Who travels to Phoenix AZ in July? Come on; tell the truth…do you go on a golf vacation to Palm Springs, CA in June?

Exactly! I doubt it. There is something not quite right about golfing in 112F temperatures. Wouldn’t you normally wait until the off-season? Say, November, to take advantage of cooler weather, right?

After twelve years living in Costa Ballena, I am still amazed why the travel/tour books say that the best time to visit is during dry season. Really? I doubt that these authors ever visited at this time. Dry season is December through April. This is the time when tourist flock to our area (and most of Costa Rica). But for me, it just does not make sense.

Costa Ballena normally receives 175-200 inches of rain annually, yet during the peak dry season of February — April, we get zero inches of rain. As I write this article we’ve had no rain in over 42 days and the jungle is simply parched!

Tourists and investors are here asking about waterfalls to enjoy — most are almost dry, sorry. Return in May when we have rain.

During peak dry season our roads are a mess! Too many people without 4×4 experience are tearing up the roads and the rocks are brutal. Our roads are much better when it rains as that compacts the dirt and holds it together. Right now it’s like black ice and very slippery.

I bet you booked your trip so you can see the lush green landscape and take nice walks in the forests. Ha! The dust right now is thick and covering the trees giving a nice orange/brown color to their usual green. Imagine all these cars spitting up dry dirt and flipping it all over the forest. The leaves are parched and covered in dust! You can see the trees screaming for rain. They are tired and limp. Poor sad trees.

Yesterday the thermometer reached 97F (36.1C). Not sure about the humidity, but I can say that personal temperatures are also starting to flare. It is hard to have patience when it’s this hot and dry. Temperatures will continue to be this hot for another 30+ days. My family back in the US is bored hearing me complain on all my social media outlets — kinda funny.

(I hear that Guanacaste is having water issues this year due to no rain in four months now. Up there it’s dry, hot, windy, fires… nice!)

But, you are here now and you escaped freezing temperatures in your hometown. I get it. But let me be the first to say that it is much better during “green” when Costa Rica comes alive! This is a rain forest after all.

Waterfalls flow spectacularly in the green season. The roads are in much better condition. The temperatures are much more enjoyable AND, us locals are going to be more patient with you in green season as we’ve had some rest and are hydrated.

As for right now in dry season — it is just damn hot!

…. And don’t ask me to go play golf with you… it isn’t going to happen until May!

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.