| Tips on what to pack for a trip to Costa Rica, posted by real travelers and Costa Rica locals. Map |
 | Costa Rica Packing Lists | Tips 1 - 10 of 83 |  |
 frog by frank_delargy
Get those pants that you remove the legs and they turn into shorts.. lots of pockets for carrying stuff.
Bring everything you might need. Although they have medicine here, it is not the familiar brands and you could have an adventure just getting Pepto Bismo or Tums..
You can buy film almost anywhere, but memory cards for digital cameras were harder to find and not cheap... bring an extra because you will use what you have!! Bring an extra battery too!
Our headlamps.. those things that you wear on your head were great for finding poison dart Frogs and other creatures at night because when you wear them the reflection of their eyes comes right back at you,. You can even see little tiny spider eyes everywhere (this is true everywhere)
Binoculars are a requirement if you want to get a better look at that sloth that people are pointing to.
I also like to bring a little magnifying glass or loupe to look at very small things (like insects)
Plastic zip bags for putting stuff into that you don't want to get damp. This is especially useful in the more humid areas. Leave a Comment
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 hiking gear: hat against
sun/rain, shades, bag...! by BEETLE_VERTE
I made myself color sacks to seperate all my clothes (2 squares of fabric sown together and closed at the top with a string): one for the t-shirts, one for the undergarnments, one for the pants and shorts, ... Every thing was easier to identify, access and pack and it kept breathing if not completely dry. A must!
Shorts and t-shirts, bathing suit, towel for the beach (a quick drying towel would be a must and I missed having one), long pant, long leaves sweater, fleece, 2 paires of shoes (as one will get wet for sure), sandals, rainjacket, hat. No need for up-scales clothes except if you really want it. Don't bring too much (I epurated my luggage twice and still didn't use all my clothes!!)
Sunscreen (a bottle per couple per week), mosquito repellent (althought we didn't used it as much as we anticipated), headaches medicine (the sun is too hard!!! or maybe it's the Imperial...), first aid kit, laundry soap. Eye drop and complete contact lenses kit (the dry dusty air in Jaco, Fortuna and Monteverde got the best of me...). Anti-malaria drugs (Aralen) if visiting the east coast. Everything you use on a daily basis.
Zoom lens to catch the birds and monkeys. Polarising filter for the ocean pics. Tripod if you can. Films and battery are somewhat expensive there.
Quick drying towel. Sandals. Hat. Bathing suit. Little swiss knife (most useful for cuting mango and avocado...!). We bought a long knife, like a bread knife, once there (2$ at the supermarket) and carry it throught out the trip to cut big fruits like melon and pineapple. Left it at the last hotel.
Spanish dictionnary, map, guide book, note pad and pen, bird watching book, shades, Ziploc bags of all sizes and garbage bags, binocular, flashlight, alarm and/or wrist-watch.
What we brought and didn't use: phrasebook.
What we didn't brought and missed: quickdrying towel, calculator (currency conversion).
Best items: color coded sacks for the backpack
Not every hotels, restaurant and tour operator accept credit cards and not every hotels, restaurant and tour operator accept travelers. If you don't want to carry everything in cash, I strongly suggest to carefuly balance your budget between cash, traveler checks and credit card (visa most accepted but I didn't had problem with my MC). Leave a Comment
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To keep my luggage weight down I use a soft, medium sized backpack. This year I had enough clothes to last me 4 weeks plus add in a huge bag of souveniers from Sarchi.
Lightweight and layers are the key. It does get cool up in the mountains and in the central valley so having a long sleeve shirt/light sweater/light jacket is a good idea. I have a lightweight rain jacket that also doubles as a regular jacket if I get cool. The rainforests and clouds forests are named that for a reason so having some kind of rain gear is a good idea. Those very cheap emergency ponchos don't take up much room but come in handy. Those zip off long pants/shorts come in handy also. Keep in mind that if you are planning any in country flights, there is a 25lb weight limit on both your regular luggage and carry on. Laundry services are plentiful.
For shoes, I like the lighter all terrain hiking shoes rather than boots. They dry fairly quickly and don't weigh as much. Tevas and or a pair of flip flops should be all you need. Except for a limited number of places, Costa Rica is a very casual place so dressing up is not done much.
