Nicoya weather in March

In March, Nicoya sees average daytime highs of 35°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 7 mm of rain across 2 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 35°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 66% of the time in March, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 48 min at the start of March to 12 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Nicoya's 3rd-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Nicoya's year-round climate.

Daytime high
35°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
23°
9th coldest
Rainfall
7 mm
2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
5:54 AM – 5:49 PM
Cloud cover
32%
3rd clearest
Wind
14 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
6.79 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.1
out of 10

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 35°C through the month.

A typical March day in Nicoya reaches about 35°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 33°C and 37°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 1°C warmer than February and on par with April.

20°25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13423
23523
33523
43523
53523
63523
73523
83523
93523
103523
113523
123523
133523
143523
153523
163523
173523
183523
193523
203523
213523
223523
233523
243623
253623
263623
273623
283624
293624
303624
313624

How March really feels in Nicoya

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March 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 March is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Nicoya weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 2nd-warmest and 11th-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 March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 66% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 17%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18614
28614
38713
48713
58713
68713
78812
88713
98713
108713
118614
128614
138515
148416
158416
168416
178317
188218
198119
208119
218020
228020
238020
247921
257921
267921
277921
287822
297723
307624
317525

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Nicoya gets around 7 mm of rain over 2 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 7% and peaks near 12% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
15
25
35
45
55
64
74
84
94
104
115
125
135
145
156
166
176
186
197
207
217
228
238
249
259
2610
2710
2811
2911
3012
3112

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, March lands in the muggy band about 61% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 68% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1130645
2230635
3230635
4230635
5230635
6230635
7230635
8230635
9230635
10230635
11230635
12230635
13230635
14231616
15231616
16231616
17231607
18231607
19231607
20231607
21231598
22230608
23230608
24230599
25230599
26130609
271305910
281296010
291296010
301286011
311276111

Wind in March

Winds average 14 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2512light breeze
2612light breeze
2712light breeze
2812calm
2912calm
3012calm
3112calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 48 min at the start of March to 12 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 18 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:01 AM to 5:45 AM, and sunset from 5:49 PM to 5:49 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.86:015:49
211.86:015:49
311.86:005:49
411.86:005:49
511.85:595:49
611.85:595:49
711.85:585:49
811.95:585:49
911.95:575:49
1011.95:575:49
1111.95:565:49
1211.95:565:49
1311.95:555:49
1411.95:555:49
1511.95:545:49
1611.95:545:49
1711.95:535:49
1811.95:525:49
1912.05:525:49
2012.05:515:49
2112.05:515:49
2212.05:505:49
2312.05:495:49
2412.05:495:49
2512.05:485:49
2612.05:485:49
2712.05:475:49
2812.05:465:49
2912.15:465:49
3012.15:455:49
3112.15:455:49

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 6.79 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

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 — March's 6.79 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.6Intense
26.6Intense
36.6Intense
46.7Intense
56.7Intense
66.7Intense
76.7Intense
86.7Intense
96.7Intense
106.8Intense
116.8Intense
126.8Intense
136.8Intense
146.8Intense
156.8Intense
166.8Intense
176.8Intense
186.8Intense
196.8Intense
206.8Intense
216.8Intense
226.8Intense
236.8Intense
246.8Intense
256.8Intense
266.8Intense
276.8Intense
286.8Intense
296.8Intense
306.8Intense
316.8Intense
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Nicoya

In seasonPeak

None of Nicoya's seasonal hazards are active in March. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

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 March a good time to visit Nicoya?

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

3.1
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
6.7
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Nicoya. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Nicoya in March

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

In March, Nicoya sees daytime highs around 35°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Nicoya in March

The nearest coast averages about 29°C in March — 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 March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 14 (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 March

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where March 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
March 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).