 24 hours.
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