Not sure what to pack for Costa Rica? Here’s the gear, clothing, and must-haves we actually used—from the cloud forests to the coastline.

What to Pack for Costa Rica

If you’re planning a trip to Costa Rica, you’ve probably already seen a dozen packing lists online. Here’s the thing: most of them are too generic to be helpful. What you really need to know is — 1) where are you going, 2) when are you going, and 3) what will you be doing. That makes a HUGE difference in what to pack for Costa Rica.

We spent time in Costa Rica’s three most popular nature destinations—Manuel Antonio, La Fortuna, and Monteverde—each with its own distinct weather, elevation, and vibe. Add to that Costa Rica’s incredibly laid-back, casual culture, and you start to see why “pack light and pack smart” is the name of the game.

This isn’t a fashion-forward, beach-resort checklist. It’s a practical, experience-tested guide for nature lovers planning to hike, birdwatch, visit waterfalls, and explore national parks. And yes, we’ll cover both rainy and dry season essentials.

PLAN YOUR TRIP WITH OUR
FAVORITE TOOLS

– Best Lodging site: Booking.com
– Book Day Tours here: Viator.com
– Rent Cars here: DiscoverCars.com

What to Pack for Rainy vs. Dry Season

Rainy Season Packing Tips (May to November)

• Lightweight rain jacket – I prefer a breathable one with a hood that packs down small.
• Waterproof sandals – Great for muddy trails and quick river crossings.
• Quick-dry socks – You’ll want extra pairs when hiking in wet weather.
• Dry bags or ziplocks – Essential for keeping electronics and valuables dry.
• Travel laundry soap – Drying clothes in humidity is tough; having soap helps you rotate basics.
• Be aware that the Caribbean side of Costa Rica has a different weather pattern. There, it can rain all year long!

Dry Season Packing Tips (December to April)

• Sun protection hat – I love my wide-brimmed hat with a chin strap and ponytail hole.
• Breathable travel pants – Lightweight and quick-drying, perfect for long hikes.
• Tennis shoes or trail runners – We wore our regular tennis shoes and they worked fine for national park trails.
• Water shoes – Great for waterfalls, rocky beaches, and hot springs.
• Lightweight rain jacket – Even in the dry season, it can still rain for brief periods!

Clothing + Footwear

What We Wore in Each Region

Costa Rica is casual. Unless you’re staying at a high-end resort or plan to eat at luxury restaurants (we did not), t-shirts and shorts or simple hiking pants are just right. Comfort wins every time. We were there both times in January to early February:

• Manuel Antonio: Hot and humid. Like you go outside and your eyelids start sweating – it’s that hot! We lived in shorts, t-shirts, and sandals. And swimsuits for the beaches.
• Monteverde: Cool and damp in the morning and evening, warmer during the day. A blend of shorts, t-shirts, pants, long sleeves, and light jackets were key.
• La Fortuna: Warm, but not super hot like MA. Mostly wore shorts and t-shirts, but added long sleeves when necessary.

What we brought for clothes and shoes

• 1 pair long pants – The Baleaf long black Pants are my absolute favorite travel pants – lots of pockets, quick drying, water resistant
• 2 pair shorts – I use these linen shorts because I like the longer shape and I love having lots of pockets
• 1 long-sleeve shirt
• 1 pull-over fleece sweatshirt
• 5 short-sleeve t-shirts – Personally, I like the Amazon Essentials brand – they come in a variety of fits, colors and necklines
• 5 pair underwear
• 2 bras
• 5 pair socks
• 1 pair Tennis Shoes – Yep, just our regular sneakers. They were enough for trails in all three regions.
• 1 pair Kean’s Sandals or 1 pair Seekway water shoes – perfect for beach and whale watching, or climbing to waterfalls
• 1 Raincoat – lightweight, waterproof (not just water resistant), with hood, folds up small
• 1 Sun hat – I love mine because it folds up small and protects me from the sun. Bill wore a baseball hat much of the time.
• 1 zip-up fleece jacket – I like the Columbia Benton Springs Ii Long Hoodie – nice and warm, long enough to cover my butt and has a hood
• 1 Swimsuit – If your accommodation has a pool or you’re going to the beach.

Kari’s Travel Tip: Whenever possible, we buy clothing that dries really quickly. In Costa Rica, all of our accommodations had washing machines available, but no dryers. And with the high humidity, it took a long time for our clothes to dry.

Kari’s Travel Tip: There are quite a few activities that require closed-toed-shoes (white water rafting, ATVing, Ziplining, etc) and some parks require them. Sneakers or Keens sandals or most water shoes have closed toes. And when hiking, closed toes prevent you from getting ant or bug bites on your feet.