Bring small bottles of the things you really like, inparticular, shampoos etc and toss them as you use them to create souvenier room. Most everyday toiletries can be purchased down there but NAFTA has not reached CR yet so they will be more expensive. Do remember plenty of DEET, Sun Tan Lotion and your medicines.
Bring your battery charger but also bring plenty of batteries as there are places that don't have outlets to plug things in. Again, bring plenty of film as it is more expensive down there.
Flashlight. Costa Rica is 95% electrified but it is a developing country and the lights do go out. There are also some wonderful places to go that do not have full electricity. There is also the chance you might want to go on a night hike. Leave a Comment
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[ ]Flu shot & Hepatitis A vaccination - NO LATER THAN 3 WEEKS BEFORE THE TRIP
[ ]Anti-malarial pills – chloroquine taken once weekly in a dosage of 500 mg, starting one week before arrival and continuing through the trip and for four weeks after the end of your stay [ ]Prescription for an antibiotic such as Ciphro in order to treat traveler's diarrhea (TD)
[ ]Passport and copy of Passport
[ ]Travelers checks and copy of
[ ]Airline tickets and copy of
[ ]Health Insurance Card and copy of
[ ]Master Card & Contacts
[ ]U.S. $ in small denominations
[ ]$30 airport tax upon for departure
[ ]Emergency Information (medical, itinerary, contacts)
[ ]SNACKS
[ ]Book/Journal/Pens
[ ]Baby Wipes
[ ](2) 1L Water Bottles
[ ]Money belt
[ ]Light rain jacket
[ ]Hat & Sunglasses
[ ]Walking shoes (Nike AGC), Light hikingboots, and Sandals
[ ]Hooded sweatshirt
[ ]Head lamp + batteries
[ ]Cargo/BDU Pants
[ ]Shorts
[ ]T-Shirts
[ ]Sox & Underwear
[ ]Long Sleeve Shirts
[ ]Light Work gloves (gardening style)
[ ]Swimsuit
[ ]BIG (1G) Zip Lock Bags
[ ]Camera
[ ]Binoculars
[ ]Water purifier and Iodine tablets
[ ]Large Towel and washcloth
[ ]Light Sleeping Bag & Pad
[ ]Tent
[ ]Stove and mess kit
[ ]Compass and Map
[ ]Walkie-talkies (>5 mi range)
[ ]Mosquito Netting
[ ]Pacsafe Security Systems
[ ]Needle and Thread
[ ]Webbing and light nylon cord
[ ]Signal Whistle
[ ]Daypack
[ ]Insect repellent (at least 30% DEET)
[ ]Sunscreen (SPF 30 and up) and Zinc Oxide
[ ]Soap /Shampoo/Toothbrush/Floss/Tooth Paste (Biodegradible products)
[ ]Anti-Bacterial
[ ]Aloe vera gel
[ ]First-aid kit
o Anti-itch ointment & antihistamine
o Blister Kit
o Tweezers
o Compression bandages
o Ibuprophen / pain killers Leave a Comment
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 Bird watching by kyoub
Long pants,long sleeves, sun hat, walking shoes or boots are all a must..
You better have a rain poncho handy also in case of an afternoon shower.
Take plenty of insect repellant, the mosquitoes can be fierce in some places.
Witch Hazel is good to ease the itching on the bites that you do get.
Take plenty of film or a very large memory card.
Take what you will need because it won't be available once you are out of the city.
You must take your binoculars or you will miss a lot of birds. Leave a Comment
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It is best to travel with a rucksack instead of suitcases. In most of the cases (especially when visiting Corcovado and Tortuguero regions) you will travel by boat any may have to wade a bit in the water. Suitcases are also cumbersome to load on a boat or bus.
It is always quite hot in Costa Rica so summer clothes are a must. Opt for light trousers instead of shorts because of the mosquitos, chiggers and other pests. Get quick drying clothes (jeans take forever to dry) and get at least 3 changes as getting clothes to dry is a nightmare and the frequent rain and the presence of a lot of mud will ensure that you will really need to dry your clothes!
If you plan to stay or visit the mountains a warm sweatshirt or light jacket is a good idea as it can get quite chilly.
Waterproof ponchos and trousers are a good idea - but never leave your umbrella at home! Since it is quite hot waterproof clothes can be quite uncomfortable.
Hiking boots are essential - running shoes will simply not do. Get a pair of sandals or flip flops as well to stay comfortable while not hiking or for walks on the beach.
