Packing for Costa Rica is not as simple as tossing swimsuits and flip-flops into a suitcase. Between tropical beaches, cooler mountain towns, muddy adventure tours, and rainy season weather, what you pack can make a big difference in how comfortable your trip feels. After more than 50 trips to Costa Rica, I’ve learned that lightweight, practical, quick-dry items are the key to packing smart.
This Costa Rica packing list covers exactly what to bring for beaches, rainforests, family travel, and adventure activities, including clothing, medications, baby gear, and the travel essentials I never leave home without.
If you just want to know my top recommendations for packing instead of reading this post, you can look here.
Costa Rica Packing List – What To Know
Packing for any international trip can be overwhelming, but packing for your Costa Rica vacation can be especially difficult. Even though it’s a small country, there are a wide variety of climates, activities, places to go, and types of transportation to take into consideration.
You should consider your type of transportation when planning your Costa Rica packing list. For example, if you are planning to rent a car in Costa Rica, you may have a little bit more leeway in your packing, as you can take suitcases that are a bit bigger. (Do keep in mind that cars, in general, are smaller in Costa Rica, and that includes the trunk space.) Also, check the activities you are planning to do as some require closed-toed shoes.
You should also consider how many climate zones you are visiting in Costa Rica. For example, if you are only visiting the beach, you will not need as many clothes as you would if you are visiting La Fortuna or Monteverde, where the weather gets cooler at night. Make sure to do your own research about the weather in Costa Rica for your specific area when you think about packing.
Finally, you should consider local customs when visiting Costa Rica. Generally, people in the city dress nicely for every day. Think dresses, khaki pants, or nice jeans, closed-toed shoes or dressier sandals. If you are going to dinner or to a local’s house in the city, you should not dress like you are going to the beach.
When packing with kids, there are some additional packing tips, which I have included here as well. Let’s get started with the ultimate Costa Rica packing list! Pura vida!
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Baby Gear- Costa Rica With Kids
We all know that traveling with kids brings a new set of Costa Rica packing list considerations. I’ll tell you what you can get there and what you can’t.
| Item | Pros | Cons | My Take |
| Stroller | Useful in the airport | Sidewalks are generally terrible, so if using an umbrella stroller, don’t bother Can’t take on many excursions Many don’t fit in the rental car trunks | Leave at home |
| Baby Carrier | Easy to walk/hike with baby Easy to pack/doesn’t take up much space | Can get hot | Take your favorite one, don’t buy something new |
| Car Seats | Safety. Note that if you are renting from Adboe Rental Car, they include these for free, and the forward-facing ones are in good condition. | Safety. Note that if you are renting from Adobe Rental Car, they include these for free, and the forward-facing ones are in good condition. | Take your own rear-facing, take your own if not renting a car |
| Diapers/wipes | You know they fit and what brand you like | Take up a lot of space, easy to get there | Take enough for the initial trip there and home, make a quick stop to buy them once you get there |
| Pack and Play | Your baby is used to it. Sleep is key! | Take up a lot of space. | We always took ours. They are hard to find in stores there, and the ones at hotels and vacation rentals were never very nice. |
| Snacks | You can bring exactly what your kids like | Take enough for the initial trip there and home, and make a quick stop to buy them once you get there | Easy to get at grocery stores- national brand chips, cookies, and granola bars are cheap and delicious. Fruit is easy to come by. |
Note: Once you determine the specific area to which you are travelling, you can sometimes get onto Facebook groups and find locals who are renting or lending baby equipment.
First Grocery Stop in Costa Rica
The following items are really easy to get in Costa Rica, so I just grab them at our initial grocery stop.
- Hand sanitizer
- Face masks
- Toilet paper (I always have one with me)
- Kleenex
- Hand sanitizer
- Diapers/wipes
- Snacks
- Knife/Cutting Board
- Ziplock Bags
Note- in the larger metropolitan areas of Costa Rica (such as San Jose and Liberia), there are Wal-Marts where you can buy many of the things we have in the US.
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Medicines For Costa Rica
Pharmacies in Costa Rica generally do not require prescriptions for many of the meds that we need scripts for in the USA, but if your kid gets sick and pharmacies aren’t close by or open, it can be good to have a few of the meds you need with you.
