AI-generatedLa Fortuna at a glance
- Best time
- Dec – Jan
- Warmest month
- Apr · 31°
- Sunshine a year
- 1,700 h
- Rain a year
- 2,743 mm
- Climate
- Tropical
- Time zone
- UTC−6
- Elevation
- 256 m
Climate in La Fortuna
La Fortuna has a tropical climate: it is warm all year round, and the seasons differ mainly in how much rain falls. April is the warmest month with average highs of 31 °C, while January is the coolest at 28 °C. With around 1,700 hours of sunshine a year, La Fortuna is moderately sunny; March is the sunniest month with 6.5 hours a day.
Holiday weather through the year
Best time to visit La Fortuna
The best time to visit La Fortuna is from December to January. The rainy season is from June to November; the wettest month is October with 324 mm.
La Fortuna through the seasons
How the weather changes over the seasons, with averages for each.
La Fortuna in the dry season
Dec – May
Fair
- 28–31 °C by day
- 5.6 h of sun a day
- 144 rainy days in all
La Fortuna in the rainy season
Jun – Nov
Poor
- 28–30 °C by day
- 3.7 h of sun a day
- 177 rainy days in all
Which month for what?
Beach & swimming
No sea nearby
Sea from 21 °C, warm and mostly dry
Sightseeing & hiking
No month
15–28 °C and not too much rain
Rainy months
Jun – Nov
Rainy season or more than 12 rainy days
Find your perfect month
Tell us what you like and we rate every month in La Fortuna for you.
Your best months: December – February
Based on the climate averages; tap a month to see its details.
Weather in October
Weather in October
Holiday weather in October
Poor
Best time to visit: December – January
Keep in mindFrequent rain
A typical day in October
- Morning, 08:00: about 24°
- Midday, 13:00: about 29°
- Afternoon, 16:00: about 28°
- Evening, 20:00: about 24°
- Night, 23:00: about 22°
05:2717:21
Warm enough for a T-shirt in the evening.
Estimated from the average high and low: coolest around sunrise, warmest in mid-afternoon.
Light for photos in October
- Golden hour
- Morning 05:14–05:55 · evening 16:53–17:34
- Blue hour
- Morning 05:06–05:14 · evening 17:34–17:43
Golden hour: the sun between 4° below and 6° above the horizon; blue hour: 6° to 4° below it. Times for the 15th of the month; mountains and clouds shift the light.
October in La Fortuna compared with home
Loading the climate at home …
Early or late October?
In October, daytime highs fall from about 30° at the start of the month to 29° at the end. The days get 0.3 h shorter.
| October | 1 Oct | 31 Oct |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime high | 30° | 29° |
| Night-time low | 20° | 19° |
| Daylight | 12.0 h | 11.8 h |
What is the weather like in La Fortuna in October?
In October, La Fortuna is hot: daytime highs average 30 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 20 °C. The sun is scarce, with only about 3.6 hours a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 30 days, totalling 324 mm. On about 11 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in La Fortuna.
More details for October
- Daylight
- 11 h 55 min05:27 – 17:21
- UV index
- 12 · extremeclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 31 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 8 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 89 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 11 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Time zone
- UTC−6offset from UTC
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %64 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %10 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %0 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Nature escape”.
What to pack in October
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- Light, breathable clothes
- Water bottle – drink plenty
- Insect repellent
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Compare two months in La Fortuna
Pick two months to see how the weather differs. A tick marks the clearly better value; for temperatures it depends on your plans.
January has the better holiday weather in La Fortuna: score 52 against 34. In January, days are 2 °C cooler than in October. January has 3 fewer rainy days. The sun shines 2 hours longer a day in January.
| Month | October | January |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday weather score | 34 | 52better |
| Daytime high | 30° | 28° |
| Night-time low | 20° | 18° |
| Sunshine | 3.6 h | 5.4 hbetter |
| Rainy days | 30 | 27better |
| Rainfall | 324 mm | 202 mmbetter |
| Muggy days | 31 | 30better |
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
La Fortuna month by month
The typical weather for every month at a glance.
