Climate and average weather in La Fortuna
In La Fortuna, the weather is humid, hot, wet, and partly cloudy and remarkably steady, with daytime highs holding near hot levels all year. The wettest stretch peaks around October.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in La Fortuna typically varies from 19°C to 29°C, and is rarely below 18°C or above 31°C. April is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit La Fortuna for warm-weather activities is from mid January to mid April.
- Hottest
- Apr
- 29°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 19°
- Wettest
- Oct
- 319 mm
- Driest
- Mar
- 32 mm
- Rain / yr
- 2404 mm
- 257 wet days
- Daylight
- 11.4–12.6 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 0 m
- 10.5°N
- Clearest
- Feb
- 44% cloud
La Fortuna weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around mid January to mid April.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in La Fortuna, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in La Fortuna stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is April, with an average high of 29°C and low of 21°C; the coolest is January, with an average low of 19°C and high of 26°C.
Days typically run about 7°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 26 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 |
| Avg low (°C) | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 19 |
| Feb | 26 | 19 |
| Mar | 28 | 20 |
| Apr | 29 | 21 |
| May | 28 | 21 |
| Jun | 28 | 21 |
| Jul | 27 | 21 |
| Aug | 28 | 21 |
| Sep | 28 | 21 |
| Oct | 27 | 21 |
| Nov | 26 | 20 |
| Dec | 26 | 20 |
Average hourly temperature in La Fortuna
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on April afternoons, near 29°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 19°C.
La Fortuna weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26° / 19° | 110 | 15.3 | 11.5 | 6.1 |
| Feb | 26° / 19° | 54 | 8.1 | 11.7 | 7.1 |
| Mar | 28° / 20° | 32 | 6.6 | 11.9 | 7.0 |
| Apr | 29° / 21° | 52 | 10 | 12.2 | 5.5 |
| May | 28° / 21° | 255 | 24.6 | 12.5 | 3.7 |
| Jun | 28° / 21° | 304 | 28.8 | 12.6 | 3.3 |
| Jul | 27° / 21° | 260 | 28.1 | 12.6 | 3.6 |
| Aug | 28° / 21° | 243 | 28.5 | 12.3 | 3.5 |
| Sep | 28° / 21° | 288 | 29 | 12.1 | 3.3 |
| Oct | 27° / 21° | 319 | 29.7 | 11.8 | 3.4 |
| Nov | 26° / 20° | 291 | 26 | 11.5 | 3.9 |
| Dec | 26° / 20° | 197 | 21.9 | 11.4 | 4.9 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
La Fortuna gets about 2404 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is very wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 7.3 months, from around May 10 to Dec 17, peaking in October at about 97% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Mar 20.
October is the wettest month by volume, with 319 mm over about 30 wet days; March is the driest, with 32 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 49 | 29 | 22 | 34 | 79 | 95 | 91 | 92 | 96 | 96 | 87 | 70 |
| Rain days | 15 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 26 | 22 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 15 |
| Feb | 29 | 8 |
| Mar | 22 | 7 |
| Apr | 34 | 10 |
| May | 79 | 25 |
| Jun | 95 | 29 |
| Jul | 91 | 28 |
| Aug | 92 | 29 |
| Sep | 96 | 29 |
| Oct | 96 | 30 |
| Nov | 87 | 26 |
| Dec | 70 | 22 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, La Fortuna collects about 2404 mm of rain across 257 wet days — roughly 200 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. October is the wettest month with 319 mm, while March is the driest at just 32 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 38% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 110 | 54 | 32 | 52 | 255 | 304 | 260 | 243 | 288 | 319 | 291 | 197 |
| Rain days | 15 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 26 | 22 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 110 | 15 |
| Feb | 54 | 8 |
| Mar | 32 | 7 |
| Apr | 52 | 10 |
| May | 255 | 25 |
| Jun | 304 | 29 |
| Jul | 260 | 28 |
| Aug | 243 | 29 |
| Sep | 288 | 29 |
| Oct | 319 | 30 |
| Nov | 291 | 26 |
| Dec | 197 | 22 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In La Fortuna, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around November 30 and lasts for 5.0 months, ending around April 29. The clearest month is February, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 72% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around April 30 and lasts for 7.0 months, ending around November 29. The cloudiest month is June, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 96% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 59 | 72 | 72 | 47 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 40 |
| Cloudier (%) | 41 | 28 | 28 | 53 | 87 | 96 | 94 | 95 | 94 | 94 | 84 | 60 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 41 |
| Feb | 72 | 28 |
| Mar | 72 | 28 |
| Apr | 47 | 53 |
| May | 13 | 87 |
| Jun | 4 | 96 |
| Jul | 6 | 94 |
| Aug | 5 | 95 |
| Sep | 6 | 94 |
| Oct | 6 | 94 |
| Nov | 16 | 84 |
