DANCING IN THE RAIN

AUTHOR: ALEXANDRA LUTY / OSA TROPICAL PROPERTIES

Although some prefer to call the rainy season in Costa Rica the “green season,” they aren’t fooling anyone. In the South Pacific, it is green year-round. There is only one time of year which is regularly wet. The period usually between May and November is when the downpours begin almost daily around 1 pm and gush down for hours, with sporadic dry respites.

Ask anyone who has lived here for a little while, and they will tell you that the rainy season is their absolute favorite time of year. We may have moved here for the heat, but the rain now moves us.

Why do we like it?
Rainy season or not, Costa Rica’s coastal regions are hot. Even if it’s raining, we don’t need to hide inside for fear that we might freeze to the core. Getting a little wet doesn’t hurt and can be a welcome refresher.
The rainy season is when most people here actually feel invigorated by the more refreshing temperatures and get moving a little bit faster.

We are more apt to exercise when it’s not nearly 27 C at 7 am. Most tourists are scared off by the prospect of rain, even though we have almost guaranteed bright blue skies and sunshine, until at least noon, all year long.
This is the time of year that we are more likely to travel, with less traffic and better deals in hotels, tours, and shopping specials all over the country.

Welcome wildlife encounters
The majority of homes in the South Pacific are located between 200 m and 1000 m above sea level in tropical wet forests. This region needs heavy rains (between 120” and 160” annually) to nourish the lush plant life and fruiting trees that spring to life, blossoming and blooming in full force during the rainy season. These are the months when we are blessed with ripe mangos, avocados, rambutan (locally known as mamon chino), and starfruit.
A fruiting garden will bring more wildlife like sloths, squirrel monkeys, fiery-billed aracari, and toucans within sight of our doorsteps.

Defog your brain in the misty mountains of the South Pacific during the rainy season, and you’ll never look at storms the same again.
The rain is here to help us grow, too. “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass… It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
― Vivian Greene

My personal favorite thing about this natural wonderland called Osa is that it provides us with clean air, drinking water, food, jobs, a strong ecological culture, and a stable climate (you only need one wardrobe to live here!)