52January28° · 5.4 h
In January, La Fortuna is hot: daytime highs average 28 °C, and nights cool down to about 18 °C. Expect around 5.4 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 27 days, adding up to 202 mm. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, January is a so-so month for a holiday in La Fortuna – and yet one of the best months here.
La Fortuna in January46February29° · 6.0 h
In February, La Fortuna is hot: daytime highs average 29 °C, and nights cool down to about 18 °C. Expect around 6.0 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 23 days, adding up to 126 mm. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, February is a so-so month for a holiday in La Fortuna.
La Fortuna in February38March30° · 6.5 h
In March, La Fortuna is hot: daytime highs average 30 °C, and nights cool down to about 18 °C. The sun shines for around 6.5 hours a day. It rains often – on about 20 days, adding up to 95 mm. On about 18 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, March is not an ideal month for a holiday in La Fortuna.
La Fortuna in March29April31° · 6.2 h
In April, La Fortuna is hot: daytime highs average 31 °C, and nights cool down to about 19 °C. Expect around 6.2 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 19 days, adding up to 81 mm. On about 26 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, April is not an ideal month for a holiday in La Fortuna.
La Fortuna in April28May31° · 4.6 h
In May, La Fortuna is hot: daytime highs average 31 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 20 °C. Expect around 4.6 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 27 days, adding up to 232 mm. On about 22 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, May is not an ideal month for a holiday in La Fortuna.
La Fortuna in May32June30° · 3.8 h
In June, La Fortuna is hot: daytime highs average 30 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 20 °C. The sun is scarce, with only about 3.8 hours a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 30 days, totalling 308 mm. On about 14 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, June is not an ideal month for a holiday in La Fortuna.
La Fortuna in June35July29° · 3.4 h
In July, La Fortuna is hot: daytime highs average 29 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 20 °C. The sun is scarce, with only about 3.4 hours a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 31 days, totalling 304 mm. On about 10 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, July is not an ideal month for a holiday in La Fortuna.
La Fortuna in July33August30° · 3.9 h
In August, La Fortuna is hot: daytime highs average 30 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 20 °C. The sun is scarce, with only about 3.9 hours a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 30 days, totalling 253 mm. On about 15 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, August is not an ideal month for a holiday in La Fortuna.
La Fortuna in August30September30° · 4.0 h
In September, La Fortuna is hot: daytime highs average 30 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 20 °C. Expect around 4.0 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 29 days, totalling 262 mm. On about 18 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, September is not an ideal month for a holiday in La Fortuna.
La Fortuna in September34October30° · 3.6 h
In October, La Fortuna is hot: daytime highs average 30 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 20 °C. The sun is scarce, with only about 3.6 hours a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 30 days, totalling 324 mm. On about 11 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in La Fortuna.
La Fortuna in October43November28° · 3.7 h
In November, La Fortuna is hot: daytime highs average 28 °C, and nights cool down to about 19 °C. The sun is scarce, with only about 3.7 hours a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 27 days, totalling 301 mm. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, November is a so-so month for a holiday in La Fortuna.
La Fortuna in November49December28° · 4.7 h
In December, La Fortuna is hot: daytime highs average 28 °C, and nights cool down to about 18 °C. Expect around 4.7 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 28 days, adding up to 255 mm. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, December is a so-so month for a holiday in La Fortuna – and yet one of the best months here.
La Fortuna in DecemberClimate in detail
Year & climate tableWarmest in April: 31°
Climate through the year
Long-term monthly averages. Tap a month to see its details.
Nights and sleep in La Fortuna
How warm the nights get in each month, from the mean night-time low. Tap a month for details.
- Pleasant 15–20°
- Warm 20–24°
- muggy month (15+ muggy days)
WarmOctober: nights around 20°. Tropical nights: a fan or air conditioning helps. Muggy on about 31 days (dew point 18 °C or more).
The coolest nights are in February (18°), the warmest in June (20°). Tropical nights of 20 °C and more are the rule from May to October; then air conditioning or a fan helps you sleep. Nights are pleasant for sleeping (15 to 20 °C) from November to April. It is muggy (dew point 18 °C or more) all year, on about 361 days a year.