| Dec | 40 | 60 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around May 29, brings about 12 h 36 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 11 h 24 min — a swing of roughly 1 h 12 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.5 | 11.7 | 11.9 | 12.2 | 12.5 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.3 | 12.1 | 11.8 | 11.5 | 11.4 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:04 | 6:03 | 5:50 | 5:32 | 5:20 | 5:21 | 5:27 | 5:32 | 5:31 | 5:31 | 5:39 | 5:53 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:31 | 5:43 | 5:46 | 5:46 | 5:49 | 5:57 | 6:01 | 5:53 | 5:35 | 5:17 | 5:09 | 5:16 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11.5 | 6:04 | 5:31 |
| Feb | 11.7 | 6:03 | 5:43 |
| Mar | 11.9 | 5:50 | 5:46 |
| Apr | 12.2 | 5:32 | 5:46 |
| May | 12.5 | 5:20 | 5:49 |
| Jun | 12.6 | 5:21 | 5:57 |
| Jul | 12.6 | 5:27 | 6:01 |
| Aug | 12.3 | 5:32 | 5:53 |
| Sep | 12.1 | 5:31 | 5:35 |
| Oct | 11.8 | 5:31 | 5:17 |
| Nov | 11.5 | 5:39 | 5:09 |
| Dec | 11.4 | 5:53 | 5:16 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
La Fortuna averages about 5 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 0 and 16 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 4.5 months, from around Dec 11 to Apr 27. The sunniest month is February, with roughly 15 sunny days (bright).
The greyest month is September, down near 0 sunny days — about 99% fewer than the February peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 11 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Sky | Mixed | Bright | Mixed | Mixed | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Mixed |
| Feb | 14 | Bright |
| Mar | 15 | Mixed |
| Apr | 9 | Mixed |
| May | 1 | Gloomy |
| Jun | 0 | Gloomy |
| Jul | 1 | Gloomy |
| Aug | 0 | Gloomy |
| Sep | 0 | Gloomy |
| Oct | 0 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 1 | Gloomy |
| Dec | 6 | Gloomy |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
La Fortuna is humid all year round — on a typical day the air feels at least humid, and there is no real dry season to wait for.
The stickiest month is January, when it feels muggy, oppressive or miserable about 89% of the time. Even in March, the mildest month, the air is dry or comfortable only 1% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | 11 | 15 | 15 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Muggy (%) | 86 | 83 | 79 | 66 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 44 | 78 |
| Oppressive (%) | 3 | 2 | 5 | 26 | 78 | 94 | 85 | 92 | 96 | 90 | 54 | 18 |
| Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 11 | 86 | 3 |
| Feb | 0 | 15 | 83 | 2 |
| Mar | 1 | 15 | 79 | 5 |
| Apr | 0 | 8 | 66 | 26 |
| May | 0 | 0 | 21 | 78 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 | 6 | 94 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 | 15 | 85 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 | 8 | 92 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 | 4 | 96 |
| Oct | 0 | 0 | 10 | 90 |
| Nov | 0 | 2 | 44 | 54 |
| Dec | 0 | 4 | 78 | 18 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in La Fortuna is typically calm, near 8 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 5.2 months, from around Nov 22 to Apr 27. The windiest month is February, averaging about 13 km/h (light breeze).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Apr 28 to Nov 21, with September the calmest month at about 5 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 12 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 11 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12 | light breeze |
| Feb | 13 | light breeze |
| Mar | 12 | calm |
| Apr | 9 | calm |
| May | 6 | calm |
| Jun | 6 | calm |
| Jul | 7 | calm |
| Aug | 6 | calm |
| Sep | 5 | calm |
| Oct | 5 | calm |
| Nov | 8 | calm |
| Dec | 11 | calm |
Best time to visit La Fortuna
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in La Fortuna throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around early April, La Fortuna is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit La Fortuna for general outdoor tourist activities is from mid January to mid April, with a peak score in the first week of March.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 6.1 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 5.5 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.9 |
| Rating | good | good | good | fair | fair | poor | fair | poor | poor | poor | fair | fair |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.1 | good |
| Feb | 7.0 | good |
| Mar | 7.0 | good |
| Apr | 5.5 | fair |
| May | 3.7 | fair |
| Jun | 3.3 | poor |
| Jul | 3.6 | fair |
| Aug | 3.5 | poor |
| Sep | 3.3 | poor |
| Oct | 3.4 | poor |
| Nov | 3.9 | fair |
| Dec | 4.9 | fair |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit La Fortuna for hot-weather activities is from late January to late April, with a peak score in the last week of March.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for La Fortuna, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
La Fortuna packs about the same all year — highs hold near 29°C. Across the year the things worth having are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection.
