La Fortuna weather in December

In December, La Fortuna sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 20°C, with 197 mm of rain across 21.9 wet days and about 11.4 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time in December, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 24 min at the start of December to 11 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is La Fortuna's 5th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see La Fortuna's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
11th warmest
Overnight low
20°
4th coldest
Rainfall
197 mm
21.9 wet days
Daylight
11 h 24 min
5:53 AM – 5:16 PM
Cloud cover
64%
5th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
4.09 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.9
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month.

A typical December day in La Fortuna reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 20°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs on par with November and on par with January.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12620
22620
32620
42620
52620
62620
72620
82620
92620
102620
112620
122620
132620
142620
152620
162620
172620
182620
192620
202620
212620
222620
232620
242620
252620
262620
272620
282620
292620
302620
312620

La Fortuna weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 19°11015.311.56.1
Feb26° / 19°548.111.77.1
Mar28° / 20°326.611.97.0
Apr29° / 21°521012.25.5
May28° / 21°25524.612.53.7
Jun28° / 21°30428.812.63.3
Jul27° / 21°26028.112.63.6
Aug28° / 21°24328.512.33.5
Sep28° / 21°2882912.13.3
Oct27° / 21°31929.711.83.4
Nov26° / 20°2912611.53.9
Dec26° / 20°19721.911.44.9

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 60%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13169
23169
33367
43268
53268
63367
73367
83367
93466
103565
113565
123565
133763
143763
153862
163961
174159
184258
194258
204555
214555
224555
234753
244852
254951
264951
274951
284951
294951
304951
315050

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

La Fortuna gets around 197 mm of rain over 21.9 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 70% and peaks near 79% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
179
278
378
477
577
676
775
875
974
1074
1173
1273
1373
1472
1572
1671
1771
1870
1969
2069
2168
2267
2367
2466
2565
2664
2764
2863
2962
3062
3161

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the muggy band about 78% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 96% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
146333
236532
336631
436829
537027
647026
747224
847323
947521
1047620
1147719
1247818
1347917
1447917
1548016
1648016
1748115
1848115
1948214
2048214
2148313
2248313
2348412
2448412
2548511
2648511
2748610
2858510
295869
305878
315878

Wind in December

Winds average 11 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 12 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2712calm
2812calm
2912calm
3012calm
3112calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 24 min at the start of December to 11 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 0 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:45 AM to 6:00 AM, and sunset from 5:11 PM to 5:24 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.45:455:11
211.45:465:12
311.45:465:12
411.45:475:12
511.45:475:12
611.45:485:13
711.45:485:13
811.45:495:13
911.45:495:14
1011.45:505:14
1111.45:505:14
1211.45:515:15
1311.45:525:15
1411.45:525:16
1511.45:535:16
1611.45:535:16
1711.45:545:17
1811.45:545:17
1911.45:545:18
2011.45:555:18
2111.45:555:19
2211.45:565:19
2311.45:565:20
2411.45:575:20
2511.45:575:21
2611.45:585:21
2711.45:585:22
2811.45:595:22
2911.45:595:23
3011.45:595:23
3111.46:005:24

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.09 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.65 kWh/m² to a high of 5.86 kWh/m² in March across the year — December's 4.09 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.8Moderate
33.9Moderate
43.9Moderate
53.9Moderate
63.9Moderate
73.9Moderate
83.9Moderate
94.0Moderate
104.0Moderate
114.0Moderate
124.0Bright
134.0Bright
144.0Bright
154.0Bright
164.1Bright
174.1Bright
184.1Bright
194.1Bright
204.1Bright
214.2Bright
224.2Bright
234.2Bright
244.2Bright
254.2Bright
264.2Bright
274.3Bright
284.3Bright
294.3Bright
304.3Bright
314.3Bright
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit La Fortuna?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

4.9
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
4.6
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit La Fortuna for sightseeing.

What to pack for La Fortuna in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, La Fortuna sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 20°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes. About 22 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothes

Sea temperature near La Fortuna in December

The nearest coast averages about 28°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

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.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct28Tropical
Nov28Warm
Dec28Tropical

UV index in La Fortuna in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 17UV 14Dec 16UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec10Very high

Air quality in La Fortuna in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual 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).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMay 1623 µg/m³Jan 1210 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb11Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr21Moderate
May23Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul22Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep18Moderate
Oct15Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

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.

MonteverdeQuesadaSan_Ramon_CañasEsparzaChacaritaPuntarenasEl Castillo

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.

3 km
281 m
16 km
1,738 m
80 km
2,891 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
December weather nearby: Monteverde 26 km · Quesada 28 km · San_Ramon_ 47 km · Cañas 50 km · Esparza 53 km · Chacarita 56 km · Puntarenas 59 km · El Castillo 67 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
Roman Catholic 48%none 27%Evangelical and Pentecostal 20%other 3%

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).