Kari’s Travel Tip: The goal is to “blend in” with nature and not disturb or bother the wildlife. So earthy colors like brown, khaki, green, olive and cream all work really well.

Adventure + Day Gear

• Daypack – We use a lightweight, water-resistant backpack, the Venture Pal 35L Ultralight Lightweight Foldable Backpack for carrying our cameras and hiking gear. It has lots of pockets to keep things organized and it folds up really small when not in use. It’s the same one we use at home for bird-watching and hiking.
• Waterproof phone pouch – Critical for waterfall hikes and sudden downpours. This one comes in a two-pack with a lanyard and it floats! It’s also the one I use for snorkeling to get underwater videos.
• Hiking Sticks – good for long hikes over rocky terrain
• Umbrella – it can literally rain at any moment of the day in Costa Rica.
• Sunglasses
• Flashlight – for walking back from the restaurant after dinner. Many roads outside of the cities are not well lit and there is often no sidewalk.

Cameras + Technology

Now for some fun stuff – capturing all the memories you make in Costa Rica!

Your list of what to pack for Costa Rica should include cameras and binoculars. Sometimes the animals are nice and close, otherwise, they are hundreds of feet away.

Binoculars

• Binoculars – We are lucky to have a pair of really nice Swarovski binoculars that we’ve taken all over the world. They are a big investment, but if you plan to travel more in the future, it’s something worth considering.
  
  For less expensive options, check out this pair of binoculars or this pair. REI has helpful information about choosing a pair of binoculars.

Cameras

Can’t you just use your phone to take pictures and video? Sure you can and it will probably be sufficient if all you are doing is sharing pictures with friends on social media.

But I want the power of a great zoom lens to help me capture the magical shots and closeups of birds and wildlife. Our iPhones just can’t deliver that.

• Kari’s Camera – The Canon Powershot SX70 HS is a point-and-shoot camera with a huge zoom (65x optical, 130x digital) and high photo quality (20.3 Megapixels). Almost every photo on this website was taken with it.
  
  It’s also compact and lightweight so it doesn’t take up too much room in my backpack and luggage.
  
• Bill’s Camera – The Canon 7D Camera with a 100-400mm lens and a 24-105mm lens. His camera equipment is very high quality, but it’s also very heavy to carry. And it takes up a lot of room in his suitcase. Now he only brings it when we will be shooting a ton of wildlife.

KARI’S TRAVEL TIP: Buy a camera with the best zoom you can afford. Cell phones work great for shooting scenery, but not for getting close ups of birds and sloths 100′ away.

Kari’s Travel Tip: Looking for a unique way to display all of your travel Photos? I finally did a whole Photo Wall in our condo at home. Read more about how to do that here!

Camera Accessories

When we travel for extended periods, I go down to the bare essentials and use a clear quart size Ziplock bag to carry them in – that’s my very fancy Camera Bag! Here’s what I bring:

• 8 Camera Batteries 
• Dual Battery charger 
• 128 GB SD Cards – These large capacity cards last me for 6+ months of travel, even with the thousands of photos I take.
• Card Reader – Every night, I back up all the photos off my SD card to my laptop. If my camera got stolen or damaged or fell off a cliff, I still have all my pictures.
• Lens covers and lens cloths 
• Camera Strap – The cushy padding on this camera strap makes it comfortable enough to wear for a full day of shooting. And the zippered pockets hold additional batteries.

• Rainsleeve Plastic Protector – I call this a “Raincoat” for my camera and it’s the newest addition to my camera bag. It keeps the body of the camera safe from both dust and rain, and allows me to to keep on shooting.

Computers & Media

• Kari’s Laptop – I travel with my Acer Swift 3 laptop so I can back up my photos and take notes for future blog posts. Thin and light, it doesn’t take up much room in my backpack.
• Bill’s Laptop – Bill uses his Macbook Air to check his email, watch movies and track our expenses.
• Firestick – We use the Amazon Firestick to plug into the HDMI port of the TVs at our accommodations. Then we can watch our streaming services without having to log in and out on the TV directly.
• Travel Plug Adapter Kit – We didn’t need them in Costa Rica because they use the same plugs and electrical current as the US. But we still travel with them anytime we travel internationally.
  Bill uses the Ceptics Travel Power Strip and I have the Ceptics Universal Travel Adapter Kit. Each has two electrical outlets, at least one USB port (mine has two) and 6 different international plugs.

• Power Bank – We use this portable charger mostly when we are out exploring for a whole day and our phones start to get low on battery. But the power goes out in Costa Rica occasionally so it’s nice to have for those occasions.