In April, La Fortuna sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.
Sea temperature near La Fortuna
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 66 km away) is warmest in April at about 29°C and coldest in November near 28°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
| Comfort | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Tropical |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | Tropical |
| Feb | 29 | Tropical |
| Mar | 29 | Tropical |
| Apr | 29 | Tropical |
| May | 29 | Tropical |
| Jun | 29 | Tropical |
| Jul | 29 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 28 | Tropical |
| Nov | 28 | Warm |
| Dec | 28 | Tropical |
UV index (midday) in La Fortuna by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in La Fortuna peaks around March 17 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 10 (very high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 11 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Extreme |
| Feb | 14 | Extreme |
| Mar | 14 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 13 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 10 | Very high |
Average hourly UV index in La Fortuna
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in March the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 7.5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8.5 | 8 | 8 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Feb | 8 | 6 |
| Mar | 8 | 6.5 |
| Apr | 8 | 6.5 |
| May | 8 | 6.5 |
| Jun | 8 | 6.5 |
| Jul | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Aug | 8 | 6.5 |
| Sep | 8 | 6 |
| Oct | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Nov | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Dec | 7 | 5 |
Air quality in La Fortuna by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in La Fortuna is worst in May — around 23 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (January, 10 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 10 | 11 | 13 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 |
| Level | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Good |
| Feb | 11 | Good |
| Mar | 13 | Moderate |
| Apr | 21 | Moderate |
| May | 23 | Moderate |
| Jun | 21 | Moderate |
| Jul | 22 | Moderate |
| Aug | 20 | Moderate |
| Sep | 18 | Moderate |
| Oct | 15 | Moderate |
| Nov | 12 | Good |
| Dec | 10 | Good |
Growing season
La Fortuna is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. La Fortuna banks about 5,048 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around May.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 383 | 357 | 421 | 441 | 462 | 435 | 439 | 444 | 434 | 437 | 400 | 396 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 383 |
| Feb | 357 |
| Mar | 421 |
| Apr | 441 |
| May | 462 |
| Jun | 435 |
| Jul | 439 |
| Aug | 444 |
| Sep | 434 |
| Oct | 437 |
| Nov | 400 |
| Dec | 396 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
La Fortuna receives about 4.5 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.7 and 6.0 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 4.1 months, from around Jan 12 to May 17. The brightest month is April, averaging about 5.8 kWh/m² (bright).
The dimmest month is November, down near 3.7 kWh/m² — roughly 36% less than the April peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 4.6 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.1 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.6 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.3 | Bright |
| Mar | 5.9 | Bright |
| Apr | 5.8 | Bright |
| May | 4.6 | Bright |
| Jun | 4.2 | Bright |
| Jul | 4.1 | Bright |
| Aug | 4.3 | Bright |
| Sep | 4.3 | Bright |
| Oct | 3.8 | Moderate |
| Nov | 3.6 | Moderate |
| Dec | 4.1 | Bright |
Where is La Fortuna?
La Fortuna sits at 10.5°N, 84.6°W, 0 m above sea level, in Costa Rica. The nearest listed city is Monteverde, 26 km away.
Topography around La Fortuna
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of La Fortuna.
Within 3 km, the terrain around La Fortuna has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 281 m around an average of 270 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,738 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,891 m.
The land around La Fortuna is covered by grassland (55%) and trees (42%) within 3 km, trees (63%) and grassland (35%) within 16 km, and trees (63%) and grassland (26%) within 80 km.
Costa Rica travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 59% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $19,970
- 2025
- Happiness
- 7.4 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 81%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 17.7
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 14.8
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- English
- Moderate
- EF EPI 516
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for La Fortuna (10.4709°, -84.6453°, elevation 0 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).