Puerto Viejo weather in December

In December, Puerto Viejo sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 480 mm of rain across 26.4 wet days and about 11.4 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 3rd-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 29% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 30 min at the start of December to 11 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Puerto Viejo's 4th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Puerto Viejo's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
11th warmest
Overnight low
25°
4th coldest
Rainfall
480 mm
26.4 wet days
Daylight
11 h 24 min
5:44 AM – 5:10 PM
Cloud cover
61%
4th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
3.99 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.2
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

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

A typical December day in Puerto Viejo reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs on par with November and on par with January.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12725
22725
32725
42725
52725
62725
72725
82725
92725
102725
112725
122725
132725
142725
152725
162725
172725
182725
192725
202725
212725
222725
232725
242725
252725
262725
272725
282725
292725
302725
312725

Puerto Viejo weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 24°30121.911.55.0
Feb27° / 24°18418.411.75.3
Mar27° / 25°15819.211.95.3
Apr28° / 25°20621.212.24.6
May28° / 26°3882712.43.7
Jun28° / 26°44628.312.63.3
Jul28° / 25°58130.312.53.3
Aug28° / 26°4152912.33.4
Sep28° / 26°27327.212.13.5
Oct28° / 26°3222811.83.6
Nov27° / 25°58127.411.63.7
Dec27° / 25°48026.411.44.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 52%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13466
23763
33763
43763
53862
63961
74060
84060
94159
104258
114258
124456
134555
144555
154753
164852
174951
185050
195149
205347
215446
225446
235545
245644
255644
265743
275743
285743
295743
305743
315743

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Puerto Viejo gets around 480 mm of rain over 26.4 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 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
888
988
1087
1187
1286
1386
1485
1585
1684
1784
1883
1983
2083
2183
2282
2382
2482
2582
2682
2782
2882
2981
3081
3180

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the oppressive band about 91% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
14951
24951
35941
45941
55941
65941
75941
86931
96931
106931
116931
127921
137921
147921
158920
168920
179910
189910
199910
2010900
2110900
2211890
2311890
2412880
2513870
2613870
2714860
2814860
2915850
3015850
3116840

Wind in December

Winds average 10 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 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 shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:36 AM to 5:51 AM, and sunset from 5:05 PM to 5:17 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.55:365:05
211.55:375:05
311.55:375:06
411.55:385:06
511.55:385:06
611.55:395:07
711.55:395:07
811.55:405:07
911.55:405:08
1011.45:415:08
1111.45:415:08
1211.45:425:09
1311.45:435:09
1411.45:435:10
1511.45:445:10
1611.45:445:10
1711.45:445:11
1811.45:455:11
1911.45:455:12
2011.45:465:12
2111.45:465:13
2211.45:475:13
2311.45:475:14
2411.45:485:14
2511.45:485:15
2611.45:495:15
2711.45:495:15
2811.45:505:16
2911.45:505:16
3011.45:505:17
3111.45:515:17

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.99 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.73 kWh/m² to a high of 5.6 kWh/m² in March across the year — December's 3.99 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.8Moderate
33.8Moderate
43.8Moderate
53.9Moderate
63.9Moderate
73.9Moderate
83.9Moderate
93.9Moderate
103.9Moderate
113.9Moderate
123.9Moderate
133.9Moderate
143.9Moderate
153.9Moderate
163.9Moderate
174.0Moderate
184.0Moderate
194.0Moderate
204.0Bright
214.0Bright
224.0Bright
234.1Bright
244.1Bright
254.1Bright
264.1Bright
274.1Bright
284.2Bright
294.2Bright
304.2Bright
314.2Bright
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Puerto Viejo?

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

4.2
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
4.2
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Puerto Viejo for sightseeing.

What to pack for Puerto Viejo in December

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

In December, Puerto Viejo sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 25°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes. About 26 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothes

Sea temperature near Puerto Viejo 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 15 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in January near 27°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
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar28Warm
Apr28Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul28Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov28Tropical
Dec28Warm

UV index in Puerto Viejo 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 Puerto Viejo peaks around March 19 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 19UV 14Dec 16UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec10Very high

Air quality in Puerto Viejo 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 Puerto Viejo is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.8× the cleanest month (November, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1418 µg/m³Nov 226 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar9Good
Apr13Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct10Good
Nov6Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Puerto Viejo?

Puerto Viejo sits at 9.7°N, 82.8°W, 0 m above sea level, in Costa Rica. The nearest listed city is Changuinola, 36 km away.

ChanguinolaPuerto LimónSiquirresBoqueteTurrialbaSan IsidroParaíso

Topography around Puerto Viejo

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Puerto Viejo has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 206 m around an average of 29 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 884 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,593 m.

The land around Puerto Viejo is covered by water (52%) and trees (46%) within 3 km, trees (54%) and water (43%) within 16 km, and trees (63%) and water (35%) within 80 km.

3 km
206 m
16 km
884 m
80 km
3,593 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Changuinola 36 km · Puerto Limón 48 km · Bocas del Toro 66 km · Siquirres 96 km · Boquete 103 km · Turrialba 105 km · San Isidro 108 km · Paraíso 124 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 Puerto Viejo (9.6569°, -82.7545°, 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).