Airalo eSim

I always use Airalo eSims when we travel internationally because I don’t have an international plan option on my cell phone carrier. Here, I bought a Costa Rica specific one with 5 GB and 30 days for $30. I can always top it off with a little more data if I run out before we leave.

If you are going to visit other countries in Central or South America, they also have a regional eSim for Latin America that covers 17 countries from Mexico to the tip or Argentina. I’ve used these types of plans in Europe and Southeast Asia. Then you don’t have to get a new eSim every time you switch to a new country. Learn more here

Toiletries + Meds

Next on your list of what to pack for Costa Rica is your personal medications and toiletries. Besides your normal toiletry items, here are some things we recommend adding to your list:

• Prescription Medications – See note below
• Sunscreen – Costa Rica is right near the Equator and the sun is very strong.
  If you will be swimming in the ocean, then wear reef-safe sunscreen to protect the underwater ecosystems. – See note below
• Mosquito Spray – we needed this bug-spray a few times when hiking deep in the woods.
• Motion Sickness medications – If you are prone to getting car sick or sea sick, recommend you bring something like non-drowsy Dramamine.
• Zyrtec – for allergies – If you are prone to allergies, there is always something blooming in Costa Rica, pretty much year-round. And allergy meds are not sold over the counter in Costa Rica – so bring your preferred brand with you.
• Hair Products – Whatever your hair does in humid conditions, count on it doing that here. After a few days, I gave up trying to curl or style my hair.
• Contact Lens solution – it is available in Costa Rica, but is very expensive.

Almost everything else you can find available for purchase in Costa Rica’s supermarkets (supermercado) or pharmacies (farmacia).

KARI’S TRAVEL TIP: Here’s my post about How to Travel with Meds, including tips about packing and going through TSA. If you are bringing prescription medications, have a note from your doctor when you go through Immigration upon arrival.

KARI’S TRAVEL TIP: If the local allergens are really bothering you, try buying some locally sourced honey. We have done this all over the world and there is something unique about local honey that seems to quell any allergic reactions we might be having.

KARI’S TRAVEL TIP: Choosing the right sunscreen – I carefully read the fine print on dozens of sunscreens that claim to be reef-friendly but really aren’t. Make sure you choose one that contains zinc oxide and does not contain Oxybenzone or Octinoxate. This our favorite reef-safe sunscreen.

Documents + Money

• US Passport – must have at least 6 months left on it at the end of your trip. We used it at the airport of course, and when checking in to some of the accommodations.
• Credit/Debit Cards – your main one, and another one hidden deep inside your luggage in case the first one gets stolen. Try to get one with no foreign transaction fees.
• Driver’s License – as a second form of ID and if you are renting a car.
• American Money – US dollars are widely accepted in Costa Rica. We only got Costa Rican colones because we had to pay for one of our accommodations upon arrival and to tip some of our tour guides. Otherwise, we just used our credit cards or paid in USD. Learn more here
• Proof of your scheduled flight home – Immigration will want to make sure you aren’t coming for an open ended stay. You can show this on your phone or have a printed copy.

A Few Miscellaneous Things

• A Cooler – We travel with a cooler because we have medications that need to stay chilled. But it also comes in handy for transporting food from one place to the next.
• A cell phone holder for the car – None of our rental cars have had CarPlay available. So we attach a cell phone holder to the air vent and off we go!
• Reusable Shopping Bags – We bring our canvas Aldi bags from back home. They lay flat in our suitcase, and we use them to bring groceries home or take all our stuff to the beach.
• Small Frying Pan and Ceramic Knife – Because we often stay in small apartments (from Booking.com or Airbnb), we travel with a 9″ non-stick frying pan and a ceramic knife. Of course, this only works if we are checking a bag.
• Insulated Cups – we have these nice Tervis Insulated Tumblers – we each bring one for keeping our drinks hot or cold.

What NOT To Pack For Costa Rica

These items appear on many recommended pack lists for Costa Rica, but are unnecessary in our opinion. Here’s why:

• Fancy Clothes and Jewelry – Unless you are staying at a high end resort, attending a wedding or plan to eat out at fancy restaurants, comfortable and casual is the way to go in Costa Rica. We wore t-shirts and pants or shorts everywhere. I brought a sundress – and never put it on once.
• Printed Guidebook of Birds – The guides will identify all the birds for you or use the free Merlin App.
• Denim Jeans – They will never dry in the high humidity
• Hiking Boots – Unless you are planning rigorous hikes during the rainy season, regular tennis shoes are fine.
• Shoes with heels – The roads are rough and the sidewalks are cracked. Flat shoes will keep you much safer.
• Scented products – Birds and animals have a very keen sense of smell. You don’t want them to become aware of your presence and move farther away from you.
• A Spanish Translation Book – Most of the people who work in tourism speak some level of English. And if they don’t, we use Google Translate on our phone, or

To get familiar with the most basic Spanish words, Download our Free Translation Guide below:

What We Bought In Costa Rica

• Food and Beverages – since we often cook at our Airbnb rental, we stocked up with food at the Walmart in San Jose before heading to Manuel Antonio. In other towns, we looked for the larger supermarkets (super mercado) to stock up. Maxi Pali is a popular brand of store.
• Alcohol – This last trip, we happened to land in Costa Rica on New Years Eve. The duty-free shop at the Airport had liters of spiced rum for $10 so we stocked up. Later, I paid $23 USD for the same size bottle at a grocery store.
  
