Costa Rica has 12 distinct climate zones and literally thousands of small microclimate pockets throughout the country. This is due to a variety of factors including influence from both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Elevation also plays a significant role as the terrain can go from sea level to as high as 12,000 feet in elevation in just a 30 mile span! At sea level in Dominical, temperatures average in the low to mid 90s during the day with night time lows in the upper 70s. If you go to Cerro Chirripo, at 12,000 feet in elevation, you can expect frost on many nights and even occasionally a few flakes of snow!
The aforementioned is on the extreme side of comparisons, but is a good example of the varied terrain. Much of the country is covered by mountain ranges, which average anywhere from 1,500 to 5,000 feet in elevation - sometimes more, sometimes less.
Packing is a major consideration when visiting Costa Rica as most visitors choose to visit more than one destination. If you were to go to Monteverde in the cloud forest, you could expect cooler temperatures and rainy conditions. Then if you went to Tamarindo Beach, you could expect hot and dry temperatures most of the year. Therefore you would pack warm clothing and rain gear for Monteverde and bathing suits, sandals and beachwear for Tamarindo.
With such varied terrain, one can expect narrow, windy roads, frequent landslides and substantial elevation gains and losses when driving. Dramamine is always a good idea if you tend to become motion sick.
All in all, Costa Rica is an amazingly diverse country with ever changing climate, drastic elevation changes and spectacular scenery.
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