- Insect repellent (dengue fever and malaria are minor concerns; you can read more about mosquitoes in Costa Rica here)
- Any of your prescription medications
- Allergy medicine
- Anti-itch cream
- Ibuprofen- for some reason, it is really easy to get acetaminophen in Costa Rica, but I have trouble finding Ibuprofen
- Cough/cold medicine (if you forget, make sure to buy Tusilexil in Costa Rica, it is the BEST cold med- I bring it home with me from Costa Rica on every trip!)
- Anti-diarrheal (if you are worried your child has gotten a bacterial infection, you can ask for Diacort at the pharmacy, and it will clear right up)
- Pepto Bismol (can’t get it there for some reason)
- Antibiotics (I do not take antibiotics with me. I ask my primary care doc for the dosing for my kids, and I write it down. If I need an antibiotic, I take the dosing to the pharmacy there and ask for what I need)
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Gear For Costa Rica
These are the day-to-day essential items you will want ot stay comfortable on your trip.
- Diaper bag (if applicable)
- Day pack
- Reusable water bottle for each member of the family. You CAN drink the tap water in Costa Rica, so bringing a reusable water bottle is a great idea. We like the double-walled ones.
- Sunscreen (try for reef-friendly, please.) Note that sunscreen in Costa Rica is extremely expensive, so bring it from home, and bring the highest UV protection possible
- Bug spray – this is more widely available in Costa Rica in recent years, but it is usually the DEET. We use this natural repellent and love it.
- Security belt
- Travel umbrella
- Earplugs (between the birds chirping, the muffler-less cars, and the weed whackers, you will want some if you are a light sleeper)
- Just for fun – Physical Costa Rica map, Costa Rica Guidebook, these wildlife guides. My kids like to look at these while we are driving.
RELATED POST: Top Family Activities in Costa Rica
Technology For Costa Rica
There are different levels of comfort with what technology you will need in Costa Rica, and I’ve written a complete guide to cell phones in Costa Rica here. Technology is more expensive in Costa Rica, so do take care of it so that it doesn’t get stolen.
- Cell phone (load Google Maps, Waze, and WhatsApp)
- SIM card (if you want to buy one ahead of time)
- Car chargers – I never know if there is going to be a USB or C cable needed in the rental car, so I take both
RELATED POST: Costa Rica Safety Guide For Families
Documents For Costa Rica
- Passports (please make sure your passport does not expire within 90 days of the return date)
- Debit cards and credit cards– if you want to know more about currency in Costa Rica read this post
- Travel insurancehttps://puravidamoms.com/world-nomads-travel-insurance/ docs (if you choose to purchase)
- Boarding passes/flight information (you may be required to show return flight info at immigration, and I like to have mine saved on my phone just in case I can’t get on the internet)
RELATED POST: 7 Days in Costa Rica – With Kids!
Clothing For Costa Rica
It is very hard to get clothing to dry in the tropical climate of Costa Rica, especially cotton. You can dry items on the air conditioners if your hotel room has them, but make sure to either take lightweight non-cotton fabric or enough clothing to have a change of clothes for your entire trip.
If you decide on a vacation rental in Costa Rica, I always check if there is a washer/dryer so that we can take fewer clothing items. Not all of them have a washer and a dryer.
- tank tops
- short-sleeve shirts
- long sleeves (I usually only need one, can protect from mosquitos better than mosquito repellent )
- light jacket (if visiting the Central Valley or higher elevations)
- shorts
- long pants (especially for horseback riding or for hiking in the forest to protect your legs)
- bra/underwear
- socks
- swimsuits
- cover-ups (I like to have rash guards with SPF already built-in)
- hats
- sunglasses
- shoes (read our complete guide to shoes in Costa Rica, but the short version is, for the kids, we do Crocs, and when hiking, we wear socks with them. I also take old tennis shoes and then just leave them there when we are done.
- rain jacket (in the rainy season) I used to use the $1 ponchos, but my neck would always get wet, so we have transitioned to using rain jackets exclusively.
- contact lenses and glasses
What Not To Pack
- Jewelry – you most likely won’t need it, and if you don’t take it, you don’t need to worry about it
- Tons of cash– you can get cash at the ATMs- see the Costa Rica currency post here for more info
If you would like to talk to me about a customized itinerary or specific Costa Rica travel advice for your family, (zero sales- just advice!) check out my “Ask Christa” page for more information on custom Costa Rica trip planning geared towards families.