  I don’t know if rum is always that cheap at the duty free shop or if it was on sale because it was New Years Eve? Still, if I were you, I’d stop at the duty free shop and check out whatever alcohol beverages you prefer before you leave the airport.

Costa Rica Packing Tips

Tip #1: The Benefits of “Practice Packing”

With your goal being to pack as lightly as you possibly can, give “Practice Packing” a try.

A few weeks before you leave, spread out every single item you think you’ll want to take to Costa Rica. Look at the combinations and think about which tops go with which bottoms. What shoes do you need for all of your planned activities?

Are there any items that don’t go with anything? Are there any items that you are likely to only wear one time? Take those out and put them in a different room.

Pack it in your suitcase and weigh it. Take out 1/3 of the items. Use packing cubes to compress the remaining items. Now you’re ready to go! 😊

I will do this practice packing exercise 1, 2 or even 3 times before a big trip.

Tip #2: Don’t Unpack Any More Than Absolutely Necessary

When we get to a new place, we take all our packing cubes out of our luggage. But instead of opening and unpacking them, we just place them on a shelf or in a drawer. When we need an item, then we open that cube up and take it out.

The less we unpack, the faster re-packing goes when it’s time to leave!

FAQs for What to Pack for Costa Rica

What should I wear ziplining or hiking?

Quick-dry shirt, long shorts or pants, and closed-toe shoes.

Do I need bug spray?

Yes. Even in dry season, it’s a must near water and forests.

What do I wear to the beach or hot springs?

Bathing suit + water shoes or sandals. A towel or sarong is handy.

Is it cold anywhere in Costa Rica?

Yes—Monteverde and the highlands can be surprisingly chilly at night.

Final Thoughts on What to Pack for Costa Rica

Packing for Costa Rica is all about flexibility. You’ll sweat, you might shiver, and you’ll absolutely get wet at some point. Prioritize comfort, function, and layers over fashion. Focus on the climate, your activities, and your lodging style.

Safe travels—and enjoy the pura vida!

More Info on Costa Rica

Here are some more posts about Costa Rica, including some that I’m still working on. If you’d like to receive emails when I’ve posted new content to the site, please complete the short form above.

• Amazing Costa Rica 7 Day Itinerary for Nature Lovers
• Ultimate 2 Week Costa Rica Travel Itinerary for Nature Lovers
• What to Pack for Costa Rica: A Nature Lover’s Packing List
• Costa Rica Facts & Travel Tips – For First Timers
• Colorful Birds of Costa Rica – A Photo Album
• Sodas in Costa Rica – An Affordable & Delicious Experience
• How to Make the Most of Your Day at La Paz Waterfall Gardens
• Buy Costa Rica National Park tickets without pulling your hair out
• Everything You Need to Know about Driving in Costa Rica
• Costa Rica on a Budget: Lodging, Food & Fun For Less

Monteverde / Santa Elena Rainforest Area

• Where to stay in Monteverde / Santa Elena – Luxury to Budget to Unique
• 25 Epic Things to do in Monteverde / Santa Elena
• Where are the Best Places to Find Birds in Monteverde?
• 14 Awesome Cheap and Free Things to Do in Monteverde

Manuel Antonio / Quepos Area

• Manuel Antonio National Park: How to Have an Amazing Day
• Beyond the Park: 25 Great Things to Do in Manuel Antonio
• The 12 Best Hotels in Manuel Antonio & Quepos for Every Budget
• Carara National Park: Macaws, Monkeys & the Crocodile Bridge
• Whale Watching in Costa Rica at Marino Ballena National Park
• 12 Best Free and Cheap Things to Do in Manuel Antonio / Quepos

La Fortuna / Arenal Volcano Area

• 10 Best Free and Cheap Things to Do in La Fortuna / Arenal
• 10 Best Places to Stay in La Fortuna Costa Rica
• Don’t Miss These 24 Unique Things to Do in La Fortuna
• Our Costa Rica Cooking Class – Did it Live up to the Hype?