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After 4 journeys to Costa Rica, I’ve discovered two issues: one, my hair NEVER appears good within the jungle; and two, there are a couple of important items of journey gear that may make it easier to totally embrace the idea of “Pura Vida” … and stop you from spending your complete journey scratching bug bites whereas parked below your resort room’s A/C.
Our Costa Rica packing record will cowl the specifics of what to convey and why, however we’re not going to let you know, like, precisely how pairs of underwear to pack – we belief you’ll be able to determine that out by yourself. (Rule of thumb: one per day of your journey.)
As a substitute, we’re specializing in the precise stuff you’ll have to make your journey to Costa Rica as fantastic and memorable as attainable, so that you don’t look again and cringe since you obtained a horrible ear an infection and spent the remainder of your trip depressing. (Why sure: that’s how I spent the second half of my third journey to Costa Rica.)
On this important Costa Rica packing record, we’re together with the whole lot it’s essential to convey to remain cool, snug, bug-bite-free and blissfully un-sunburnt. Let’s go!
Want some assist packing to your subsequent journey? We’ve created 5 FREE Printable Packing Lists with the whole lot it’s essential to plan your subsequent journey. We’ll additionally ship our favourite journey suggestions straight to your inbox! Simply enroll beneath.
Psst: In search of extra journey suggestions? Take a look at a few of our different useful posts!
Costa Rica At-a-Look 🐒
Right here’s a bite-sized snapshot of the whole lot it’s essential to know to plan your journey!
- When to Go: The best time is June & July, aka “inexperienced season,” when costs are low and the rain takes a break.
- The place to Keep: Hostel Plinio close to Manuel Antonio NP is an incredible, budget-friendly hostel. Aguila de Osa Rainforest Lodge close to Corcovado NP is an unimaginable, sustainble eco-lodge within the rainforest overlooking the ocean – mainly, paradise!
- How one can Get Round: Public transportation is superb in Costa Rica. Buses will get you all over the place it’s essential to go!
- High 3 Highlights: Ziplining & hanging bridges by means of the cloud forest cover in Monteverde, snorkelling in Corcovado Nationwide Park, white water rafting in La Fortuna.
- Earlier than You Go: Book travel insurance!
What to Pack for Costa Rica

What to Pack Stuff In
Certain, you will get away with a suitcase filled with bunched-up garments, however you’ll be a lot happier with well-organized baggage – particularly in case you’re touring for an extended time period or visiting a number of locations!
Unpacking and re-packing each few days is such a chore, and staying organized will make it a LOT much less depressing.
Right here’s what to pack your stuff in so that you keep organized and may simply transfer from place to put.
- Carry-On Baggage: For many journeys, you’ll need to pack carry-on solely to save cash and trouble. You don’t need to be lugging an enormous suitcase down a dust street from the bus station and up 3 flights of stairs! For suitcases, we’re enormous followers of Away carry-on luggage (we additionally love this inexpensive Away dupe). If you happen to want a sturdy backpack, Lia swears by this PacSafe backpack. It’s snug, roomy, and theft deterrent – it’s Lia’s go-to backpack for carry-on journey.
- Packing Cubes: We LOVE packing cubes. Nothing makes unpacking your stuff and placing it away once more simpler than packing cubes. To not point out it retains you organized – and sane. Even in case you aren’t a packing dice convert, we advocate rolling your clothes moderately than folding it, which saves house and likewise helps stop wrinkles. Win-win!
- Laundry Bag, Toiletry Bag, & Shoe Bag: Whenever you’re touring, something inside your baggage is gonna get throughout the whole lot else. So we hold them separate utilizing totally different baggage (plus packing cubes for our clothes). Our laundry goes in a laundry bag so it doesn’t get moldy or scent up our clear garments. The sneakers we aren’t sporting match into just a little shoe bag so we don’t get no matter we’re strolling by means of throughout our stuff (gross). And this hanging toiletry bag retains our belongings shielded from leaks, spills, or moisture. FWIW, we’ve tried utilizing plastic baggage – however they tear actually simply and are lots tougher to exchange whereas touring than you’d suppose! Plus, re-usable baggage are additionally extra earth pleasant.
- Day Bag: We sometimes every carry a day bag on journeys. This cute backpack is ideal for some snacks, a few jackets, a travel umbrella, cameras, telephones, and no matter we’d like for the day. It additionally doubles as our lockable carry-on valuables bag whereas on transit, which is vital for security (by no means let your passport, digicam, or laptop computer out of your sight on journey days)! For extra energetic days, we pack up a Camelbak Hydration Pack that matches 70oz of water along with all our gear. It’s good for hikes or exploring on scorching days while you’ll want to remain further hydrated!

What to Put on in Costa Rica
Once we pack for Costa Rica, we’re often aiming for consolation above cuteness – however I do wish to sneak in a little bit of each every time I can!
OK hear, I’m simply gonna be actual with you: my main aim for my clothes in Costa Rica is to maintain me from drowning in sweat (or at the least, assist me cool off rapidly if/when I’m inevitably sweaty). Second precedence, scent (no thanks). Third precedence, really wanting cute.
