What to Pack for Costa Rica — by region

Start here: which Costa Ricas are you visiting?

Before the list, look at your itinerary and tick the regions. Almost everything else follows from this.

The core list — everywhere, every month

• Light packable rain jacket — not a heavy shell. Rain is warm and brief; a thick jacket just makes you sweat
• Reef-safe sunscreen — the sun here is close to the equator and stronger than most visitors expect, including on cloudy days
• Insect repellent — most needed at dawn and dusk, in the lowlands and on the Caribbean side
• Closed shoes you don't mind ruining — trails are muddy, and many hanging-bridge and waterfall sites require closed footwear
• Quick-dry clothing — cotton stays wet for a very long time in this humidity
• Dry bag or waterproof phone pouch — for boat trips, rafting, waterfalls and sudden downpours
• Reusable water bottle — tap water is drinkable in most of the country, including San José and the main tourist towns
• Small daypack — for the day you leave the suitcase at the hotel

Plugs and voltage: Costa Rica uses the same 110V and flat two-pin plugs as the United States and Canada. Travellers from the US and Canada need no adapter; visitors from Europe, the UK and Australia do.

Add these, by region

Monteverde & the cloud forest

• A fleece or light insulated jacket. This is the item people regret not bringing more than any other
• Long trousers — evenings get cool
• A hat that won't blow off. Monteverde is genuinely windy
• Shoes with grip: trails and hanging bridges are often wet

La Fortuna & Arenal

• Swimwear you can wear twice a day — hot springs in the evening, waterfall in the morning
• Flip-flops for the hot springs, plus proper shoes for trails
• An umbrella. Locals use them constantly; it's more practical than a jacket in warm rain
• A second pair of shoes, so you're never putting on wet ones

Guanacaste & the dry Pacific

• More sun protection than you think — hat, sunglasses, long-sleeve rash guard. This is the hottest, driest, most exposed region
• Electrolyte tablets or sachets if you're active in the heat
• Light, loose clothing — and something smarter if you're staying at a resort

Caribbean & the humid south Pacific

• Extra repellent. Wetter, greener, more insects
• Anything that dries fast — humidity here is relentless and clothes don't dry overnight
• A dry bag, if you didn't already pack one

What you can leave at home

• Heavy hiking boots. Trail runners or light closed shoes are better in this heat and mud
• A hairdryer. Nearly every hotel has one, and the humidity wins anyway
• Lots of "nice" clothes. Costa Rica is informal almost everywhere — one smart outfit is plenty
• Bulky beach towels. Hotels provide them; a quick-dry travel towel covers the rest
• A big supply of toiletries. Supermarkets in every tourist town carry the usual brands

A word about luggage and vehicles

This is the part a driver notices that a packing list never mentions. Our vehicles are sized by passengers, but suitcases take space too. Five adults with five large suitcases and carry-ons don't fit the same way five adults with backpacks do.

So when you book, tell us how many bags and roughly what size — and mention surfboards, golf clubs, baby seats or bicycles. It costs nothing to say, and it's the difference between a comfortable drive and a puzzle at the kerb. Child seats are free on request.

Travelling with a board? See how to travel with a surfboard in Costa Rica. Not sure when to come? Best time to visit explains the seasons by region.