October is the greenest, most dramatic month in Costa Rica. The jungle around our resort is at peak vibrancy — every shade of green you can imagine, the waterfalls at their most powerful, and the wildlife at its most active. Meanwhile, the surf is excellent, the guest groups are intimate, and the evenings bring some of the most beautiful skies you’ll ever see.
If you ask our team which months they love most, October is always in the answer.
Weather
October is the deepest point of the green season. Rain is more regular than September — but it follows the same pattern: mornings are typically sunny to partly cloudy, with showers arriving in the late afternoon or evening. Around Dominical, the microclimate created by the mountains means conditions can vary dramatically within a 20-minute drive — it might be raining in Uvita and completely dry at Playa Hermosa.
Daytime temperatures sit in the low to mid-80s°F (27–30°C). The air feels fresh after the afternoon showers, and the evenings are comfortable.
Water temperature: 78°F (25–26°C). No wetsuit.
Surfing
Excellent SSW swells continue through October. Longer period energy creates powerful, well-formed waves — the kind that experienced beginners and intermediates find rewarding, and that advanced surfers genuinely enjoy. Our coaches select the best break each day based on tide, swell, and conditions — the variety of beaches within 20–30 minutes of Kalon means there’s always a good option.
One guest who visited in October wrote: “The property is so relaxing. The rooms, the meals, yoga, lounge, pool — it was all there for your use. More than anything, the best part of Kalon is the people.”
Another October visitor: “I’ve heard the perfect vacation doesn’t exist. Kalon not only challenges that thought but buries it. Literally, the entire week was perfect.”
At Kalon Surf, October weeks often have smaller guest groups — sometimes as few as 6–8 people — which means more waves per person, more personalized coaching, and a particularly close-knit community at the dinner table.
What to know
October is quieter than most months — guest groups are often smaller, which means more personalized coaching, more waves per person, and a particularly close-knit community at the dinner table. Flights tend to be less expensive than the December–March peak, and availability is generally easier to secure.
But the real draw isn’t logistics — it’s the experience. The evening storms that roll in over the Pacific are genuinely beautiful. Not every night, but when they come, watching the lightning from the dinner table while the jungle glows green around you is something guests talk about for years. The water is warm and fantastic. The surf is consistent. And October around Dominical doesn’t feel the way “rainy season” sounds — Costa Rica’s microclimates mean that inland areas and the northern coast may get more consistent rain, but our stretch of the south Pacific coast behaves differently. Sunny mornings, dramatic evenings, and excellent conditions in between.
Beyond surfing
Whale watching is still active — both southern and northern hemisphere humpback populations overlap briefly in late October, making it one of the few places in the world where you might see whales from both hemispheres in the same season.
The jungle trails around the resort are at their most alive. Waterfall hikes are spectacular. The morning birdwatching from the breakfast table — toucans, scarlet macaws, howler monkeys — is at its best.
For the full month-by-month breakdown, see our complete seasonal guide to surfing in Costa Rica.