Mosquito repellents are a must! Use strong ones with DEET in them to deter the pests! Also get some creams to soothe itching as some mosquitos will still manage to get a bite! Malaria tablets are a must as well.
In most of costa rica it is not safe to drink tap water so a few water purification tablets come in quite handy.
Neverthless to say, as for any trip bring along cameras and video cameras! Waterproof pouches for them should not be forgotten! Bring plenty of films (at least 10 or 12) as they are hard to buy and I assure you will want to take plenty of photographs in Costa Rica! If you have a digital camera make sure that you have a large capacity card.
A binoculars is a must to observe the wildlife better. Books about wildlife help you find out more and identify the things you see. Leave a Comment
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 Don't forget the Ponchos by hotrodgirl
Bandaids, sunscreen
Digital SD cards and memory sticks are hard to find, but availavble in the larger towns. Definitely bring a camera with a good zoom, or bring a wide angle lens.
Ponchos and umbrellas for the rain and cloud forests. We used them often! A cap came in handy as well.
Mosquito repellent is a must, with a good content of DEET. Even with this on, we were bitten several times. Binoculars and a flashlight are helpful, and batteries. Leave a Comment
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 It can get a bit damp
underfoot by zweiblumen
Take waterproofs because it will rain and it can rain a lot and for a long time.
As I always suggest, sturdy footwear .. that you don't mind getting muddy.
A sunhat is essential.
Strong sunblock because when it's not raining it's sunning (?!) and it can sun a lot :-)
I would also advise taking precautions against malaria Chloroquine tablets are recommended but consult your doctor/pharmacist beforehand for up to date advice.
A good zoom lens for those wildlife pictures, I recommend a maximum zoom of at least 200mm.
Waterproofs, umbrella (ideal for when you want to take photos when it's raining) Leave a Comment
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 coast of Montezuma by gcmm
Remember that most small airlines will charge you per pound on anything over 25lbs
per person.
Please bring lite clothing, it gets very hot here. Suntan lotion and glasses you will need. Bring light shoes and a pair of sneakers for any hiking or quading you may do. a lite coat or parka if your going to the cloud forest in Monteverde.
What i found useful was a pair of sweat pants that have the zipper bottoms , so you can make them into shorts.
Wear these on the plane going down if you are leaving from the cold and take off the bottoms on the plane. Than on your way back just reverse the process.
They also come in handy in the cloud forest....
Depending on were you are most places have the basics. I do recommend that you bring some anti-biotics just in case...
Bring all your perscription medicin with you also..
Also any personal items you may want,tooth brush etc.
Please bring plenty of film..If you have a digital camera than make sure you have a large card 256 meg at least.
We have a Canon A80 4 Megapixel and i had it set to the highest settings , it was able to take over 300 .pictures.
If you plan on going to the cloud forest make sure your camera is water proof...
Also bring extra batteries if you don't want to pay alot more.
Bring a towel for the beach
Bring a small mesh bag for carrying things, maybe a tupperware bowl with cover and cotton balls so you can pack sea shells,and other things that you find so they won't break on your trip home.
Also please remember that you have a $26 departure tax to pay if it was not part your trip.
Bring your own suntan lotion and lots of it, otherwise expect to pay alot.
Also expect when you leave the main airport that some one will grab your bags to bring to your transport and expect to be paid.They will almost take it out of your hands. If you don't feel comfortable with this just tell them no..
****Also please remember your passport.This is very important and it must not be read expire within 90 days of youe departure, ex if your travel date is say march 1 2004 and your passport expire april 1 2004 , they might not let you on the plane (leaving usa etc to go to costa rica). This happened at Atlanta airport to one lady who was in shock about this, so please check and make sure so you will not have any problems... Leave a Comment Website: CostaRica.com Other Contact: www.tourism-costarica.com
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Hiking Shoes - some of those trails are bad... if its muddy you might want to rent one of those Rubber Boots
Disposable Water Proof Cameras - for those snorkeling trips or waterfall encounters
Snorkeling Gear - We didnt bring ours because of the weight limit on the domestic plane but we should've. You can also rent them there.
Insect Repellant - Some trails have really nasty mosquitoes that will follow you wherever you go.. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... I'm still scratching my legs as I type right now
Flashlight - We brought them because we know we were going to be on a Night Tour but it actually came in handy when there was a black out in Monteverde Leave a Comment
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