Nicoya weather in August

In August, Nicoya sees average daytime highs of 31°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 257 mm of rain across 24.4 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 31°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% of the time in August, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 30 min at the start of August to 12 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Nicoya's 9th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Nicoya's year-round climate.

Daytime high
31°
7th warmest
Overnight low
23°
8th coldest
Rainfall
257 mm
24.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
5:36 AM – 5:56 PM
Cloud cover
86%
9th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.99 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.8
out of 10

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 31°C through the month.

A typical August day in Nicoya reaches about 31°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 33°C. Set against its neighbours, August runs on par with July and on par with September.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13123
23123
33123
43123
53123
63123
73123
83123
93123
103123
113123
123123
133123
143123
153123
163123
173123
183123
193123
203123
213123
223123
233123
243123
253123
263123
273123
283123
293123
303123
313123

How August really feels in Nicoya

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 31 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
31
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in August is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Nicoya weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 7th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan33° / 22°61.311.54.6
Feb34° / 23°71.911.73.9
Mar35° / 23°7211.93.1
Apr36° / 24°38712.22.2
May33° / 24°25120.512.52.4
Jun31° / 23°31926.212.62.6
Jul31° / 23°22622.412.53.0
Aug31° / 23°25724.412.32.8
Sep31° / 23°34728.112.12.5
Oct30° / 23°3592811.82.8
Nov30° / 22°14315.611.54.1
Dec31° / 22°213.611.45.1

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 6% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 91%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11288
21288
31288
41288
51288
61090
71090
81090
9991
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15892
16892
17892
18892
19892
20793
21793
22793
23793
24793
25793
26793
27793
28793
29793
30793
31793

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Nicoya gets around 257 mm of rain over 24.4 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 79% and peaks near 89% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
168
269
369
470
571
672
772
873
974
1075
1176
1277
1378
1479
1579
1680
1780
1881
1981
2082
2182
2283
2383
2484
2585
2686
2786
2887
2988
3089
3189

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, August lands in the oppressive band about 86% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
138512
238413
338413
438413
528513
628513
728513
818613
918613
1018613
1118712
1218712
1318811
1418811
1518811
1618910
1718910
1818910
1918910
2018910
2118811
2218811
2318712
2418712
2518613
2618613
2718514
2818514
2918415
3018415
3118316

Wind in August

Winds average 6 km/h in August.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 30 min at the start of August to 12 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 5:34 AM to 5:36 AM, and sunset from 6:01 PM to 5:48 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.55:346:01
212.45:346:01
312.45:356:01
412.45:356:01
512.45:356:00
612.45:356:00
712.45:356:00
812.45:355:59
912.45:355:59
1012.45:355:59
1112.45:355:58
1212.45:365:58
1312.45:365:57
1412.45:365:57
1512.35:365:56
1612.35:365:56
1712.35:365:56
1812.35:365:55
1912.35:365:55
2012.35:365:54
2112.35:365:54
2212.35:365:53
2312.35:365:53
2412.35:365:52
2512.35:365:51
2612.35:365:51
2712.25:365:50
2812.25:365:50
2912.25:365:49
3012.25:365:49
3112.25:365:48

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 4.99 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.24 kWh/m² to a high of 6.79 kWh/m² in March across the year — August's 4.99 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.1Bright
25.1Bright
35.1Bright
45.1Bright
55.1Bright
65.1Bright
75.0Bright
85.0Bright
95.0Bright
105.0Bright
115.0Bright
125.0Bright
135.0Bright
145.0Bright
155.0Bright
165.0Bright
175.0Bright
185.0Bright
195.0Bright
205.0Bright
215.0Bright
224.9Bright
234.9Bright
244.9Bright
254.9Bright
264.9Bright
274.9Bright
284.9Bright
294.9Bright
304.9Bright
314.9Bright
Planning a trip in August

Hazard calendar for Nicoya

In seasonPeak

In August, Nicoya sits inside its monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Nicoya's monsoon runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is August a good time to visit Nicoya?

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

2.8
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
4.2
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

August is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Nicoya.

What to pack for Nicoya in August

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

In August, Nicoya sees daytime highs around 31°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 24 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Nicoya in August

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

The sea at the nearest coast (about 32 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 Nicoya in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August 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 Nicoya peaks around March 16 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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highMar 16UV 14Dec 16UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec9Very high

Air quality in Nicoya in August

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Nicoya is worst in July — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.2× the cleanest month (December, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1619 µg/m³Dec 176 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr19Moderate
May19Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct9Good
Nov7Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Nicoya?

Nicoya sits at 10.2°N, 85.5°W, 128 m above sea level, in Costa Rica. The nearest listed city is Tamarindo, 46 km away.

TamarindoCañasLiberiaPuntarenasMonteverdeChacaritaEsparzaLa Fortuna

Topography around Nicoya

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Nicoya has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 375 m around an average of 171 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 924 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,977 m.

The land around Nicoya is covered by trees (64%) and grassland (26%) within 3 km, trees (74%) and grassland (25%) within 16 km, and trees (41%) and water (41%) within 80 km.

3 km
375 m
16 km
924 m
80 km
1,977 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
August weather nearby: Tamarindo 46 km · Cañas 50 km · Liberia 54 km · Puntarenas 70 km · Monteverde 72 km · Chacarita 76 km · Esparza 88 km · La Fortuna 95 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 Nicoya (10.1504°, -85.4509°, elevation 128 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).