Costa Rica ‘s Green Season: Why July Brings the Rainforest and Waterfalls to Life 

Most guidebooks steer travelers away from July. “Rainy season” gets stamped across the whole stretch from May to November, and the December through April crowd rush becomes the default plan by process of elimination. 

On the ground, July looks different. The rainforest is at its fullest and greenest. Waterfalls run high. The coast quietly thins out, and the days follow a rhythm that’s easy to plan a stay around. 

This is a grounded look at what green season really looks like near Los Sueños, what the veranillo is, and why staying in a private villa removes the one real variable this time of year introduces, the weather itself. 

Owning the coast on your own terms includes owning it through the rain. 

Green Season Isn’t What Most Travelers Expect 

Costa Rica’s green season runs roughly May through November. Ticos have their own name for this stretch, temporada verde, and they tend to talk about it less like a warning and more like a favorite month.   

It follows a consistent daily pattern rather than nonstop rain. Mornings are sunny, clouds build early afternoon, a shower passes through, and the evening clears. 

Somewhere along the way, the green season picked up a reputation it hasn’t earned. These months bring the best light, the thinnest crowds, and the richest landscape of the year. For a full seasonal comparison, our guide on the best time to visit Costa Rica breaks down how each season stacks up. 

The Veranillo, July’s Hidden Dry Window 

Few travelers have heard of the veranillo de San Juan, or “Little Summer.” It’s a semi-predictable dry stretch, usually one to two weeks long, that tends to land sometime in July, right in the middle of green season. 

It shows up most clearly in Guanacaste, but the Los Sueños and Herradura Bay stretch of the Central Pacific feels it too. Locals plan around it well before any forecast mentions it. 

Here’s how a typical day breaks down across the two seasons. 

The Rainforest and Coastline at Their Fullest 

This is the part most brochures underplay. Green season is when the landscape looks the way it does in the photos.  

Waterfalls swell, rivers refill, and the canopy deepens into a shade of green that the dry months simply can’t produce. Wildlife responds to the same shift.  

More food and water near the trails and riverbanks mean more animals crossing paths with anyone out walking them. 

Bijagual Waterfall 

About 20 to 30 minutes from Los Sueños, Bijagual Waterfall rises approximately 328 meters (1,076 feet), making it the second-highest waterfall in Costa Rica according to the property’s own listing (estimates elsewhere online vary widely, so treat any figure you see as approximate). 

By July, after two months of steady rain, it carries far more water than it does during the dry months. The hike in runs through a biodiverse rainforest corridor, and it’s a strong bet for spotting scarlet macaws along the way. 

Carara National Park 

Carara National Park holds the Universal Trail, an accessible boardwalk through the primary rainforest.  

The park is home to monkeys, sloths, and more than 400 recorded bird species. Around Carara and the Tárcoles River, macaw sightings tend to pick up through July, part of a seasonal build that peaks around August, per local guide operators who track sightings through the dry-to-green transition. 

And it’s only 10 minutes away from Villa Firenze, a luxury private estate in Los Sueños. Read more in guide to national parks in Costa Rica. 

Humpback Whales, Arriving Early 

July marks the quiet start of humpback whale migration, as whales travel from Antarctica to Costa Rica’s Pacific waters to breed and give birth.  

The season peaks later, from August through October, according to whale-watching operators working the Central Pacific coast, but early sightings begin this month along the coast, with tours running out of nearby Herradura and Jacó.  

Costa Rica is one of the few places on earth that sees humpback migrations from both hemispheres, which stretches the season longer than almost anywhere else.  

For a slower-paced option, our waterfall tours in Costa Rica roundup is worth a look too. 

How Locals Read the Season 

Ticos build the day around the pattern instead of fighting it. Outdoor plans happen before early afternoon. The shower becomes built-in downtime. Evenings move back outside once the sky clears. 

A few things stand out about July specifically: 

• Puntarenas hosts the Fiesta de la Virgen del Mar, a coastal celebration with a flotilla of decorated boats, live music, and local food. 

• Farmers’ markets fill with the month’s best produce, sweet mangoes, pitahaya, heart of palm, and fresh avocados. 

• Many of these ingredients make their way onto menus across the coast during this stretch. 

Why Villa Firenze Fits This Season 

A fully private, premium villa suits a month where the weather has its own plans. Nothing at Villa Firenze runs on a fixed schedule. The concierge team shifts the day in real time, shower, or no shower. 

Forest facing terraces, an infinity pool, and indoor amenities like the golf simulator and wine cellar turn an afternoon rain into part of the stay rather than a pause in it. Arrival by private helipad and fully private grounds mean the season’s unpredictability never touches the experience directly. 

During these wetter months, the team tends to the grass and plants more often, since everything grows noticeably faster with the added rain. The property leans a little greener by the week, much like the trails nearby. 

For more on the region’s approach to travel, see our piece on sustainable and eco-tourism in Costa Rica, or explore Villa Firenze directly. 

Ready, Whether It Rains or Not 

Green season is the version of Costa Rica locals already prefer. Fuller waterfalls, thinner crowds, and a dry window hidden in the middle of it all. 

The veranillo is on its way. The villa is ready either way. 

FAQs 

Is July a good time to visit Costa Rica?

Yes. July falls within green season, which brings lower crowds, fuller waterfalls, and a predictable daily pattern of sunny mornings and short afternoon showers. It's also when the veranillo, a brief dry spell, tends to appear.

What is the veranillo in Costa Rica?

The veranillo de San Juan, or "Little Summer," is a semi-predictable one-to-two-week break in the rains that typically arrives in July. It brings drier, clearer stretches in the middle of green season, most noticeable in Guanacaste, though the Central Pacific coast feels it as well.

Does it rain all day during Costa Rica's green season?

No. Mornings are typically sunny; clouds build around midday, and showers most often develop between 2 and 4pm. Rain usually lasts one to three hours, with clear skies returning by early evening.

Is the Pacific Coast good to visit in July?

Yes. The Central Pacific coast, including the Los Sueños and Herradura Bay area, follows the same sunny morning, afternoon shower pattern, plus the start of whale season and consistently full waterfalls nearby, including Bijagual and Carara National Park.

Will rain affect a stay at Villa Firenze?

Very little. Indoor amenities, and an on-call concierge team allow each day to adjust as needed, so an afternoon shower becomes part of the stay rather than a disruption to it.

What makes July different from Costa Rica's dry season months?

July brings deeper green landscapes, fuller waterfalls, more active wildlife, and the early start of whale season, a contrast to the drier, browner landscape typical from December through April.