One other main problem is to pack for quite a lot of actions and temperatures. On most up-to-date journey, we wanted to pack clothes for rain, the cool mountain air of Monteverde, the new tropical rainforests of Manuel Antonio and Corcovado, climbing, and snorkeling/diving/swimming.
Some days, we dressed for a hike or horseback trip, turned into beachwear midway by means of, dried off, after which put our previous clothes on. So all of our clothes wanted to be very quick-dry and packable too (as a result of nothing makes a hike or horseback trip extra depressing than an enormous, heavy backpack).
However it may be performed! We’ve obtained a couple of essential options which are as much as the challenges of Costa Rica, and sure, a few of them are even cute.
Right here’s the perfect clothes to pack to your journey (for women and men, and everybody in between)!
- Wool Clothes: Sure, significantly. Merino wool is a miracle journey cloth. It retains you cool when it’s scorching AND retains you heat when it’s chilly. When it will get moist, you’ll keep snug whereas your clothes dries. It naturally resists the expansion of fungus and micro organism, so it by no means stinks – a must have for journey! It’s even flame retardant. What extra might you ask for? At present’s efficiency wool isn’t just like the itchy wool of the previous – it’s skinny, stretchy, and tremendous gentle to the contact, like cotton. We extremely advocate wool clothes for journey. Right here’s what we introduced:
- Hemp Clothes: Very like merino wool, hemp is a unbelievable journey textile. It’s additionally temperature regulating, that means it’s cool to the contact and retains you cool when it’s scorching (but additionally insulates you when it’s chilly out). It’s additionally naturally anti-bacterial, so that you gained’t get that pungent “I’ve been sweating on this for every week straight” scent. And as an enormous bonus, hemp is extra sustainable than most different textiles, requiring little water and virtually no pesticides to thrive and develop. Hemp is even in a position to clear up polluted soil, making it a software for really combating in opposition to local weather change. Hell yeah! As a result of it’s not a brilliant fashionable textile (but), it’s just a little laborious to search out. One in every of our favourite eco-friendly clothes manufacturers, prAna, makes a fantastic hemp line – browse women’s and men’s. (Lia loves this comfy t-shirt!)
- Fast Drying Shorts (His & Hers): We’re obsessive about the Zion line from prAna, which is what our favoite climbing pants are produced from. These shorts are produced from the identical stretchy, high-tech, quick-drying cloth! Jeremy’s shorts double as each the shorts he wears day by day and a swimsuit. They’re a 2-for-1 (which implies much less house in your carry-on) they usually look nice, too! They dry rapidly, making them good for hopping out and in of waterfalls, rivers, and the ocean after which resuming your regular journey actions.
- Mountain climbing & Journey Journey Pants (His & Hers): You’re going to want a pair of pants that serve a number of functions and are up for journey wherever: seashore, jungle, river, mountains, and metropolis. Fortunately, these superior prAna climbing pants had been designed with journey and climbing in thoughts and had been as much as each problem we threw at them. They’re additionally quick-dry, so I even wore them whereas white-water rafting and waterfall rappelling in San Gil.
- Breezy, comfy everyday pants: Permit me to introduce you to the proper scorching climate journey pants! I found these wonderful pants at Outdated Navy whereas purchasing for my journey, and it was love at first try-on. They’re SUPER light-weight and take up little or no suitcase house when rolled up. They’re snug and stretchy, quick-drying, and simply the correct size. And so they’re cute as hell! I purchased a bunch of differet colours as a result of generally stuff goes out of inventory and by no means comes again, and I want these pants. (I additionally love these pants, produced from the identical cloth however with vertical zippers, which can also be tremendous journey pleasant. And so they are available a wider vary of sizes as much as 4X.)
Notice: We didn’t record out the whole lot right here, so ensure you pack loads of fundamentals! Typically, for decent climate I actually love cotton/cotton blends and linen, along with hemp and merino.

The Greatest Footwear to Pack for Costa Rica
From climbing within the cloud forests of Monteverde to canyoning and white-water-rafting in La Fortuna to exploring town streets of San Jose, we had all kinds of actions deliberate for our journey to Costa Rica.
Fortunately, we introduced alongside 3 good pairs of sneakers that had been up for the whole lot!
We now have robust opinions on journey sneakers – we have now full posts about our favourite women’s travel shoes & men’s travel shoes.
Listed here are the three important sneakers we advocate bringing with you in your journey:
- Mountain climbing Footwear: If you happen to’ll be going climbing like we did, we advocate a pair of light-weight path runners (His & Hers). They’re light-weight, breathe properly, and have insane grip. They had been made for operating on mud, grime, and gravel, so their high quality is unimaginable. Additionally due to that, they’re good climbing sneakers. So no, you don’t have to stuff your heavy climbing boots in your baggage!
- Teva Sandals (his & hers): When it’s scorching, we just about put on these sneakers every time we’re not climbing. Not solely are the snug and rugged sufficient to stroll for miles snug (sure, you’ll be able to even hike in them!) however additionally they double as water shoes. They are saying strapped tightly to your toes within the water and are good for journey sports activities like canyoning or rafting. Plus, they’re light-weight, sturdy, and cute!
