Manuel Antonio weather in January

In January, Manuel Antonio sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 216 mm of rain across 26.4 wet days and about 11.5 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in January, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 30 min at the start of January to 11 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Manuel Antonio's 3rd-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Manuel Antonio's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
9th warmest
Overnight low
23°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
216 mm
26.4 wet days
Daylight
11 h 30 min
6:01 AM – 5:31 PM
Cloud cover
53%
3rd clearest
Wind
5 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.22 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.3
out of 10

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical January day in Manuel Antonio reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12723
22723
32723
42723
52723
62723
72723
82723
92723
102723
112723
122723
132723
142723
152723
162723
172723
182723
192723
202723
212723
222723
232723
242723
252723
262723
272723
282723
292723
302723
312723

Manuel Antonio weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 9th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 23°21626.411.54.3
Feb27° / 23°12521.111.74.8
Mar28° / 24°13124.511.94.5
Apr27° / 24°34228.312.23.6
May27° / 24°80530.912.43.2
Jun27° / 24°81929.912.53.2
Jul27° / 23°9063112.53.2
Aug27° / 23°9583112.33.2
Sep27° / 23°80529.912.13.2
Oct26° / 23°96330.911.83.2
Nov26° / 23°8983011.63.3
Dec27° / 23°49129.711.53.7

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 34% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 35%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25347
35347
45545
55545
65644
75743
85743
95941
105941
116040
126040
136139
146238
156337
166337
176535
186634
196733
206832
216931
227129
237129
247327
257426
267525
277624
287723
297723
307822
317822

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Manuel Antonio gets around 216 mm of rain over 26.4 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 85% and peaks near 91% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
191
291
390
490
590
689
789
889
988
1088
1187
1287
1386
1486
1585
1685
1784
1884
1983
2083
2183
2282
2382
2482
2582
2682
2781
2881
2981
3080
3180

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the oppressive band about 95% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
12971
22971
32971
42971
52971
62971
72971
83961
93961
103961
113961
123961
133961
143961
153961
163961
173961
183961
194951
204951
214951
224951
234951
245941
255941
265941
276931
286931
296931
306931
316931

Wind in January

Winds average 5 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 5 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 min at the start of January to 11 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 5:56 AM to 6:02 AM, and sunset from 5:24 PM to 5:38 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.55:565:24
211.55:565:24
311.55:575:25
411.55:575:25
511.55:585:26
611.55:585:26
711.55:585:27
811.55:595:27
911.55:595:28
1011.55:595:28
1111.55:595:29
1211.56:005:29
1311.56:005:30
1411.56:005:30
1511.56:015:31
1611.56:015:31
1711.56:015:32
1811.56:015:32
1911.56:015:33
2011.56:025:33
2111.56:025:33
2211.56:025:34
2311.56:025:34
2411.56:025:35
2511.66:025:35
2611.66:025:36
2711.66:025:36
2811.66:025:36
2911.66:025:37
3011.66:025:37
3111.66:025:38

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.22 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.79 kWh/m² to a high of 6.26 kWh/m² in March across the year — January's 5.22 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.9Bright
24.9Bright
34.9Bright
45.0Bright
55.0Bright
65.0Bright
75.0Bright
85.0Bright
95.1Bright
105.1Bright
115.1Bright
125.1Bright
135.1Bright
145.2Bright
155.2Bright
165.2Bright
175.2Bright
185.3Bright
195.3Bright
205.3Bright
215.3Bright
225.4Bright
235.4Bright
245.4Bright
255.5Bright
265.5Bright
275.5Bright
285.5Bright
295.6Bright
305.6Bright
315.6Bright
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Manuel Antonio?

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

4.3
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
4.3
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Manuel Antonio for sightseeing.

What to pack for Manuel Antonio in January

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

In January, Manuel Antonio sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 23°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 26 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Manuel Antonio in January

The nearest coast averages about 29°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in March at about 30°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°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar30Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct28Tropical
Nov28Warm
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Manuel Antonio in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Manuel Antonio peaks around March 16 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 10 (extreme).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 16UV 15Dec 16UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May14Extreme
Jun14Extreme
Jul13Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec10Extreme

Air quality in Manuel Antonio in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Manuel Antonio is worst in May — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (January, 9 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMay 1718 µg/m³Jan 149 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb10Good
Mar11Good
Apr17Moderate
May19Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct14Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Manuel Antonio?

Manuel Antonio sits at 9.4°N, 84.2°W, 0 m above sea level, in Costa Rica. The nearest listed city is Tejar, 38 km away.

TejarSan Rafael AbajoSan IsidroAserríSan MiguelSan Rafael ArribaSan Juan de DiosPatarrá

Topography around Manuel Antonio

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Manuel Antonio.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Manuel Antonio has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 195 m around an average of 40 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 821 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,764 m.

The land around Manuel Antonio is covered by trees (58%) and water (36%) within 3 km, water (52%) and trees (39%) within 16 km, and trees (52%) and water (36%) within 80 km.

3 km
195 m
16 km
821 m
80 km
3,764 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
January weather nearby: Tejar 38 km · San Rafael Abajo 49 km · San Isidro 51 km · Aserrí 51 km · San Miguel 52 km · San Rafael Arriba 53 km · San Juan de Dios 53 km · Patarrá 54 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 Manuel Antonio (9.4087°, -84.1558°, 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).