Costa Rica Packing List: What We Used & What to Skip

So, your itinerary is finalized, your flights are booked, your hotel reservations are made, and you’ve picked out which tours you plan to do. Now comes the question, what do I pack for a trip to Costa Rica?!

Many trips to Costa Rica include some beach time, a few adventure activities such as ziplining and hiking, plus dinners in the evenings. Even in the dry season, there’s the chance you’ll get caught in a rain shower or two. Plus, you’ll need sunblock, sunscreen, your passport, and some sort of camera, to capture all of the fun you are having (and those cute sloths in the trees).

We traveled in late February and early March, which is peak dry season, so we had the advantage of mostly sunny skies. Even so, we still came prepared for rain, mosquitoes, and a lot of time outdoors, and a few things we packed turned out to be completely unnecessary.

Below is our complete Costa Rica packing list: exactly what we brought, what actually got used, and, just as importantly, what you can confidently leave at home.

Costa Rica Packing List: At a Glance

For most Costa Rica trips, pack lightweight, quick-drying clothing, a swimsuit, sturdy walking shoes or hiking sandals, insect repellent, reef-safe sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, a reusable water bottle, and a light rain jacket. If you are visiting Monteverde, Poás, or other higher-elevation areas, add long pants and a light jacket. For beach days, waterfalls, kayaking, or rainy-season travel, bring a dry bag or waterproof phone case.

The Weather in Costa Rica

Before we get into what clothing to pack, here is an overview of the weather.

The weather is generally warm and humid all year, but this can vary somewhat by location and by season. In many places throughout the year, shorts and a short-sleeved shirt are sufficient during the day, and on cooler nights, you may need a light jacket.

If you will be spending some time up in the mountains, such as Monteverde or Poas Volcano, temperatures can be much cooler here, cool enough that long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and even a lightweight jacket should make it into your suitcase.

The rainy season (May through November) also tends to be cooler. During this time period, a rain jacket is essential, as are dry bags, a waterproof cover for your backpack, and mosquito repellent.

The hottest months are usually March and April.

PRO TRAVEL TIP: We use the website Weather Spark to get weather averages for places we plan to travel to. It has graphs on high and low temperatures, rainfall, cloud cover, the UV index, and more. Plug in the places you plan to visit, and the month you will be traveling, to get an idea of what to expect.

Manuel Antonio Beach

What to Wear in Costa Rica

Clothing

Our visit was from the end of February into early March, which is during the dry season. For the most part, Tim and I wore shorts and T-shirts the majority of the time.

It was warm in the mornings and evenings and hot during the daytime, so we never needed a jacket or long pants, with the exception being Monteverde. Even here, it was warm enough that we wore shorts and a T-shirt during the day, changing into long pants in the evenings, plus a jacket. However, if you have plans to visit Monteverde, pack a pair of long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. It can get much cooler than the temperatures we experienced.

Ziplining in Monteverde

We primarily wore hiking shorts and lightweight, moisture-wicking short-sleeved shirts. We each packed one pair of long hiking pants, one lightweight jacket, and two swimsuits.

In the evenings, we had some nice dinners planned. Tim wore shorts or long pants with a collared shirt, and I wore either a casual dress or a long skirt with a short-sleeved shirt. Even the nicer restaurants are somewhat casual, so you do not have to bring anything too fancy.

As far as how much of everything to pack, that really depends on how many days you will be in Costa Rica. In general, for trips lasting less than two weeks, we pack enough clothing, socks, and under wear for the entire trip. For any trip longer than two weeks, we either wash clothes in the sink or send a few things out to the hotel’s laundry service.