- AllBirds Slip-On Footwear (His & hers): For days while you don’t need to put on your climbing sneakers or your sandals, these are the proper on a regular basis journey shoe. They’re light-weight and breathable, good for decent climate – and the only is produced from merino, which implies it takes lots for them to get smelly and also you don’t have to put on them with socks! These are the sneakers we sometimes put on on metropolis days and journey days.
With these three sneakers stuffed into your suitcase (don’t fear, they’ll match) you’ll be greater than lined for all of your adventures!
What to Pack for Rain in Costa Rica
We booked our most up-to-date journey to Costa Rica in July, which falls squarely in the midst of Costa Rica’s wet season. However don’t fear: all meaning is that it’s just about assured to rain as soon as per day, particularly within the jungle or the rainforest.
If you happen to’re ready, rain on a visit isn’t any large deal (and truthfully, we love an excellent excuse to take a seat indoors and do nothing however calm down and hearken to the rain).
If you happen to’re not ready, it may be tremendous irritating, inflicting you to cancel enjoyable actions and even smelling up your bag with moist clothes. Yikes!
Listed here are the three necessities you’ll need to convey to organize for rain:
- Extremely-Mild Rain Jackets (His & Hers): Our favourite rain jackets are a few of the greatest jackets for journey. They’re ultralight and pack down into nothing so that they’re simple to hold round in our day baggage every day simply in case, they usually’re extremely water repellant.
- Travel Umbrella: This teeny travel umbrella is extremely light-weight, teeny tiny, and even has a helpful carrying case in case it’s essential to fold it up and shove it again in your bag. Regardless of its small dimension, it does its job effectively, and it dries rapidly when it’s performed! That stated, it’s not like .. essentially the most STURDY umbrella – tremendous excessive winds will certainly flip it inside out. However we adore it as a result of it’s so small and light-weight that we simply depart it completely in our day bag and overlook it’s there till we’d like it, and we’re all the time glad to search out it once more!
- Waterproof Socks: If you happen to’ll be climbing in rain or mud, you’ll need to pack a pair of those so that you’re not squelching round all day lengthy. We don’t carry cumbersome climbing boots with us, so these are welcome addition to our path runners.
Simply hold these 3 rain necessities in your day bag every day, and also you’ll by no means be caught unprepared in a rainstorm!
Important Toiletries for Costa Rica
There’s a sure glow that we get in Costa Rica, and it’s not simply because we’re sweaty and well-moisturized. Possibly it’s one thing about waking up early, or consuming fruit all day, or respiratory within the humid tropical air – ah, no, that’s it. Humidity: one thing we don’t have in California!
The minute we disembark into the nice and cozy air of Costa Rica, my hair will get curlier, my pores and skin feels smoother, and I lose any need to put on make-up all through our journey. (And that’s coming from me, who as soon as wore a full face of make-up in the arctic.)
However you’ll nonetheless have to convey alongside a couple of issues to maintain you clear and feelin’ contemporary!
Listed here are our suggestions for doing all of your laundry on the go, staying contemporary ~down there, and the whole lot else you’ll have to not appear to be a scorching mess.
- Travel Toilet Paper Roll & Hand Sanitizer: I do know, it is a bizarre one- however the factor is, rest room paper and cleaning soap aren’t all the time out there they usually aren’t all the time free. So I all the time have an emergency roll on me. You’ll be able to convey a daily sized roll and stuff it into your bag, or you’ll be able to simply get just a little travel sized dispenser that’s a lot smaller and simpler to make use of on the go. Additionally, all the time convey some hand sanitizer with you – you’ll be able to convey cleaning soap too, however hand sanitizer is far simpler to hold round than a moist bar of cleaning soap.
- Face Wash & Moisturizer: Journey is actually laborious in your pores and skin! It’s essential to scrub off a full day of sweat, salt, sand, fumes, grime, and no matter else you’ve obtained occurring each evening earlier than you fall asleep, after which moisturize to replenish your pores and skin’s pure barrier. (If all else fails, at the least convey alongside some baby wipes, which was the whole thing of my skincare routine proper up till I turned 30.)
- Shampoo & Conditioner: Deliver your personal shampoo & condtioner in travel-sized bottles to save cash, lower down on plastic waste from these little hotel-sized samples, and shield your hair. We love utilizing solid shampoo and conditioner bars: they’re tremendous journey pleasant, good for the setting (no plastic waste!) and gained’t ever spill throughout your stuff.
- Menstrual Cup: Yup, vag issues. Skip this paragraph if pure processes of ladies’s our bodies make you uncomfortable. Pads and tampons are laborious to return by while you’re touring, they usually’re usually costly. Plus they take up a bunch of house… to not point out they’re not environmentally pleasant. So I’ve given up solely on pads and tampons and totally embraced cup life. And it’s unbelievable! No extra leakage, which implies much less sink laundry. I can depart the cup in for a full day (or extra) with out having to fret about poisonous shock syndrome or no matter. And preserving your cup clear is simple: simply wash the cup with common cleaning soap and water. I spritz it with just a little apple cider vinegar as effectively, and a few girls boil theirs each few months. I hold mine in just a little drawstring bag tucked into my toiletry bag – no fuss, no mess, no environmentally dangerous waste. Oh, and don’t fear, they’re really very easy to place in. If you happen to’re contemplating making the change, do it!
