Hey Sullivan13!

Thanks so much for posting your question! July is a tricky month to plan for. Although it belongs to the green/wet/rain season (typically May-December in most parts of the country), July typically experiences slightly better weather than the other green/wet/rain season months, making it a good time to visit if you aren’t able to come during the dry/summer season (January-April). On average, the northern Pacific region (i.e., Guanacaste), as you note, is the hottest and the driest, so it’s your best bet. The Caribbean coast does tend to get some nice weather during the green/wet/rain season, but that surprisingly good weather doesn’t usually hit until later in the year (September or so), so for a July vacation, I’d recommend going with the northern Pacific over the Caribbean. With respect to where you go along the northern Pacific coast (i.e., Playa Conchal over other beach destinations in the region), there’s little difference between destinations with respect to weather, so you should be fine with wherever you pick. Just stay away from Bahia Salinas (in the far north part of the northern Pacific region, by Nicaragua) because it receives a ton of wind. Note that the Nicoya Peninsula and the Central Pacific (both south of the northern Pacific region) can still be hot but tend to receive more rain than Guanacaste, so if you want it dry (although rainfall and a lack of it cannot be guaranteed), stick to Guanacaste.

Pura vida! 🙂