Trying to decide what to pack for Costa Rica? If you’re visiting in the dry season, I’ve got you covered!
In this guide you’ll learn what to wear – and what to leave at home – when you go, plus what to bring to Costa Rica aside from clothing.
The good news is that packing for Costa Rica is pretty straightforward, and everything on this list should easily fit in a carry-on suitcase with plenty of room to spare for all the coffee and chocolate you’ll want to bring home.
In a hurry? Jump straight to the list here:
When is the dry season in Costa Rica?
Generally speaking, the dry season in Costa Rica runs mid-December through April. However, the country’s terrain combine with regional weather patterns to create many different microclimates that you’ll want to know about as you plan your trip.
Through most of the country you’ll find fairly dry weather during those early months of the calendar. The notable exception is the Caribbean coast – places like Limon are driest in early spring and fall.
As you build your Costa Rica itinerary, it’s a good idea to run searches for the specific locations you’re thinking about visiting and the average weather for the month of your trip.
What to wear in Costa Rica
The good news is that life in Costa Rica is very casual! Most people you’ll encounter – both locals and tourists – are dressed with practicality in mind. Whether you’re zipping through the treetops or lounging by the beach, be sure to choose comfortable clothes that aren’t too precious.
Here are the basic items you’ll want to bring:
Shirts
I really appreciated having a mix of shirts on our trip to Costa Rica, but they nearly all had one thing in common: athletic material. I opted for two sleeveless shirts, two short sleeve shirts and one long sleeve shirt. That combination let me choose the right tool for the job when I needed to balance temperature, sun exposure and bugs. I stayed comfortable the whole time!
Shorts and pants
Two or three pairs of shorts should be enough for a typical trip to Costa Rica. Again, I recommend bringing shorts made of athletic material rather than something heavier like denim. Even in the “dry season” you could experience humidity (or sweat!) that makes denim really uncomfortable.
I would recommend bringing at least one pair of lightweight, light colored pants (those are the exact ones I brought) – even if you just end up wearing them on the plane. You may want them on the ground a few times, especially if you’re in buggy areas or somewhere cooler. They can also protect your legs from branches when you’re hiking or zip lining. I recommend light colored and ideally a little on the loose side, as mosquitos love dark colors and can easily bite through tight-fitting leggings.
Swimsuits
Depending on your Costa Rica itinerary, I’d bring at least one but ideally two swim suits. Because of the humidity in many areas, it can take a really long time for your swimsuit to dry. And no one wants to put on a wet swimsuit to start the day.
And make sure you include a rash guard! The sun is incredibly strong in Costa Rica as it’s very close to the equator. To be honest, I naively thought that UV was measured on a scale from 0 to 10… until we were in Costa Rica and I saw numbers like 12 and 13! A long sleeve rash guard can protect you from damaging (and painful) sun exposure much better than sunscreen alone.
Along the same lines, I was really glad that one of my shorts was actually a swim bottom in disguise. It really came in handy for activities like kayaking and snorkeling to give me that extra bit of protection, and if you’ll be hiking to waterfalls and then jumping in it’s much more convenient to have a bottom that does double-duty and dries quickly rather than worrying about changing or putting on a coverup after you’re soaked.
Dresses (optional)
If you’ll be spending part of your trip to Costa Rica at a resort or nicer hotel, you might want to throw a few easy-to-pack dresses in your bag for dinners. Even if you’re casual, it always feels nice to shower off the dirt and saltwater and put on something fresh! I always bring a few that are made of athletic material so that I stay cool and can hand wash if need be.
My guys wore these ultra-comfortable wicking polo shirts basically every evening for dinner.
Shoes for Costa Rica
The right shoes for Costa Rica will depend a little bit on your itinerary. I wouldn’t bring anything fancy or prone to staining, and focus on comfort! The three shoes above are the exact ones I brought on our trip to Costa Rica – read on to find out whaty.
First up, flip flops. These are great for so many things you’ll do in Costa Rica! I used them for beaches, pools and casual walks around our hotels. But some the ones I wear are a little on the nicer side, I also wore them with my dresses for dinner.
Second, water shoes are incredibly handy to have in Costa Rica. If you’re going in any hot springs where the bottom might have a jagged (or unknown) surface or be slippery from moss, you’ll be happy to have these. You can also wear them on some waterfall walks and then keep them on when you go in. Finally, nearly all zip lines require closed toed shoes that are securely attached to your feet – no flip flops or Crocs. We wore our water shoes for zip lining in La Fortuna and transitioned seamlessly into a pool day. You can also wear them for snorkeling if you don’t use fins.
Finally, rain-proof hiking shoes. Unless you’re doing serious hiking in Costa Rica, chances are you don’t need full-on hiking boots. But there were a few times when I was glad to have my waterproof low-top hiking shoes. They keep my feet dry in rain and mud, plus they have great traction if I need to walk on slick surfaces like near some waterfalls. These have come literally all over the world with me – Costa Rica, Hawaii, Alaska, Italy and beyond!
Pajamas
Pajamas are the #1 item I forget when pack for a trip, so I’m including my favorites here to help us all remember together! These feel cozy and cool at the same time, so they’re perfect to slip into after a long day of adventures in Costa Rica.
Hat + sunglasses
Whether you like a straw fedora or a more practical trucker hat, bring sun protection for up top. You’re going to need it!
Rain jacket
Even if you’re visiting in the dry season, you might want to throw a rain jacket in your suitcase. We didn’t end up needing ours, but in many parts of Costa Rica it could be handy to have and it really doesn’t take up much space.