- Laundry Soap: Actually, most hostels we’ve stayed in supply laundry service. However we nonetheless like having the choice to do our personal laundry every time
we have towe run out of underwear (ahem). You don’t really want particular cleaning soap; common robust castile cleaning soap works nice. We like Dr. Bronner’s or biodegradable laundry wash. Simply cleaning soap your stuff up within the sink or within the bathe and grasp it up within the solar to dry!
For extra particulars and options, corresponding to my curly hair journey routine, my favourite skincare stuff, and the perfect lipstick for the arctic journey, head over to my makeup & beauty for travel guide!
Swimming & Snorkeling Necessities for Costa Rica
Let me simply get this out of the best way: the water in Costa Rica is PERFECT and bathwater-warm on BOTH coasts. Coming to Costa Rica from Northern California, I’m all the time so offended that this is identical Pacific Ocean that we are able to’t even go online in with no full wetsuit. However I digress.
Whether or not you’re recognizing tropical fish on a snorkeling journey or simply listening to macaws cry to 1 one other (fwiw, that is what macaws feels like: WHAAAAAT?) you’re gonna need to go within the water in Costa Rica, like, as a lot as humanly attainable.
There are a couple of important items of substances you’ll need to convey to maintain your self – and your underwater pals – secure and pleased.
Right here’s what to pack for swimming and snorkeling:
- Reef-Safe Sunscreen: Going into the ocean? It’s good to put on reef-safe sunscreen. Except you hate coral, fish, and likewise all of human life. Reef-safe sunscreen is designed to biodegrade and never hurt ocean life. Regular sunscreen bleaches coral and ensures humanity’s swift demise from local weather change. So please, for the love of society’s inevitable collapse, put on reef-safe sunscreen in case you’re going into the ocean! Notice that though reef-safe sunscreen is all the time mineral, not all mineral sunscreens are reef-safe. Sunscreen should use “non-nano zinc oxide” particles to be reef secure(more details here). That is my favorite reef-safe sunscreen, and I exploit this lightweight sunscreen on my face.
- Rash Guard/Swim Shirt: I’m gonna be trustworthy with you: reef secure sunscreen just isn’t the simplest to use. It’s thick and doesn’t soak in simply. However like, I like animals and the setting. So my resolution is definitely to cowl up my pores and skin as a lot as attainable so I don’t HAVE to put on sunscreen. Win/win! Certain, it’s possible you’ll need to exhibit your tremendous cute swimsuit, however after sufficient terrible sunburns after hours of pleased swimming or snorkeling, I’ve discovered my lesson. I extremely advocate bringing alongside a long-sleeved rash guard, which is specifically designed for swimming in salt water. It feels the identical as swimsuit materials, dries rapidly, and provides you loads of solar safety (additionally safety from stinging bits of jellyfish floating by within the water. Yup, I converse from expertise).
- Swim Leggings: My butt is all the time the very first thing to burn once I’m snorkeling. However swim leggings present full-coverage solar safety whereas letting you progress underwater with out restriction. Fast-drying swim leggings are designed to carry up in saltwater and chlorine and dry rapidly when you’re out of the water (they’re additionally extremely snug to stroll in, and stop the dreaded post-swim chub rub). I like Waterlust’s swim leggings line as a result of the model is tremendous sustainable and helps conservation and anti-racism initiatives, plus their leggings are 100% chlorine, solar, saltwater and sunscreen resistant and produced from recycled supplies. Oh, and their leggings have POCKETS! Sizes go as much as 3XL. For extra particulars, head over to the full review of my swim leggings!
- Snorkel Mask & Fins: For years every time we traveled to a snorkel-tastic vacation spot, we all the time wished we’d introduced our personal snorkel gear. We had been so envious of these individuals who rolled as much as the boat like “oh, we don’t want rental gear, we have now our personal.” Each time I met somebody with their very own gear on a tour I used to be like oh, you have to be an knowledgeable – right here, you go first. They in all probability obtained higher footage simply because we had been intimidated. Snorkels equal energy. Anyway, then we purchased our personal gear, and I used to be like … why did we wait so lengthy to do that?! Certain, my snorkel mask could look ridiculous, however I guarentee you it’s higher than something you’re going to get from a tour firm!
- Anti-Fog Spray: Even in case you don’t convey your personal snorkel gear, at the least convey your personal anti-fog resolution. Each time we lease snorkel gear, we find yourself surfacing to furiously spit in our masks ever 10 minutes. So annoying! Slightly bottle of this may prevent a LOT of irritation.
- Water Shoes: For each minute that you simply’re not sporting flippers, you’ll need to be sporting water shoes. I swear by my trusty leather-based Tevas, and Jeremy additionally likes traditional close-toed water shoes.
- Dry Bag: Don’t set foot on a ship with out placing your stuff in a dry bag, simply in case. You by no means know when a wave/rogue sea lion goes to splash your sh*t. This one is superb, with a mesh part within the entrance that we use for moist bathing fits or towels. Plus, it comes with a telephone protector too, so you’ll be able to put on & use your telephone safely whereas white-water rafting, kayaking, or snorkeling!
