A cute girl's guide on how to pack for Costa Rica on a budget. Saving Tips on How to Pack for a Beach Holiday in Costa Rica. Tips that include a 50+ item list. Packing Light for a Holiday.
“What do I need to pack for Costa Rica? '' I will help you out. I believe I have mastered packing light, but I know it's still hard to decide what to bring especially if you're a fashionista with so many options. Packing light is more stress-free and allows you to stick to what you initially planned. If I'm travelling for 7 days, I usually will pack 8 shirts. I've been the girl to pack 20 'just in case' shirts on a 5 day trip and it resulted in feeling overwhelmed on what to wear. Packing less will also leave you more space to pack for shopping or the unexpected.
Costa Rica has many different climates, so depending on the place/time you go, you need to pack accordingly. Overall, the country stays warm year-round but has dry and rainy seasons. I went during the dry season for 9 days and it only rained once for a little in Arenal. Regardless of what the weather says, in a place as tropical as Costa Rica, it's smart to prepare for any weather.
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Check out my Blog: Best Time to Visit Costa Rica
Month I went: Early February
Places I visited:
La Fortuna (Province of Alajuela) -town in the northern region of Costa Rica easily accessible from San Jose, The Caribbean, Pacific, or Guanacaste.
Tamarindo Beach (Guanacaste Province)
Things to consider before packing for Costa Rica
Climate and weather conditions
Activities you're planning to do
Duration of your stay
Transportation options
Accommodation types
Essential items to pack for Costa Rica
Travel documents: passport, visa, flight tickets, travel insurance
Clothes
I went to my local thrift shop (Plato's Closet) in Toronto, days before my trip and got lucky with a lot of name brands, saving me hundreds of dollars! Go to a thrift shop in a nice/expensive area, that's where people donate the best clothes! For things I couldn't find, I headed over to trusty Amazon, and ordered a bunch of things with Prime 1 day shipping (the best!)
How people dress in Costa Rica: Most people dress casual, nothing over the top/flashy but of course you are free to where whatever you want. Clothes that dry fast are recommended.
Images below are all recommendations and suggestions I think would be perfect for your trip.
Flowy dresses (I packed 2)
Jumpsuits/rompers (I packed 1)
Shorts (2)
Skirts (1)
Your most comfortable leggings (2)
Long flowy pants (1)
Cute crop tops (8)
Loose flowy tops (2)
Light Weight Sweater/Cardigan
Workout outfits/ hiking clothes/ 2 piece sets for outdoor sports(3) - can thrift good
quality brands like Lululemon, Aritzia for as low as $10!
Swimsuits with beach throw overs/wraps (5)
Pajamas/Comfy big soft t-shirt (5) - A big soft cotton T-shirt comes in handy
specially if you accidentally fall asleep on the beach during peak sun and get full body sunburn but...life could be worse.
Lots of underwear (go crazy) A comfortable T shirt bra (La senza)
Very light rain jacket- thrifted one for $15
Rings/accessories
Shoes
Especially during high season (hot) I was at the beach every day in Tamarindo. So I had my favorite flip flops and sandals as my go-to's, maybe you want to bring a pair of heels for nightlife. My favorite black Sneakers for excursions. (3) Packing only 3 saved me so much space.
Toiletries
Costa Rica especially in the tourist areas like Tamarindo is EXPENSIVE so bringing your own stuff saves a lot! You can get most of this stuff from the dollar store!
Pack most of your toiletries in Clear Toiletry packs, making sure any liquids are all under 100 ml, airport security approved.
Hair: brush, shampoo, conditioner, leave in, gel, hair ties, bobby pins etc.
Skin: Facewash (your skincare)
SAVING TIP: Bring Raw Shea Butter or an organic oil like jojoba oil ($5) which is multi-use, acting as a face lotion, body cream, makeup remover, lip balm, razor bumps/in-grown after-care, sun burn treatment etc.
Makeup: Since Costa Rica is mostly hot or rainy. Packing light makeup is recommended. Waterproof mascara, concealer, blush and lip products is all you need.
Sun screen: a MUST, who wants to visibly age? The Costa Rican sun during the dry season is STRONG okay. I got my first ever sunburn there. For face, body and lips (SPF Chapstick). Go higher on the SPF the easier you are to burn. A mineral sunscreen is good if by the ocean.
Oral care: Mouthwash, toothbrush/paste, floss
Deodorant
Hand Sanitizer
Period care
Pain killer/medicine
Shavers
Other ESSENTIALS:
Insect Protection! Mosquitos LOVE me and leave me with bites that look like an exotic poisonous spider bit me, so I learned my lesson with this.
Waterproof phone case and day backpack
Headphones/Charger/Portable Charger (essential)
Plastic bag for wet/dirty clothes
Baseball hat, sun hat, or headscarf as a cute accessory
Sunglasses
Umbrella if going during rainy season
Cash
Hope this helped in any way and hope this vacation is better than you dreamed of:)
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Plan on going to Costa Rica or any hot country? Have any questions about what to pack? Have you been to Costa Rica, if so what was your packing experience or overall trip like? Please comment down below, I would love to hear about it!
Until the next trip, adios! <3
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