Warmest sea in Costa Rica in December

54 coastal locations in Costa Rica ranked by their typical December sea temperature. Region-wide average in December: 28.2°C. The top of the list is where to find the warmest swimming this month.

Warmest in December

Pavones

28.9°C December mean in Costa Rica

Regional December average

28.2°C

across all 54 coastal locations in Costa Rica

Vs annual mean

-0.6°C

below the year-round regional average

What the Costa Rica sea feels like in December

This water temperature is comparable to that of a swimming pool, but it might be higher than most open water swimmers prefer for serious swimming. Make sure to drink plenty of water before and after swimming and don't wear a wetsuit to avoid overheating.

Costa Rica monthly average 28.1°C to 29.5°C

Warmest month May 29.5°C
Coldest month February 28.1°C
Annual mean 28.8°C
Months above 20°C 12 of 12

Where December fits in the year

December sits inside the regional pattern shown on the left. Pick a different month to see how the ranking shifts.

All twelve Costa Rica month rankings:

Costa Rica sea temperature map (live)

The map shows today's latest reading at every Costa Rica location. The list below is based on the typical December mean, useful for trip planning weeks or months ahead.

Zoom in to see individual locations. Click a pin for water temperatures. View list →

°C -2 0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 24 27 30 35

Top 50 warmest Costa Rica locations in December

Sorted by the typical December mean built from a decade of daily readings at each location. Click any place for its 30-day chart, monthly profile, and full 10-year history.

#	Location	Country	December mean
1	Pavones	Costa Rica	28.9°C
2	Golfito	Costa Rica	28.8°C
3	Ojochal	Costa Rica	28.8°C
4	Uvita	Costa Rica	28.8°C
5	Dominical	Costa Rica	28.7°C
6	Cano Island	Costa Rica	28.6°C
7	San Jose	Costa Rica	28.6°C
8	Manuel Antonio	Costa Rica	28.6°C
9	Puerto Quepos	Costa Rica	28.6°C
10	Quepos	Costa Rica	28.6°C
11	Nandayure	Costa Rica	28.6°C
12	Playa Carrillo	Costa Rica	28.6°C
13	Punta Islita	Costa Rica	28.6°C
14	Chacarita	Costa Rica	28.5°C
15	Mal Pais	Costa Rica	28.5°C
16	Montezuma	Costa Rica	28.5°C
17	Playa Santa Teresa	Costa Rica	28.5°C
18	Puntarenas	Costa Rica	28.5°C
19	Nosara	Costa Rica	28.5°C
20	Samara	Costa Rica	28.5°C
21	Jaco	Costa Rica	28.5°C
22	Los Pargos	Costa Rica	28.2°C
23	Marbella	Costa Rica	28.2°C
24	Playa Avellana	Costa Rica	28.2°C
25	Playa Azul	Costa Rica	28.2°C

Show 25 more ▸

26	Playa Mansita	Costa Rica	28.2°C
27	Playa Negra	Costa Rica	28.2°C
28	Puerto Limon Limón	Costa Rica	28.1°C
29	Punta Uva	Costa Rica	28.1°C
30	Cahuita	Costa Rica	28.1°C
31	Puerto Viejo	Costa Rica	28.1°C
32	Playa Bonita	Costa Rica	28.1°C
33	Limon	Costa Rica	28.0°C
34	Tortuguero	Costa Rica	28.0°C
35	Brasilito	Costa Rica	27.8°C
36	Catalina Island	Costa Rica	27.8°C
37	Palm Beach Estates	Costa Rica	27.8°C
38	Playa Carbon	Costa Rica	27.8°C
39	Playa Conchal	Costa Rica	27.8°C
40	Playa Del Coco	Costa Rica	27.8°C
41	Playa Flamingo	Costa Rica	27.8°C
42	Playa Grande	Costa Rica	27.8°C
43	Playa Hermosa	Costa Rica	27.8°C
44	Playa Langosta	Costa Rica	27.8°C
45	Playa Mina	Costa Rica	27.8°C
46	Playa Nombre de Jesus	Costa Rica	27.8°C
47	Playa Real y Roble	Costa Rica	27.8°C
48	Playa Ventanas	Costa Rica	27.8°C
49	Potrero	Costa Rica	27.8°C
50	Tamarindo Beach	Costa Rica	27.8°C

Coldest 10 in Costa Rica in December

Same data the other way. Helpful if you want to know which Costa Rica coasts to avoid for swimming in December.

#	Location	Country	December mean
1	Papagayo	Costa Rica	27.4°C
2	Cocos Island	Costa Rica	27.7°C
3	Guanacaste	Costa Rica	27.7°C
4	Liberia	Costa Rica	27.7°C
5	Brasilito	Costa Rica	27.8°C
6	Catalina Island	Costa Rica	27.8°C
7	Palm Beach Estates	Costa Rica	27.8°C
8	Playa Carbon	Costa Rica	27.8°C
9	Playa Conchal	Costa Rica	27.8°C
10	Playa Del Coco	Costa Rica	27.8°C