- Travel Towel: Towels usually are not sometimes supplied on snorkelling excursions, so we all the time convey our personal full-sized, quick-drying travel towel.
Seaside Necessities for Costa Rica
From the white sand in Manuel Antonio Nationwide Park to volcanic rocks on the Osa Peninsula and the darkish sand seashores of Tortuguero, Costa Rica has loads of seashores to frolic on, lapped by splendidly heat water. And there’s often a turtle or macaw close by, too, as a result of Costa Rica is mainly paradise.
Right here’s what to pack in your baggage to convey with you to the seashore:
- Several Swimsuits: There’s an excellent likelihood you’ll be leaping into the water day by day, so that you’ll need to convey alongside a number of pairs of swimsuits so that you all the time have one thing dry to placed on! I’m a dimension 16/18, and my favourite swimsuit is this one, which I actually have in 3 totally different colours. It’s wonderful. It’s good. It’s a freakin’ steal! I additionally love this go well with, and that is my favourite one piece. For extra swimsuit picks, try my information to swimsuits for curvy girls.
- Travel Towel: There may be completely no assure that the towels at your accomodation are going to suit round your waist. Frankly, they not often match round my left thigh. Plus, they’re heavy and ponderous and you will get in bother for bringing them out of the resort. So simply to be secure, I all the time convey my very own travel-friendly, light-weight, quick-drying travel towel!
- Travel Clothesline: Newsflash: your resort’s moist, darkish lavatory is absolutely the WORST place to hold your clothes as much as dry. As a substitute, grasp this tiny travel clothesline up someplace that will get loads of airflow and solar, like on a curtain rod in entrance of the window! Your moist swimsuit and travel towel will likely be dry very quickly.
- Sand Repelling Beach Mat: I hate sand SO MUCH and this mat is made with magical sand-repelling qualities. If sand doesn’t make you need to go stay in an igloo perpetually, you’ll be able to all the time simply use your towel as a mat as an alternative!
On seashore days, we pack up our day bag with all of our seashore gear and a full bottle of chilly water to remain hydrated (our insulated water bottle retains water chilly for an unbelievably very long time). And naturally, tons and lot of sunscreen – don’t overlook to re-apply!
For extra beachy packing suggestions and curvy-girl particular options (ahem: do you’ve gotten chafe balm but??) head over to our beach vacation packing guide!
What to Pack for the Solar in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is simply 675 miles north of the equator, which implies the solar might be a LOT stronger than you’re used to again house! So solar safety is actually, REALLY essential to guard your pores and skin. You’ll be doing your self a favor in the long term, and in addition to – dangerous sunburns are trip ruining.
Listed here are the necessities to convey with you in your journey to guard you from the solar:
- Reef-Safe Sunscreen: Going into the ocean? It’s good to put on reef-safe sunscreen. Except you hate coral, fish, and likewise all of human life. Reef-safe sunscreen is designed to biodegrade and never hurt ocean life. Regular sunscreen bleaches coral and ensures humanity’s swift demise from local weather change. So please, for the love of society’s inevitable collapse, put on reef-safe sunscreen in case you’re going into the ocean! As a enjoyable bonus incentive, it’s really required by regulation in Hawai‘i. Though reef-safe sunscreen is all the time mineral, not all mineral sunscreens are reef-safe! Sunscreen should use “non-nano zinc oxide” particles to be reef secure (more details here). That is my favorite reef-safe sunscreen, and I exploit this lightweight sunscreen from Sephora on my face.
- Mineral Sunscreen: That is the least dangerous kind of sunscreen, in response to science. Mineral sunscreens use two pure minerals—zinc oxide and titanium dioxide—as energetic elements. They mainly merely sit on high of your pores and skin and shield it by bodily reflecting away UV rays, like tiny little mirrors. In the meantime, common chemical sunscreen soaks into your pores and skin and results in your bloodstream (and breast milk, in response to this study) which squicks me out. Mineral sunscreens don’t soak into your pores and skin (in response to this study). So despite the fact that mineral sunscreens can really feel a bit heavier than chemical sunscreens, I want to make use of them anyway! I exploit this one for my physique, and for my face (which is extra delicate) I exploit this lightweight mineral sunscreen.
- Mineral Sunscreen Lip Balm: Don’t overlook to guard the fragile pores and skin in your lips from sunburn, too!
- Sun Hat: Who says solar safety isn’t cute? This snug hat protects your face, neck, and chest from the solar and goes with each outfit. The adjustable band across the rim ensures that this hat will suit your head completely, and the neck twine means you’ll be able to put on it even when it’s windy! That is my go-to on a regular basis hat.
Along with on a regular basis solar safety, you’ll need to take further care on days you’ll be spending extra time than typical out on the water, like on a snorkeling or kayaking tour and even simply while you’ll be swimming within the warmth of the afternoon solar.
I’m an enormous fan of sporting swim garments to guard your pores and skin and lower down on the quantity of sunscreen you’ll want to make use of! I extremely advocate bringing alongside a long-sleeved rash guard and a pair of swim leggings for solar safety throughout water sports activities.
Bear in mind: the extra your physique is roofed, the higher you’ll be shielded from the solar, and the extra environmentally pleasant your seashore trip will likely be! Psst: For extra eco-friendly and accountable journey suggestions, head over to our Ethical Travel Guide.