Temperatures through the year
Average daytime high, night-time low and sea temperature per month.
| Month | Score | Day | Night | Sun | Rain days | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 52 | 28° | 18° | 5.4 h | 27 | 202 |
| FebruaryFeb | 46 | 29° | 18° | 6.0 h | 23 | 126 |
| MarchMar | 38 | 30° | 18° | 6.5 h | 20 | 95 |
| AprilApr | 29 | 31° | 19° | 6.2 h | 19 | 81 |
| MayMay | 28 | 31° | 20° | 4.6 h | 27 | 232 |
| JuneJun | 32 | 30° | 20° | 3.8 h | 30 | 308 |
| JulyJul | 35 | 29° | 20° | 3.4 h | 31 | 304 |
| AugustAug | 33 | 30° | 20° | 3.9 h | 30 | 253 |
| SeptemberSep | 30 | 30° | 20° | 4.0 h | 29 | 262 |
| OctoberOct | 34 | 30° | 20° | 3.6 h | 30 | 324 |
| NovemberNov | 43 | 28° | 19° | 3.7 h | 27 | 301 |
| DecemberDec | 49 | 28° | 18° | 4.7 h | 28 | 255 |
Climate averages 1996–2025 (sunshine partly WMO station normals 1991–2020), not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences
10.47° N, 84.65° W · 256 m · America/Costa_Rica
Sunshine1,700 hours a year
Sunshine hours in La Fortuna
Average hours of bright sunshine per day, next to the length of the day. Tap a month to select it.
In October, the sun shines for about 3.6 of 11.9 hours of daylight in La Fortuna, 30 % of the daylight hours.
Sunshine hours: estimated from radiation data (ERA5, 1996–2025) and calibrated against measured station values; no weather station is close enough here. Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.
Rain2,743 mm a year, most in October
Rain in La Fortuna: rainy days and rainfall
A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain or snow; the amount is what falls in the whole month. Tap a month to select it.
In October, La Fortuna has about 30 rainy days with 324 mm of rain in total.
UV indexUp to 14 in April
UV index in La Fortuna
How strong the sun is at noon, month by month, and how quickly unprotected skin burns.
- Clear-sky UV in October
- 12 · extremeAvoid the midday sun; SPF 50+, covering clothes, hat and sunglasses.
The sun is strongest in April (UV 14).
Minutes until sunburn in October
- Very fair skin
- about 10 min
- Fair skin
- about 15 min
- Light brown skin
- about 20 min
- Olive skin
- about 25 min
Rough guide for unprotected skin at noon under a clear sky; clouds lengthen the time, water, sand and snow shorten it. Sunscreen extends the time only partly.
Monthly values: clear-sky noon estimate from the sun's angle, ozone and altitude. UV today: Open-Meteo forecast.
Wind & cloudsWindiest in February: 17 km/h
Wind and clouds in La Fortuna
How breezy and how cloudy La Fortuna is through the year. Tap a month to select it on the whole page.
Wind
Typical daily peak of the wind in km/h: what the afternoon breeze usually reaches, not the gusts.
In October, the wind in La Fortuna typically peaks at 8 km/h during the day: Beaufort 2, light breeze or less.
Clouds
Average share of the sky covered by cloud, day and night.
In October, cloud covers on average 89 % of the sky over La Fortuna: mostly overcast, with about 3.6 hours of sunshine a day.
Wind: mean daily maximum of the hourly wind 10 m above ground (ERA5, 1996–2025). Gusts are stronger, and the model grid of about 28 km smooths out local effects such as capes and valley winds. Clouds: mean total cloud cover of all layers over day and night (ERA5, 1996–2025). Thin high cloud counts as cover even when the sun still shines through.
Heat & humidity144 days of 30° or more a year
Heat and humidity in La Fortuna
How often the day gets hot in La Fortuna (30 °C and more), and in which months heat and humidity come together. Tap a month to select it.
Heat calendar
- pleasant
- some hot or muggy days
- often muggy
- often hot
- hot and muggy
In October, La Fortuna has about 11 hot days, with an average daytime high of 30 °C: often muggy. The air feels warmer than the thermometer says: light, airy clothes and slow days help.
Hot days reach at least 30 °C; a month counts as muggy when the mean dew point reaches 18 °C on at least 15 days. Averages from ERA5 and ERA5-Land, 1996–2025. Muggy nights through the year
Planning a trip to La Fortuna
Weather for your travel dates
Pick your arrival and length of stay, and we sum up the weather to expect.