What Julie Packed

• 10 moisture-wicking T-shirts (Prana, Lululemon, Under Armor, Athleta — anything lightweight and quick-dry)
• 3 pairs of hiking shorts (Prana is our go-to brand)
• 1 pair of long hiking pants (for cooler evenings in Monteverde and any early-morning hikes)
• 1 lightweight jacket (we’re Arc’teryx fans, but any packable layer works)
• 2 swimsuits
• 2 casual evening outfits — I brought one casual dress and one long skirt paired with a short-sleeved shirt, and wore these multiple times. Even the nicer restaurants in Costa Rica are relaxed, so nothing fancy is needed.
• 14 pairs of underwear + socks

What Tim Packed

• 10 moisture-wicking T-shirts (Prana, Vuori, Lululemon)
• 3 pairs of hiking shorts
• 1 pair of long hiking pants
• 1 lightweight jacket
• 2 swimsuits
• 2 collared shirts for evenings — Tim wore these with either shorts or his long pants for nicer dinners
• 14 pairs of underwear + socks

A Few Notes on Clothing

Fabric matters more than you’d think. Cotton holds moisture and takes forever to dry in Costa Rica’s humidity. Stick to synthetic, moisture-wicking fabrics — you’ll be far more comfortable during outdoor activities, and clothes dry overnight if needed.

Don’t overpack for evenings. We had some lovely dinners in Manuel Antonio and La Fortuna, but the dress code everywhere was casual. One or two nicer options is plenty.

Skip the heavy layers. Even in Monteverde, we never needed a fleece or heavy sweater. A single lightweight jacket was sufficient for the coolest evenings we experienced.

Best Shoes for Costa Rica

Hiking Shoes OR Walking Shoes: For hiking, walking the hanging the bridges, doing guided wildlife walks in Manuel Antonio, ziplining, and related activities, running or walking shoes are sufficient. We brought along hiking shoes, which were helpful on more rugged trails, such as Rainmaker Park, but for the most part, you can get by with a good pair of running or walking shoes. However, if you are here in the rainy season, waterproof hiking shoes will help keep your feet dry. Tim wears Merrell waterproof hiking shoes and I wear Salomon waterproof hiking shoes.

Closed-Toe Sandals: Tim and I both wore Keen hiking sandals when we went canyoning and kayaking. If you really wanted to pack light, these could also be your main walking shoes in Costa Rica. When we traveled around the world, I wore Keen hiking sandals about 75% of the time.

Sandals: I brought along a pair of dressy sandals for going out to dinner at night.

Do You Need a Rain Jacket in Costa Rica?

Even during the dry season, rain showers are likely. During our trip, we experienced a few, brief showers, but nothing that affected any of our plans. We brought along rain jackets but fortunately never needed to use them. Even so, I wouldn’t leave this one off a packing list. And if your visit is during the rainy season, a good rain jacket is a must.

Our go-to brand is Arc’teryx.

Canyoning in La Fortuna

Sun, Bugs & Health Essentials

Insect Repellent

Mosquitoes are out and about all year in Costa Rica. They aren’t too bad during the dry season, but during the rainy season, locals told us that the mosquitoes get much worse. They are also more prevalent by the coast than in central Costa Rica.

Dengue fever is becoming more and more prevalent in Costa Rica. It is also possible to get Zika virus from a mosquito. I had dengue fever in 2014, getting it while traveling through India on our trip around the world. My symptoms were relatively mild, but the second time a person gets dengue fever, the illness can be much worse, even life threatening.

Leading up to our trip, I did a lot of research on dengue fever in Costa Rica (it’s more common to get it from August through December) and the best insect repellents to use.

What We Used: I primarily used Sawyer Premium Insect Repellent with 20% picaridin lotion. In the morning, I would apply it to my skin, and as long as I did not get in the water, it lasts 14 hours. I would apply it again in the evening, since most of the restaurants we dined at had outdoor seating. It went on great, it’s not sticky, it doesn’t smell weird, and it doesn’t melt or damage plastic (like DEET). I never got any mosquito bites (yay!!) and this is now my go-to insect repellent.

Sunscreen

Costa Rica is located near the equator, so the UV index is very high, even on days that are cloudy. Bring one to two bottles of sunscreen with you, more if you are traveling with kids. If you have plans to go snorkeling or go swimming at the beach, ideally pack reef safe sunscreen.

Our #1 recommendation is La Roche Posay Anthelios Tinted Sunscreen SPF 40+ Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide sunscreen. It comes in several different shades so you get the benefits of mineral sunscreen without leaving a white cast to your skin. According to the official website, it is reef safe.