- Journey Tip: In case you DO get sunburnt, a bottle of aloe vera will assist. However an excellent higher sunburn remedy? Apple cider vinegar! It smells horrible but it surely works miracles to take the sting out of a nasty burn and velocity up the therapeutic course of. Plus, it doesn’t really feel sticky and gross in your pores and skin. I convey a little spray bottle filled with ACV on each seashore journey.
What to Pack to Keep away from Bug Bites in Costa Rica
Nothing ruins a visit like a sleepless evening spent frantically making an attempt to disregard your itchy legs. Or worse, mosquito-bite-induced Dengue fever, which Jeremy caught in Panama as soon as (yeah, it sucked).
However the place there are lovely locations ready to be explored, there are bugs! So we’ve discovered to make our peace with them – by means of using extraordinarily efficient bug repellants. We completely swear by these 2 important bug repellants, and we not often get bitten throughout our journey!
Right here’s what you’ll want to inform mosquitos to again the f*** up throughout your journey:
- Permethrin Spray: Let me introduce you to our favourite factor ever, Permethrin Spray. It’s a bug repellent which adheres solely to materials, leaves no scent or residue on garments, and doesn’t hurt human pores and skin. Consider it like a magical, invisible armor on all your garments! We advocate stocking up on a couple of bottles earlier than your journey and spending a few days spraying down all your clothes, paying particular consideration to hems, cuffs, and socks (and extra-special consideration to no matter you’ll be sleeping in). Be sure to do it outdoors, hold pets away, and put on a masks, as a result of no person needs to inhale chemical compounds (which, incidnetally, is why I hate aerosol bug sprays). Permethrin spray lasts for as much as 6 machine washes, however … effectively, we don’t wash our garments fairly often on trip (ssh, don’t decide). Now you’ll solely have to deal with protecting your pores and skin with bug repellant, which brings us to …
- Insect Repellant Lotion: Most insect repellents usually are not definitely worth the disagreeable oily feeling you get after making use of them, the icky hacking cough you develop after spraying them, or that skin-burning feeling you get after making use of 100000% chemical compounds to your pores and skin. There may be, nonetheless, one insect repellant that avoids these pitfalls, and it’s this wonderful lightweight Picaridin lotion. You rub it into your pores and skin and it absorbs loopy quick with no oily residue. It lasts all day and the protection is wonderful. It doesn’t scent disgusting, leaves no sticky or oily residue, and it’s by no means made my pores and skin burn. I adore it, I swear by it, and sure, we undoubtedly hoard it in 1-gallon jugs. That is certainly one of our tried and examined journey necessities, and we sometimes get a LOT fewer bites than our journey companions! Choose up a few travel-sized 2oz bottles of lotion to absorb your keep it up baggage, or go all out on the quart or gallon-sized dispenser and refill some empty bottles like us!
What to Pack to Keep Wholesome in Costa Rica
Right here’s the excellent news: Costa Rica has unbelievable healthcare, which Lia was unlucky sufficient to experience first hand. It’s additionally a really clear nation: there are plentiful sinks for hand-washing all over the place (thanks, pandemic, for that addition), faucet water is drinkable in many of the nation, you don’t really want to fret about meals preparation, and also you’re by no means very removed from a pharmacia or physician.
Each lavatory we’ve visited in Costa Rica has been clear and sanitary, and usually talking it’s been fairly simple to remain wholesome on all of our journeys to Costa Rica. With one notable exception, which is that each Lia AND her dad obtained terrible ear infections from river water – 20 years aside! The total story is in this post.
Right here’s the not-as-good information: you’re nonetheless touring, which implies exposing your physique to new issues, a few of which it could not like. Like, in Lia’s case, her ears (and her dad’s ears) REALLY don’t just like the river water in Costa Rica!
Relying on where you’re visiting, you may additionally have to be barely frightened about malaria. And in case you didn’t take our recommendation about bug repellants, you’ll need to fear about dengue fever, zika, and another stuff – here’s the full list per the CDC. Most dangers in Costa Rica are bug chew associated, so scroll again up in case you skipped that part!
However there truthfully, Costa Rica is a fairly simple place to remain wholesome! Simply drink loads of tropical fruit batidos, get a lot of sleep, prevent bug bites, and calm down. Pura vida!
Listed here are the necessities to pack to maintain you feeling clear, wholesome, and pleased.
- Dramamine: Dramamine is our lifeline. Lia will get movement sick simply by considering too laborious about it. So on journey days or anytime that we’ll be boarding a airplane, practice, bus, or boat, she pops a non-drowsy Dramamine and stays nausea free all day lengthy!
- Vaccinations: Chances are you’ll want some vaccinations earlier than you permit, like Yellow Fever and Tetanus. All the time examine the CDC recommendations for the precise areas you’ll be visiting to see what you may want earlier than your journey, and make an appointment along with your physician (or go to a journey clinic) prematurely!
- Anti-Diarheals: Traveler’s diarrhea is, annoyingly, quite common. Imodium is important to have readily available when touring, and we additionally swear by DiaResQ. Most different fundamental first help will in all probability be fairly simple to search out in case you want it!
