Best time to visit Tamarindo

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 (?)
91213121099109988
On the sunniest 1 in 10 days, UV reaches this — and even higher
1312111111111110
PM2.5 air quality · on a typical day (?)
679986776555
On the worst 1 in 10 days, PM2.5 reaches this — and even higher
81012121281198778
January 6/10 feels 34°C (+1°C vs 1991-2020) · extreme heat caps 84 → 55/100
Day 32° · Night 25° · warm nights (25°) ☀ UV 9.4 (very high) 53% humidity 28 km/h wind 5 rain days (48h) 261h sun sea 28°C
Thermal 3
Sky 10
Rain 9
Wind 9

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 Tamarindo

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

  1. 1Tamarindo Estuary Boat Safari4.60★ (730)2hfrom $52🔥 Selling fast
  2. 2Private Full Day Local 3 Waterfalls Experience in Curubande4.95★ (116)from $220
  3. 3Private Surf Lesson with Local Professionals in Tamarindo Beach4.81★ (113)2hfrom $54
  4. 4Sloth Watching, Coffee, Chocolate & Waterfall Experience4.91★ (822)from $145
  5. 5ATV or Buggy Guided Tour from Tamarindo, Conchal4.89★ (887)2hfrom $90
  6. 6Sunset Catamaran Tour in Playa Flamingo4.85★ (1,115)4hfrom $95
  7. 7Surf Lesson in Tamarindo - Stand Up or Your Money Back!4.96★ (732)2hfrom $54

Last refreshed 2026-05-30.

Similar climatesManuel Antonio83% · Jaco80% · Miami70%

Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Tamarindo (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 Tamarindo'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 25–32 34 5 48 9.6 53% 28 261 9 Peak 6
Feb 25–34 34 2 23 11.5 46% 30 248 12 Moderate 5
Mar 25–34 36 6 64 10.7 49% 28 271 13 Quiet 4
Apr 25–33 37 14 133 9.5 58% 22 254 12 Moderate 3
May 25–31 36 26 288 11.1 72% 18 231 10 Quiet 1
Jun 24–29 34 29 415 14.3 81% 15 181 9 Quiet 1
Jul 24–30 35 25 303 12.1 78% 17 204 9 Quiet 1
Aug 24–29 34 29 368 12.7 80% 16 196 10 Moderate 1
Sep 24–29 34 29 401 13.8 82% 14 188 9 Quiet 1
Oct 24–29 34 30 426 14.2 83% 15 193 9 Quiet 1
Nov 24–29 33 25 355 14.2 80% 16 190 8 Peak 1
Dec 24–31 34 9 92 10.2 64% 22 248 8 Peak 5

UV Index in Tamarindo by Month

UV index in Tamarindo peaks at 13 (extreme) in March, dropping to 8 (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

January

6/10

25–32°C (feels 34°C) · 5 rain days (48h) · 261 sun hours · 53% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 9 (very high)

February

5/10

25–34°C · 2 rain days (23h) · 248 sun hours · 46% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 12 (extreme) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 13 (extreme)

December

5/10

24–31°C (feels 34°C) · 9 rain days (92h) · 248 sun hours · 64% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 8 (very high)

Every month

Show the other 9 months in detail

March

4/10

25–34°C (feels 36°C) · 6 rain days (64h) · 271 sun hours · 49% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 13 (extreme)

April

3/10

25–33°C (feels 37°C) · 14 rain days (133h) · 254 sun hours · 58% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 12 (extreme)

May

1/10

25–31°C (feels 36°C) · 26 rain days (288h) · 231 sun hours · 72% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 10 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 12 (extreme)

June

1/10

24–29°C (feels 34°C) · 29 rain days (415h) · 181 sun hours · 81% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 9 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (very high)

July

1/10

24–30°C (feels 35°C) · 25 rain days (303h) · 204 sun hours · 78% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 9 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (extreme)

August

1/10

24–29°C (feels 34°C) · 29 rain days (368h) · 196 sun hours · 80% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 10 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (extreme)

September

1/10

24–29°C (feels 34°C) · 29 rain days (401h) · 188 sun hours · 82% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 9 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (extreme)

October

1/10

24–29°C (feels 34°C) · 30 rain days (426h) · 193 sun hours · 83% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 9 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (very high)

November

1/10

24–29°C (feels 33°C) · 25 rain days (355h) · 190 sun hours · 80% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 8 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 10 (very high)

Frequently asked questions about visiting Tamarindo

When is the best time to visit Tamarindo?

January is the highest-scoring month (6/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 25–32°C (5 rainy days). The top three months by score are January, February, December.

What is the worst time to visit Tamarindo?

August is the lowest-scoring month (1/10, capped by extreme heat). Typical conditions: 24–29°C (29 rainy days).

Is Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo?

Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in May and peaks in January. 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 Tamarindo by month?

UV peaks at 13 (extreme) in March and is lowest in November at 8 (high). Monthly peak values: Jan 9, Feb 12, Mar 13, Apr 12, May 10, Jun 9, Jul 9, Aug 10, Sep 9, Oct 9, Nov 8, 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 Tamarindo in March?

March is the peak UV month in Tamarindo, with a daily-peak UV index of 13 (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 Tamarindo 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 12 (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.