click on the city to view the current and forthcoming weather conditions
Alajuela | Cartago | Chacarita | Dominical | La Fortuna/Aerial | Golfito
Jaco | Liberia | Puerto Limon | Puntarenas | San Isidro de General
| San Jose | Tamarindo | Tambor | Tortuguero
Unlike the U.S and other countries, where there are four seasons, Costa Rica has no real summer, fall, spring or winter, only dry and rainy and/or very wet times of the year.
The dry season (or “tourist season”), generally starts during November and last to June.
The wet season starts in June and goes to November and a time when one can get the best deals on hotels and other forms of recreations.
Average temperature is around 75 degrees Fahrenheit, but in the high mountain areas it can get below freezing. Starting in December to April (the peak of the tourist season) normally there is little rain. Keep in mind that Costa Rica is a tropical country, so the average rainfall in the country is around 100 inches, some mountainous areas get over 200 inches of rainfall on a yearly basis with the heaviest rain period between September to October. Read more... (394 words, 1 image, estimated 1:35 mins reading time)
Above NASA map shows the tracks of all Atlantic hurricanes which formed between 1851 and 2005, so in reality Costa Rica never receives the blunt force, but they sure can receive the effects when it is downgraded to a major Tropical Storm.
We get asked all the time, does Costa Rica get hurricanes? Well, yes and no, meaning “yes” they do receive the tropical aftermath of one, like heavy rains of what Tropical Storm Tomas did in November 2010 that caused sever damage and deaths.
In meteorology; a tropical cyclone (or tropical disturbance, tropical depression, tropical storm, typhoon, or hurricane, depending on strength and location) is a type of low-pressure system, which generally forms in the tropics. Hurricane is the term used to describe tropical cyclones that form in the Caribbean where we are located.
Hurricanes need the warm humid air above tropical oceans in order to develop. That’s why they form over ocean waters close to the equator. In addition, that’s why they form only during the summer and early fall, when those waters are about 80 degrees Fahrenheit or above. However, you won’t normally see hurricanes form right at the equator. That’s because at zero degrees latitude there isn’t enough turning of winds in the atmosphere to give tropical cyclones the “spin” they need to get started.
Read more... (802 words, 3 images, estimated 3:12 mins reading time)
Dominical used to be one of those Costa Rican coastal villages that was the talk of surfers and travelers that managed to disregard their GPS settings.
However, that started to change in the mid 2000s when private enterprises started to promote the kick-back town as Costa Rica’s newest and hottest tourist attraction.
Dominical is unique because it has mountains rising behind and around it, beaches to the front and sides, and beautiful jungle terrain making up much of the immediate surroundings – walk a 1/2 mile inland and one is in Tarzan country. The Río Barú (Barú River) empties into the Pacific Ocean at Dominical, and along the banks, you will find ecologists enjoying and studying the local species.
Even if Dominical is considered on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific coast, it is also the gateway to the Southern Pacific becoming the last outpost before heading south to places like Osa Peninsula, Puerto Jimenez, and the Golfito area. With Manuel Antonio National Park to the north, Dominical has become the town of choice for a centralized vacation spot.
Five reasons why Dominical has become one of thee places to visit. Read more... (682 words, 2 images, estimated 2:44 mins reading time)
President Laura Chinchilla
I don’t know if it is just me, but it seems like every time you turn around Costa Rica is having some sort of labor strike.
Last Monday, about 2000 union workers of Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) (government monopoly on power and light company) went on strike, and snarled traffic on several major streets in and around San Jose. They were protesting a bill in the Legislative Assembly to privatize the generation of electricity.
And back in July a meeting was held between the union and officials of the Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social (CCSS) over a strike that centered on reduction of benefits.
So … what could this be telling us?
First, let go to the political party of National Liberation Party, in which ex President Óscar Arias (May 2006-2010) and current President Laura Chinchilla are political members. The National Liberation Party supports [to a point] privatization, which has only been tolerable by unions in this small but creditable Central American country. After Arias, many were saying [because of privatization] it would put an end to National Liberation Party’s, needless to say, they were proven wrong when Chinchilla was voted in, keeping the party in power until 2014. Its evident both were voted into power to help reduce government waste and to promote economical growth. Read more... (719 words, 2 images, estimated 2:53 mins reading time)
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