- Stomach Enzymes: I’ve an simply upset abdomen. My physique doesn’t like dairy …or gluten …or corn… or salt … something processed … something scrumptious…. FML. Nevertheless it’s actually troublesome to regulate what’s in your meals whereas touring, and generally the one factor that’s out there is one thing that my abdomen gained’t like. So I all the time convey alongside my trusty abdomen enzymes. They comprise the issues my abdomen appears to lack to assist it break down the weather in numerous meals and digest them. Since taking abdomen enzymes I’ve tremendously decreased cases of heartburn or indigestion, and seen an enormous improve in my well being from the extra available vitamins that my abdomen is now in a position to unpack and make the most of! These are a lifesaver for me whereas touring.
- Reusable Water Bottle: Hydration is essential when touring! However please don’t purchase a plastic water bottle day by day of your journey – that’s horrible for the setting! We advocate bringing alongside an insulated water bottle that retains water chilly all day lengthy.
- Lifestraw Water Bottle: If you happen to’ll be venturing to someplace locations the place the faucet water is just a little iffy, you’ll need to convey alongside this water bottle with a built-in Lifestraw. It allows you to drink water proper from the faucet, or a unclean puddle, or wherever else you’re feeling prefer it – all completely filtered and secure.
- Ear Plugs: Lia has extremely delicate ears. Loud noises (like boat motors, or planes) give her tinnitus, and river water the improper means will give her an ear an infection. So she all the time brings alongside
What to Pack to Keep Secure in Costa Rica
Though Costa Rica is usually a fairly secure nation to go to, you’ll need to take some fundamental precautions to maintain your self secure, notably in an enormous metropolis like San Jose.
We’re extremely accident-prone, so we’re further cautious to maintain ourselves secure and stop theft – we’ve obtained a complete put up concerning the security precautions we all the time take when touring: read it here.
One of the crucial essential issues we’ve discovered is that traveler’s insurance coverage is a must have for journey security! It protects you in case of a medical emergency, theft, and even covers the price of your journey if you need to cancel it or finish it early for a lined motive, like a demise in your rapid household or sudden sickness.
We use World Nomads journey insurance coverage for each worldwide journey and even consists of excessive sports activities. We’ve needed to file a number of claims with World Nomads and advocate them primarily based on our expertise. Make sure to learn all particulars to ensure you perceive precisely what you’re paying for and tips on how to use it within the case of an emergency (often there’s a quantity to name or an electronic mail handle to contact in case you need assistance).
Now that you simply’re usually protected, right here’s a few of our favourite security journey gear.
- Lightweight Combination Locks: These little locks are extra of a deterrent than something heavy-duty. However most informal thieves are searching for a straightforward mark: a pocket to slide their palms into rapidly, a bag left unlocked on a bus, and so on. We lock each zipper on all of our baggage with these little locks and apart from somebody operating off with our complete day bag as soon as (don’t fear! We obtained it again!) we by no means had something stolen. Necessary aspect observe: TSA-friendly travel locks are nice for checked baggage, however for our day baggage and non-checked baggage we really want locks that AREN’T TSA pleasant, as a result of it’s tremendous simple to fabricate the important thing that opens EVERY TSA lock. Ahhh!
- Journey Secure Pockets: One of many greatest errors you can also make whereas touring is carrying a pockets, particularly in your again pocket. For any run-of-the-mill pickpocket, that’s the primary place to look. Some folks say put your pockets in your entrance pocket, however why threat it? As a substitute, we choose to put on two totally different sorts of journey secure wallets: a money belt for Jeremy and a bra pocket (AKA Brocket) for Lia. We even have a zippered passport pocket that may maintain a telephone too, which we solely actually wanted on journey days. And we’ve every obtained an emergency stash of money and playing cards that stays buried in our backpacks secure and sound in our resort or hostel, in case we’re robbed whereas out and about.
Journey Tech to Pack for Costa Rica
As journey bloggers and part-time digital nomads, we convey much more gear than is important on journeys (here’s what we actually bring, in case you’re curious). The overwhelming majority of individuals merely don’t have to schlep alongside a tripod and two Macbook Professionals!
There are a couple of techy journey necessities that we do advocate bringing alongside to maintain you related and … taking footage and stuff. Right here’s all of the journey tech to convey with you in your journey:
- Binoculars: The most convenient little tech gear you’ll ever overlook to convey alongside! We’re infamous for leaving our binoculars at house after which spending our complete journey like “is that an animal? I can’t actually inform from right here …” Don’t be us! Stick some travel-friendly binoculars into your day-bag and simply depart them there.
- External Battery: There’s no feeling worse than not figuring out the place you’re or with the ability to converse the native language, and watching your telephone battery fade into nothingness. Certain, vacationers sans cellphones had been in all probability hardier, however personally, I’m virtually all the time misplaced (even at house). I RELY on my telephone, and the detailed travel planning documents and offline maps I hold saved in it to assist me orient myself. So bringing alongside a robust exterior battery is a should every time I journey. This one expenses my telephone like 5x earlier than I have to recharge it, which is nice as a result of my goldfish reminiscence can also be dangerous at remembering to maintain issues charged! This smaller version is much more travel-friendly.