La Fortuna in the school holidays
How the weather suits the usual holiday periods. Dates vary by school and region, so each holiday uses the months it usually falls in.
La Fortuna has its best school-holiday weather during the Christmas holidays (score 51) and its weakest during May half-term (score 29).
- 32
Easter holidays
Mar – Apr
Poor
- 31 °C by day
- 6.3 h of sun a day
- 20 rainy days a month
- 29
May half-term
May – Jun
Poor
- 31 °C by day
- 4.4 h of sun a day
- 28 rainy days a month
- 34
Summer holidays
Jul – Aug
Poor
- 30 °C by day
- 3.7 h of sun a day
- 30 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 34
October half-term
Oct
Poor
- 30 °C by day
- 3.6 h of sun a day
- 30 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 51
Christmas holidays
Dec – Jan
FairBest holidays
- 28 °C by day
- 5.1 h of sun a day
- 27 rainy days a month
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Getting there
Flying from
- Nonstop flight
- about 11 h
- Distance
- 8,700 km
- Time zone
- UTC−6
- Jet lag
- About 5 days (7 h west)
Rule of thumb for flying west: for a few days before, stay up a little later, and get afternoon and evening light at your destination.
Estimated from the straight-line distance: 30 minutes for take-off and landing plus 830 km/h cruising speed.
Good to know: Costa Rica
- Currency
- Costa Rican Colón (CRC)
- Language
- Spanish
- Sockets
- Type A, B · 120 V
- Traffic
- Drives on the right
- Dialling code
- +506
- Emergency number
- 911 · 112
UK plugs need a travel adapter
Only 120 V: chargers marked 100–240 V work, other devices need a voltage converter.
Sources: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0). Please check details before you travel.
Compare & alternatives
Compare with another place
La Fortuna compared
Put La Fortuna side by side with another destination.
La Fortuna vs Puntarenas
In October La Fortuna has the better holiday weather (score 34 vs 25). During the day Puntarenas is 1 °C warmer than La Fortuna.
| in October | La Fortuna | Puntarenas |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday weather score | 34 | 25 |
| Daytime high | 30° | 31° |
| Sea | no sea nearby | 28° |
| Sunshine | 4 h | 4 h |
| Rainy days | 30 | 30 |
| Best time | Dec – Jan | Dec – Mar |
Through the year
Best places in the country
Costa Rica in October: the best places
In October, La Fortuna ranks 7 of 9 destinations in this country.
- Puntarenas31°28°64
- 2Tamarindo31°28°63
- 3Jacó30°28°61
- 4Limón33°29°56
- 5Cartago26°45
- 6San José29°40
- 7La FortunaThis page30°34
- 8Alajuela30°29
Places nearby4 places within 89 km
Near La Fortuna
Other destinations close by.
Places with a similar climatee.g. Malaybalay and Iligan
Places with a climate like La Fortuna
Destinations whose weather through the year is closest to La Fortuna's – good alternatives.
Frequently asked questions about La Fortuna
When is the best time to visit La Fortuna?
The best time to visit La Fortuna is from December to January. That is when the holiday weather score, which combines temperature, sea, sunshine and rain, is highest.
What is the warmest month in La Fortuna?
April is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C and nights around 19 °C. January is the coolest month at 28 °C.
When does it rain most in La Fortuna?
The rainy season is from June to November; the wettest month is October with 324 mm. The driest month is April with 81 mm.
How many hours of sunshine does La Fortuna get?
La Fortuna gets around 1,700 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is March with 6.5 hours a day; in July there are 3.4 hours a day.
What time zone is La Fortuna in?
La Fortuna is on UTC−6 all year.
How long is the flight from London to La Fortuna?
A nonstop flight from London to La Fortuna takes about 11 h, for a straight-line distance of about 8,700 km.
Which school holidays are best for La Fortuna?
La Fortuna has its best school-holiday weather during the Christmas holidays (score 51) and its weakest during May half-term (score 29). Holiday ratings (0–100): Easter holidays 32, May half-term 29, summer holidays 34, October half-term 34, Christmas holidays 51.