We did each appreciate having one lightweight outer layer for cooler evenings – and if you want to hedge your bets, a rain jacket works for that too.
Other Costa Rica travel essentials
Reusable water bottle
You’ll be active throughout your trip to Costa Rica, so it’s important to stay hydrated. It’s a very eco-conscious country, so you might get some mean looks if you go through a dozen single-use bottles while you’re there.
The good news is that the drinking water in most of Costa Rica is safe. You can feel confident refilling your favorite reusable water bottle in most places. That said, there are a few areas where the water is either unsafe to drink or may not work for your personal level of digestive sensitivity. An awesome solution for that situation is the GRAYL bottle, which has a high-powered filter built in. It works sort of like a French press for coffee: you fill the outer chamber to the correct line, then pushing the inner chamber forces the water through an amazing filter that gets rid of viruses, bacteria, protozoa and more. I’ve used it for years when traveling in places like Mexico and it’s never failed me.
Pro tip: If you plan to visit some of the high-profile National Parks in Costa Rica like Manuel Antonio and Corcovado you must have a reusable bottle. Single-use water bottles are not permitted in the parks.
Binoculars + camera
Undoubtedly one of the main draws of Costa Rica is wildlife viewing, but it’s critical to keep a respectful distance – for their benefit and yours. That’s why you’ll want to have two tools to make the most of your experience: binoculars and a real camera with some zoom capability.
Binoculars come in all shapes, sizes, weights and price points. Some are tiny enough to fit in your pocket but provide little magnification (or are too dark) while high-end birding binoculars can be so heavy that you’ll want a harness to wear them. We’ve found these to be a great balance of portability and function, plus the price point is very reasonable. Before our return trip to Costa Rica this winter, I’ll probably add this upgraded model to our collection. We’ll be visiting Costa Rica with a dozen people and wildlife viewing is more fun when there are a few binoculars to spread among the group – less fighting with kids too!
If you want to bring those memories home with you, I really recommend bringing a camera rather than just relying on your smartphone. You’ll benefit from a bigger sensor and real optical zoom to capture incredible shots of sloths, birds and more. This “bridge camera” is travel worthy, fairly affordable and will do a great job for wildlife photography without the complication of swapping lenses. Even if you aren’t an experienced photographer, you can use the very capable auto mode to get great shots.
I still travel with the mirrorless camera and zoom lens I’ve had for years and I like it, but I’m jealous of how compact those bridge cameras are! That said, my camera’s sensor is 7-8x the size of a bridge camera’s sensor so it can produce much higher quality pictures even in tricky lighting (like a sloth hiding amidst the leaves).
Travel towel
If you plan to visit any hot springs in Costa Rica or go to beaches when you aren’t staying at a resort, it’s a good idea to bring a travel towel with you. They don’t take up much space but can be so handy for laying down or drying off.
Sunscreen
You need sunscreen in Costa Rica. Do your best to choose a reef-safe formulation if you’ll be swimming in natural waters to protect the fragile ecosystem. We’ve used that brand for years with plenty of success.
And don’t forget your lips! Nobody wants to have sunburned lips, trust me when I say that it’s incredibly painful.
Bug repellant wipes
I can’t stand bug spray, but sometimes (like if you’re sitting outside at sunset for dinner) using insect repellant is the only option to avoid becoming dinner for a fleet of vicious mosquitos. My solution is to store some bug repellant wipes in all of my bags and backpacks. They take up almost no space, don’t count against my liquid allotment at security and there’s no risk of a leak that makes my clothing smell disgusting. My kids also find wiping their legs with one of these far less objectionable than using a spray that potentially gets in their mouths and eyes.
Day pack
There’s plenty of stuff you’ll want to carry around with you on a day of adventures (or beaching) in Costa Rica, so I recommend bringing a day pack with you. We use this one, which isn’t fancy but it’s practical and durable. There’s a compartment on top for small items, a large main compartment for bulky things like towels and two water bottle slots on the sides. It also has a hidden zipper pocket along the back to stash a spare credit card and your passports if you don’t want to leave them at your accommodations or in your rental car.
Do you need a plug adapter for Costa Rica?
Thankfully Costa Rica uses the same outlet style as the US, Canada and Mexico, so if you’re visiting from those place you don’t need a plug adapter.
That said, with so many devices using USB charging these days, I always bring my international charging block. It has one regular outlet and five USB plus – two are the older rectangular style and three are the newer USB-C plugs. I use this exact model every day both at home and on the road since it saves me from carrying a bunch of those little USB wall adapters.
For “regular” use like phones and watches, the 28W model is good enough. If you’re like me and also use it to charge a laptop and a camera, spring for the 100W version. We have one of each!
Pro tip: If you’re trying to plug in on the plane and there isn’t a working USB port, break out your multi-country adapter! Sometimes the US plug isn’t secure enough so you can try the Europe or UK plugs. This worked perfectly for me on my last flight.
What not to bring to Costa Rica
So what should you leave at home on your upcoming trip to Costa Rica?
Personally I’d skip on fancy clothes, shoes and jewelry unless you’re spending your entire visit at a fancy resort.
You can bring packaged dry snacks like granola bars, but leave produce and meats at home to avoid big fines when you enter Costa Rica.
Listen up 🎧
Want to hear more about our trip to Costa Rica with kids? Check out our podcast episode!
Wrapping up
Now that you’re packed and ready to go, be sure to check out these helpful Costa Rica articles to plan the rest of your trip:
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