- Travel-Friendly Laptop: Our beloved little Chromebook was as soon as our main journey laptop computer. It’s able to something you want whereas on the street – sure, even managing a weblog (as long as you don’t want advanced stuff like Photoshop)! I really began and ran the weblog on this factor for a full yr and a half. It’s tremendous light-weight and extremely quick. Certain, you want Wi-Fi for many of its functionality, however we by no means have points discovering Wi-Fi (GOOD Wi-Fi was extra of a problem). Plus, it’s comparatively cheap, so that you don’t should be as afraid of it getting damaged or stolen – and if it does, all your stuff is already safely backed up on the Cloud. I as soon as had my Chromebook stolen (within the USA). The thief was so dissatisfied with it that they really introduced it again to the place they’d taken it. I used to be thrilled – and I’d already added a brand new one to my Amazon cart!
- GoPro: You didn’t come all this solution to NOT get underwater footage of your self dwelling your greatest mermaid life, did you?? You gotta have a GoPro! They’re palms down the perfect digicam for capturing footage underwater. Simply ensure you additionally decide up the Standard Housing, the waterproof case that you simply’ll undoubtedly want earlier than you go underwater! For a extra budget-friendly possibility, this waterproof action camera may even do the trick.
- Travel Friendly Camera: Though our digicam of alternative is a hefty, skilled degree Sony A7R II, you don’t want all that to get nice images of your trip. If you wish to take issues up a notch out of your telephone (otherwise you’d moderately hold your telephone tucked safely away)we extremely advocate bringing alongside a journey pleasant pocket-sized Canon Powershot, which seems deceptively low cost and old style to potential thieves however really takes AMAZING images. That is what we used earlier than we finally upgraded to an expensive DSLR. For sweeping panorama photographs, a GoPro (or this cheaper equivalant) is a good alternative. Simply ensure you convey alongside a reminiscence card!
- Solar Powered Flashlight: This flashlight is superior, and tremendous helpful for locating the lavatory or navigating at evening. You’ll by no means want batteris and also you’ll all the time have just a little gentle while you want it. We hold ours clipped onto the skin of our backpacks so it’s charging every time we’re outdoors. Environmentally pleasant AND handy!
- e-Reader or Kindle: There’s nothing higher than spending a complete, luxurious afternoon laying in a hammock studying a extremely good e-book. However books are heavy and take up a variety of house in your baggage, so we want e-readers! Our Kindle Hearth is our fixed journey companion on planes and in hostels. (Besides we solely have one, so we’re consistently combating over it.)
Whew, that’s the whole lot! Do you’ve gotten any questions on what to pack for Costa Rica? Drop us a remark beneath!
Psst: In search of extra journey suggestions? Take a look at a few of our different useful posts!
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Our High Journey Ideas & Assets
Listed here are our favourite journey suggestions & sources for saving cash and planning journey logistics! For extra suggestions, try our complete guide to trip planning.
- Reserving Flights: To attain flight offers, search on Skyscanner or Kayak. Cash-saving suggestions: fly mid-week or on the weekend; fly carry-on solely on a funds airline; and take red-eyes or early morning flights.
- Lodging: We often keep in budget-friendly, trip leases, boutique accommodations or personal rooms in hostels. We use Booking.com to e-book accommodations (we love their versatile cancellation coverage) and Hostelworld to e-book hostels (low deposit, simple change/cancellation, and glorious critiques). For trip leases, we want to e-book utilizing VRBO (they have decrease charges and higher help than Airbnb, and we’re not followers of Airbnb’s unethical monitor file.) It’s also possible to e-book trip leases on Expedia and Hotels.com. We have additionally used TrustedHousesitters as each hosts (for our house and our fur-child) and vacationers!
- Journey Insurance coverage: We all the time, all the time, ALWAYS purchase journey insurance coverage for worldwide journeys, and we STRONGLY recommend it – go to our Travel Insurance Guide to search out out why. We advocate both World Nomads or SafetyWing for worldwide journey insurance coverage. SafetyWing is among the few insurance policies that covers Covid-19, they usually have glorious month-to-month insurance policies which are good for Digital Nomads and long run vacationers!
- Vaccines & Meds: We use the journey guides on the CDC website to analysis beneficial medicines and vaccines for worldwide journeys. We all the time advocate getting each vaccine beneficial by the CDC! You will get them at your main care physician’s workplace or a walk-in pharmacy.
- Excursions: We love reserving guided excursions, particularly meals excursions and strolling excursions, to get an area’s perspective and a historical past lesson whereas sight-seeing! We e-book our excursions utilizing Viator and GetYourGuide.
- Transportation: We use Rome2Rio to determine tips on how to get from place to put utilizing public transit. Once we e-book a rental automobile, we use Kayak to check rental firms and discover the perfect deal.
- Baggage Storage: Each time we’re trying out early or profiting from an extended layover, we use Stasher or LuggageHero to soundly retailer our baggage whereas we’re operating round. On Stasher, you should utilize the code PW10 for 10% off your reserving!
- What to Pack: Here are the travel essentials that we convey on each journey. We even have packing lists for hot weather, cold weather, and plenty of extra. Check out all of our packing guides!
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