Our favorite sunscreen is ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica Zinc Oxide Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+. We have been using it for several years, and since we do triathlons, spend a lot of time outside swimming, biking, and running. This is a mineral-based, reef safe sunscreen that absorbs well into your skin, but it does give a hint of whiteness (from the zinc oxide). It’s very pricey but it works very well.

Thrive Reef Safe Sunscreen SPF50 is a reef safe mineral sunscreen that is much more affordable. They also make a mineral face sunscreen that is SPF 30.

If you want a great mineral face sunscreen that doesn’t turn your skin white, I use both EltaMD Tinted Face Sunscreen SPF46 and Colorescience Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF 50, which has several shades for a range of skin tones.

Costa Rica Travel Guide: How to Plan a Trip to Costa Rica

Camera Gear & Wildlife Photography

Photographing the wildlife was one of the things I was most excited for in Costa Rica. We travel with high end camera equipment, in order to take high quality photos for this website.

For shooting waterfalls, we also brought along polarizing and neutral density filters, plus a tripod. For several years we have been using the Peak Design Travel Tripod and love it. It’s quick and easy to set up, lightweight, but also very sturdy.

On ziplining and canyoning tours, we took photos with our iPhones. We put our phones in this waterproof iPhone case, which has cross body strap to keep it secure.

We have a detailed guide about the camera equipment we use when we travel, it you want to see the assortment of cameras, lenses, and accessories we use while traveling.

Photography Gear Guide

Travel Photography Gear Guide: What’s In Our Camera Bag

Daypacks & Dry Bags

When out hiking, taking a guided wildlife walk, or visiting a beach, we took one daypack with us, Tim’s Camelback Fourteener 24. Just in case it rained, we also carried a waterproof backpack cover, which is light and compresses down into a small ball.

A dry bag is a good idea if you will be kayaking or visiting Costa Rica in the rainy season and want to keep gear dry. We use this dry bag to keep our camera dry, plus it can clip onto the outside of a backpack.

Travel Documents, Money & Electronics

Passport: This is necessary to enter Costa Rica. Some national park tickets are linked to your passport, so you may also have to bring your passport with you to enter these parks. We also carried a photocopy of our passport.

Driver’s License: If you have plans to rent a car, you must bring your official driver’s license.

Return Ticket or Proof of Onward Travel: In order to enter Costa Rica, you must have a return flight ticket or some sort of proof of onward travel. When going through Immigrations, the officer may ask to see your return flight ticket.

Credit Cards: We primarily used credit cards for payment.

Cash: In Costa Rica, both US dollars and the colón (the official currency) are widely accepted. In fact, ATMs dispense both colones and US dollars. Tim withdrew colones from an ATM at the airport, so we had both colones and US dollars on us, which we used for tips and for instances when credit cards were not accepted. 

Adaptors & Power Strips

Costa Rica uses type A (two prong) and type B (three prong) power outlets, which are a 110 volt system, the same as the United States and Canada. If you are traveling to Costa Rica from one of these two countries, you will not need a converter or adaptor.

If you will be traveling to Costa Rica from other countries, you will need to pack adaptors and possibly a converter.

We always pack a power strip, for those situations when hotel rooms have fewer outlets than what we need.

Travel Accessories

Here are a few more important things to pack for Costa Rica:

• Sunglasses
• Reusable, insulated water bottle: Many national parks do not allow single use plastic bottles. An insulated water bottle keeps water cold and can be used multiple times, so it is much better for the environment. We are big fans of Hydroflask.
• Toiletries
• Any medications you take
• Dramamine (if you are prone to motion sickness)
• Binoculars
• Charging cord (to connect your phone to your rental car)
• Carbon monoxide detector
• Travel hair dryer
• Laundry bag
• Costa Rica Wildlife Guide (I bought this while in Costa Rica but you can purchase it in advance on Amazon; this handy guide has drawings of the most common wildlife you will see in the country; it is useful while you are in Costa Rica, but also going through your photos once home)

Everything You Need to Pack for Costa Rica

What NOT to Pack for Costa Rica

Packing light in Costa Rica is genuinely achievable, but only if you know what to leave behind. Here’s what we’d skip:

• Heavy denim or thick cotton clothing. Cotton absorbs moisture and barely dries in Costa Rica’s humidity, making it uncomfortable and impractical. Denim jeans in particular are miserable in the heat. Stick to lightweight, synthetic fabrics and leave the denim at home.
• Formal or dressy clothing. Costa Rica is casual, even at its nicest restaurants. We had lovely dinners in Manuel Antonio and La Fortuna and never felt underdressed in shorts or a casual dress. A collared shirt or a simple dress is all you need.
• Multiple pairs of regular sandals or flip flops. One pair of casual sandals for evenings is sufficient. For everything else, including hiking, water activities, walking around town, closed-toe shoes or hiking sandals are far more practical and versatile.
• Non-reef-safe sunscreen. This isn’t just an environmental consideration. Many tour operators and national parks in Costa Rica actively discourage or prohibit chemical sunscreens. Pack mineral sunscreen and leave the oxybenzone-based products at home.
• Expensive or sentimental jewelry. You won’t wear it. Between the heat, the outdoor activities, and the humidity, jewelry stays in the bag or gets left behind entirely. Keep it simple.
• A bulky first aid kit. Pharmacies are easy to find throughout Costa Rica, and most hotels can help you track down anything you need. A small kit with the basics, including bandaids, blister pads, pain reliever, antidiarrheal medication, is plenty.
• Too many shoes. Three pairs covers everything: hiking shoes or trail runners, closed-toe sandals for water activities, and casual sandals for evenings. More than that is just dead weight in your bag.

For a broader look at what to expect on your first trip, our Costa Rica travel tips covers the things we wish we’d known before we went.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a rain jacket in Costa Rica during the dry season?

Yes, even during the dry season (December through April), brief afternoon rain showers are common in certain parts of Costa Rica. We traveled in late February and early March and experienced a few short showers, though nothing that disrupted our plans. A lightweight, packable rain jacket takes up minimal space and is worth having regardless of the season.

What is the best insect repellent for Costa Rica?

We recommend picaridin-based repellents over DEET for Costa Rica. Picaridin works just as well against mosquitoes, lasts up to 14 hours, doesn’t damage plastic or sunglasses, and has no strong chemical smell. We used Sawyer Premium with 20% picaridin during our trip and had zero mosquito bites. If you’re visiting during the rainy season or have had dengue fever before, also consider treating your clothing with permethrin spray.

Is reef-safe sunscreen required in Costa Rica?

Reef-safe sunscreen is not legally required throughout Costa Rica, but it is strongly encouraged, and in some protected marine areas, it may be required. Costa Rica has made significant environmental commitments, and many tour operators and national parks ask visitors to use reef-safe products. We recommend mineral sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, both of which are considered reef safe.

Do I need a power adapter for Costa Rica?

Travelers from the United States and Canada do not need a power adapter for Costa Rica. The country uses the same Type A and Type B outlets (two and three-prong) and the same 110-volt system as the US and Canada. If you’re arriving from Europe, the UK, or Australia, you will need a universal adapter.

How much cash should I bring to Costa Rica?

You don’t need to bring a large amount of cash from home. ATMs are widely available throughout Costa Rica and dispense both US dollars and Costa Rican colones. We recommend withdrawing a small amount of local currency at the airport ATM upon arrival for tips, small purchases, and situations where cards aren’t accepted. Credit cards are accepted at most hotels, restaurants, and tour operators.

What should I NOT pack for Costa Rica?

Leave behind heavy denim jeans, formal dress clothes, and anything you’d be upset to get muddy, wet, or sweaty. Hair straighteners and bulky styling tools are generally unnecessary given the humidity. Non-reef-safe sunscreen is best left home out of respect for the marine environment. And unless you’re visiting specific high-altitude areas, you won’t need a heavy fleece or winter layers.

Planning Your Trip to Costa Rica? Here’s Everything You Need:

Start with our Costa Rica travel guide for a full overview of the country, then use our 10-day Costa Rica itinerary to map out your time.

For each destination, we have dedicated guides to things to do in Manuel Antonio, Manuel Antonio National Park, things to do in Monteverde, and things to do in La Fortuna. If hiking to waterfalls is on your list, don’t miss our guide to the Nauyaca Waterfalls.

So, that covers our packing list for Costa Rica. If you have any questions, let us know in the comment section below.

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