The temperature in Costa Rica is generally moderate, and depends more on altitude than time of year.  One day we were sunburned and sweating on the shores of Playa Hermosa in the morning, and later that evening bundled up in fleece and boots by a fireplace in Monteverde.  (Keep in mind that  Costa Rica is close to the equator when you are basking in the sun on the beautiful beaches).  You can usually count on the weather being cooler in the mountains than at sea level.  

The warmest months are usually in the springtime- March, April, and May.  The coolest time of year is generally November through January.

Rising up between the Atlantic and the Pacific as a land bridge between North and South America, Costa Rica lies in a region unique in the world:  No other area is both between two oceans and between two continents.  National parks protect about 12% of the land.  Including various other reserves and parks, almost  27% of its territory is protected.  With a population of approximately three million people, Costa Rica is bordered by Nicaragua on the north and Panama on the south.

This small country covers less than three ten-thousandths of the earth's surface, yet  is home to five percent of all the plant and animal species known to exist.  Species are still being discovered in the country's rich mix of tropical habitats.  Sadly, many species are being lost which have not even been identified.  Plants are gone whose medicinal values might have been important.  

Howler monkeys, giant blue morpho butterflies, sloths, iguanas, toucans, exotic frogs,  crocodiles, and hummingbirds are just some of the wildlife that we saw in our travels. (We never saw a snake).  We'll never forget waking up wide eyed  in the early morning hours to the "roar" of howler monkeys and wondering what kind of creature was outside our door.