As you may know, the climate in Costa Rica operates off two main seasons: the Dry Season which lasts from November to May (Costa Ricans call this “Summer”) and the Wet Season which last from May to November (know conversely as “Winter”). Costa Ricans will not mention anything about Fall or Spring, because honestly, they don’t exist. These 2 defined Seasons are very straight forward and can go from one to the other in the course of a 24 hour shift. It’s as if someone turns the rain-switch off, and the sun-switch on with the same flick if the the wrist.
But there is one, highly-unique, season that is known throughout Costa Rica as the Veranillo de San Juan (Little Summer of Saint John). After the persistent rains of May and June have transformed the country from a dusty brown into a luscious green, the rain will take a short hiatus in the month of July –give or take a week–providing Costa Rica (Guanacaste especially) with a much awaited mini-summer. The landscape is green from the past months’ downpours, but the blue skies and sun shine offers postcard views at each step of the way.
This Mini-Summer is a true blessing for surfers. Not only do we receive consistent long-period ground swells from the Southern Hemisphere’s raging Winter, but many days during the Veranillo can offer all-day offshore winds and magical conditions along the coast. Not to mention, July is not Costa Rica’s high-season so you can expect less wave-hogs in the line-up and more surf time for yourself.
This past week, we had our first peek at what the coming Veranillo could look like. We had a few days of pumping South-West swell paired with sunny skies and offshore winds! Below are photos of Tamarindo and neigboring Playa Grande.
And just as we are licking out wounds and soaking ourselves in Aloe -Vera, the next round of swell is already on its way.. Want to schedule a last minute trip? Give us a call at 1-888-318-7873 or contact us and we are positive we can find a spot for you :)
