Best time to visit Jaco

Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart recolours live for your heat & sea limits 27°C · sea 29°C
I'm comfortable up to 27°C feels-like
22° heat-averse 30° heat-loving

Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.

Sea feels bathtub at 29°C
26° strict 31° tolerant

Default 29 °C is the Beach Climate Index "bathtub" line (Morgan et al.) — where the sea stops being refreshing and starts feeling like a warm bath.

Saved to this browser. Changes update the strips below.
Sea temp cold <18° chilly 18–21° ideal 22–26° warm 27–28° bathtub 29–30° too warm ≥31°
Recent · 2020-2024
Interest Google Trends 2021-2025 searches, not arrivals (?)
Sea Nov 2022 – Dec 2024 (?)
Day · avg daily high (?)
Night · avg overnight low (?)
UV index · On a typical day around midday, UV is about this (?)
9111212109999878
On the sunniest 1 in 10 days, UV reaches this — and even higher
1312111111111110
PM2.5 air quality · on a typical day (?)
669866654455
On the worst 1 in 10 days, PM2.5 reaches this — and even higher
891112109987667
February 5/10 feels 34°C (+1°C vs 1991-2020) · extreme heat caps 81 → 51/100
Day 30° · Night 24° · warm nights (24°) ☀ UV 11.1 (extreme) 71% humidity 14 km/h wind 5 rain days (68h) 247h sun sea 30°C ⚠ bathtub
Thermal 2
Sky 10
Rain 9
Wind 10

Higher = better, including rain & wind (green = "doesn't hurt the score", not "lots of it").

Greyed factors are scored normally — extreme heat overrides them, so a clear sky or low rain can't lift the period.

Compare with another destination

Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.

Tours in Jaco

6 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on Jaco).

  1. 13-Hour ATV Jungle Waterfall Adventure4.90★ (877)3hfrom $105
  2. 2Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna Waterfall, Hot Springs Combo Tour with Lunch & Dinner4.95★ (734)from $195
  3. 3Jaco Beach Costa Rica Horseback Riding4.92★ (447)2hfrom $65
  4. 4Guided visit to Carara National Park (Ticket included)4.89★ (240)from $45
  5. 5Full Day Pass Jaco Jungle Adventure Five in One with Lunch4.87★ (261)7h 30mfrom $195
  6. 6SJO to Jaco private transportation or vice versa4.85★ (211)1h 25mfrom $148

Last refreshed 2026-05-30.

Similar climatesManuel Antonio89% · Tamarindo80% · Miami59%

Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Jaco (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Jaco's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.

Month-by-month

Month Temp °C Feels °C Rain days Rain h Rain h/day Humidity Wind km/h Sun h UV Interest Score
Jan 24–29 33 12 143 11.9 79% 13 255 9 Quiet 4
Feb 24–30 34 5 68 13.6 71% 14 247 11 Quiet 5
Mar 25–30 34 9 109 12.1 69% 15 266 12 Quiet 4
Apr 25–30 35 20 243 12.2 76% 14 238 12 Quiet 2
May 25–29 34 27 378 14.0 84% 14 205 10 Quiet 1
Jun 24–28 33 29 449 15.5 87% 13 171 9 Quiet 1
Jul 24–28 33 29 421 14.5 87% 13 176 9 Moderate 1
Aug 24–28 33 30 457 15.2 87% 14 169 9 Busy 1
Sep 24–28 33 30 464 15.5 87% 13 171 9 Quiet 1
Oct 24–28 33 30 480 16.0 88% 14 176 8 Moderate 1
Nov 24–27 32 29 435 15.0 88% 13 173 7 Peak 1
Dec 24–28 33 20 239 11.9 83% 12 234 8 Peak 3

UV Index in Jaco by Month

UV index in Jaco peaks at 12 (extreme) in March, dropping to 7 (high) in November. January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, December reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

Best months in detail

February

5/10

24–30°C (feels 34°C) · 5 rain days (68h) · 247 sun hours · 71% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 11 (extreme) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 13 (extreme)

January

4/10

24–29°C (feels 33°C) · 12 rain days (143h) · 255 sun hours · 79% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 9 (very high)

March

4/10

25–30°C (feels 34°C) · 9 rain days (109h) · 266 sun hours · 69% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 12 (extreme)

Every month

Show the other 9 months in detail

April

2/10

25–30°C (feels 35°C) · 20 rain days (243h) · 238 sun hours · 76% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 12 (extreme)

May

1/10

25–29°C (feels 34°C) · 27 rain days (378h) · 205 sun hours · 84% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 10 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 12 (extreme)

June

1/10

24–28°C (feels 33°C) · 29 rain days (449h) · 171 sun hours · 87% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 9 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (extreme)

July

1/10

24–28°C (feels 33°C) · 29 rain days (421h) · 176 sun hours · 87% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 9 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (very high)

August

1/10

24–28°C (feels 33°C) · 30 rain days (457h) · 169 sun hours · 87% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 9 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (very high)

September

1/10

24–28°C (feels 33°C) · 30 rain days (464h) · 171 sun hours · 87% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 9 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (extreme)

October

1/10

24–28°C (feels 33°C) · 30 rain days (480h) · 176 sun hours · 88% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 8 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (very high)

November

1/10

24–27°C (feels 32°C) · 29 rain days (435h) · 173 sun hours · 88% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 10 (very high)

December

3/10

24–28°C (feels 33°C) · 20 rain days (239h) · 234 sun hours · 83% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 8 (very high)

Frequently asked questions about visiting Jaco

When is the best time to visit Jaco?

February is the highest-scoring month (5/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 24–30°C (5 rainy days). The top three months by score are February, January, March.

What is the worst time to visit Jaco?

May is the lowest-scoring month (1/10, capped by extreme heat). Typical conditions: 25–29°C (27 rainy days).

Is Jaco too hot in summer?

12 months (January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December) trip the heat deal-breaker in our scoring: apparent temperature crosses the comfort cap, so even with clear skies and low rain the score is held down. Plan around it if heat tolerance is low.

When are crowds lowest in Jaco?

Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in March and peaks in November. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.

What is the UV index in Jaco by month?

UV peaks at 12 (extreme) in March and is lowest in November at 7 (high). Monthly peak values: Jan 9, Feb 11, Mar 12, Apr 12, May 10, Jun 9, Jul 9, Aug 9, Sep 9, Oct 8, Nov 7, Dec 8. January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, December reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

What is the UV index in Jaco in March?

March is the peak UV month in Jaco, with a daily-peak UV index of 12 (extreme). At this level, sunburn can occur in under 20 minutes on unprotected fair skin. Apply SPF 50+, wear protective clothing and a hat, and avoid direct midday sun (11:00–17:00).

How high can UV get in Jaco on the sunniest days?

Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. February is the worst case: typical days average UV 11 (extreme), but the top 10% of days reach UV 13 (extreme) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: February, May, June, July, August, September, October, November. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.