What are the best things to do in Arenal when it’s raining?

I freaked out a little when I saw the forecast and saw that it changed from sunny and 90 degrees every day to rainy and 69 degrees every day.

But I was wrong to worry and most likely you will be fine as well.  In Arenal, the weather predictions are extremely inaccurate.  They might show rain all day and most likely you will get a few hours max of rain.  It is the rainforest so it does rain.

June – October is the rainy season, with the climate change, our guide told us that the months with the most rain lately is now October and November.  However, historically it was September and October.

We went to Arenal in both August (rainy season) and February (dry season).  Both trips showed rain almost every day on the weather channel.  For both trips, we only had rain for part of the day and it didn’t dampen our fun.

What should you do if it rains and you have tours planned?

Most likely the tour will still be on even if it rains, most likely you will get to your tour and the sun will shine.  If it does rain, just have your raincoat handy and enjoy the tour.  Even the ziplines run in the rain.  We went down a zipline during the rain (not fabulous) and then the sun came out for the rest of our tour.  As long as there is no lightning, the show goes on.

What are the best tours in the rain?

If you can change your plans, one of the most fun things to do in the rain is to hit the hot springs like Tabacon, Ecothermal Springs or Baldi.  You are wet anyway so why not be warm and wet and see the beauty of the flora and fauna in the rain!\

Read about our take on the hot springs in Arenal – the FREE and the SPLURGE hot springs…

We also got caught in the rain on our waterfall hikes:  Rio Celeste was spectacular in the rain.  That is a long trip from Arenal.  I would just warn you to be very careful as there are many stairs for both Rio Celeste and La Fortuna Waterfall.  After the rain, you are more likely to see the frogs which is a major bonus if you have a guide to point them out.

What if you don’t want to be outside in the rain?

If you are adverse to being outside in the rain, there are tons of places at the hotels to sit on a porch and read a book or just watch the rain, it’s spectacular.  Bring cards, coloring books and games, hit the amazing spas and get a special mud treatment or a massage or plan to hit the restaurants and enjoy a cocktail or the fabulous cuisine!  Or take a day trip, get up early and find a place on the Pacific coast that is showing sunshine and take a cab! We recommend Dante’s Watersports for a day of surfing or beach hopping!