Tropical Dry Forests

At first glance, some might think that “tropical” and “dry” contradict each other, but nothing is farther from the truth. The variety of Costa Rica’s ecosystems includes some notable stand-outs like the tropical dry forest. The long-established and strong dry seasons in the Guanacaste and Nicoya Peninsula areas have produced an astonishingly interesting ecosystem. Here, things develop very differently from the rest of the country.

Tropical dry forests receive less than 79 inches of rainfall per year. From late December to mid-May, the unrelenting dry season governs the northern lowland forests. Two periods of intense rain follow between May and July and then between September and October. During these times, the forest transforms.