What to Wear in Costa Rica for Any Type of Weather

Heading to Costa Rica and not certain what to pack? Regardless of whether you’re organizing on hitting up the shorelines of Manuel Antonio, hiking by means of the cloud forest in Monteverde, canoeing by the canals in Tortuguero, or all of the above, packing for these kinds of a assorted adventure can be a challenge.

Besides your selected locations in-region, you ought to also take into account the weather when selecting what to pack. There are two key seasons in Costa Rica: damp and dry. The damp year goes from May well to November, when there are recurrent large rainstorms, monsoons, and hurricanes. The dry season from December to April also sees some rain, specifically at superior altitudes, but is all round much more sunny and substantially hotter.

With these things in thoughts, here’s an epic packing record to assistance you put together for your future adventure in Costa Rica:

What to Wear in Costa Rica: Moist Season (May–November)

I visited Costa Rica all through the wet year, when there are storms pretty much each individual day all through most of the region. It could seem unappealing to go to these kinds of an outdoorsy locale in the course of this time, but obtaining been well prepared for the rain was a video game changer and manufactured it all worthy of it. All round, I would surely pay a visit to Costa Rica for the duration of the rainy season once more, as extensive as I was equally geared up.

To pack for this time of yr, here’s what I propose:

Clothing: provide layers

Besides getting ready myself for the rain, I also experienced to take into account that I would be visiting a assortment of climates. From packing beach front apparel for my days in Uvita and Manuel Antonio to currently being prepared for chilly mountain weather conditions in Monteverde, I experienced my get the job done reduce out for me.

Bringing layers is important. Deliver lightweight clothes that can be layered, so you’re ready for instantaneous improvements in climate and different climates alike.

Here’s the clothing I packed for just one thirty day period in Costa Rica all through the wet year:

With these, I had a multitude of various outfits to choose from without emotion like I experienced much too considerably clothing with me. Everything I introduced matched, so I felt place together although also staying snug. My complete preferred point I brought was my white linen button-down shirt, due to the fact it’s this kind of a great layering piece and seems to be classy over a uncomplicated outfit like the a person in the photograph previously mentioned.

Footwear: a lot less is more

Bringing extra than two pairs of shoes is a squander of room if you’re going someplace like Costa Rica. I packed my Blundstones and a pair of Tevas and that is it. My Blundstone chelsea boots are heavier, so I wore them on the aircraft and when touring, to continue to keep my bag lighter. My Tevas are watertight and excellent for mountaineering, particularly if there is a good deal of mud and water to wander by.

If I ended up to provide just one additional pair, I could possibly take into consideration some running sneakers, just for the reason that my Tevas took a extensive time to dry and I finished up carrying moist sneakers just about everywhere. Due to the fact the humidity is so superior for the duration of rainy year in Costa Rica, items take substantially lengthier to dry. This was not a big offer to me, but may well be to anyone who cannot stand possessing wet feet.

Components: hold it everyday

I opted for the most straightforward accessories doable. Just a pair of gold hoop earrings and very simple black sun shades had been enough to elevate my outfits just a tiny bit without getting flashy.

Since it’s not very sunny in Costa Rica during the soaked year, I did not see a need to have for a sunshine hat that would take up a ton of area in my bag. I did convey a baseball cap, just for a bit of sunshine defense on the days when I went out for hikes.

In this article are the equipment I introduced:

Toiletries: opt for solids each time attainable

I’m just one of individuals vacationers that endlessly anxieties about liquids spilling in my bag, so I opt for reliable merchandise generally for that cause. Nevertheless, solid merchandise are also a wonderful plastic-absolutely free choice and at times even previous longer than liquid items. For items like moisturizers, sunscreen, and bug spray, it’s harder to find them in strong type, sadly.

These are the toiletries that I brought for a person thirty day period in Costa Rica:

What to Don in Costa Rica: Dry Period (December–April)

The temperature during the dry season is substantially hotter in numerous elements of Costa Rica, as there is far more sunshine and a lot less rain to break the heat. I generally listened to Costa Ricans phone this season “summer,” even though it starts in December (when it’s winter north of the equator).

As significantly as what to wear all through dry season, the packing checklist I suggest is very similar to the soaked period, but with a handful of variants that will aid prepare you for the heat and sunshine.

Garments: uncomplicated, breezy, and at ease

For the duration of the dry year, keeping interesting is the identify of the recreation, as temperatures soar. Provide outfits that are airy, dry rapidly, and are relaxed over all else. Go for fabrics like cotton or linen, which are a lot more breathable. To make it a lot easier to produce outfits that you truly want to wear, make confident all the things follows the exact same shade plan, extra or significantly less. That way you can mix and match and not truly feel like you are carrying the identical outfit just about every working day.

Here’s what I advise for what to use in Costa Rica during the dry year:

Footwear, components, and toiletries

I really do not see a great deal will need for variation in footwear, equipment, and toiletries from soaked year to dry period. If I ended up heading to Costa Rica throughout dry year, I would bring the exact same sneakers I introduced for soaked period. For equipment, I may well add a floppy solar hat to secure my experience from the severe rays on the beach front. My toiletries would keep the same, but I would bring an anti-chafing adhere (my thick-thighed sisters know the drill) and increased SPF sunscreen for my experience.

Backpack vs. Rolling Baggage

Usually speaking, for any vacation spot the most crucial variable when selecting whether or not to convey a backpack or rolling luggage is your decided on mode of transportation. If you are renting a auto or only going to a person spot for the entirety of your excursion, a rolling suitcase may well make sense for you. Nonetheless, if you’re setting up on working with general public transportation and will be going all over a good deal that way, a backpack is certainly the way to go.

Backpacks & working day packs

For me, it was a sport changer to learn backpacks that could unzip like a suitcase. I utilized to dread obtaining to fish out clothes products from my top rated-loading backpack, which designed being arranged significantly far more of a inconvenience. I advise this Osprey 70L pack for lengthier trips, which zips open the way a suitcase would and arrives with a water resistant go over to guard it from the rain.

Obtaining a day pack is important in Costa Rica, as there’s so much to do outdoor. I put in really minor time in my lodging through my thirty day period there, leaving early in the morning and returning in the evening. So I introduced every thing I desired for the day with me in my working day pack. I have this just one from Everlane, which I really like this a person from REI is just as cute and a little bit more compact.

(If you want to uncover the great one for you, never miss out on this complete manual to picking out a journey backpack.)

Rolling baggage

If you rent a auto and are not apprehensive about lugging your bags all over, working with a suitcase might be truly worth it. Specifically if you go for a tricky shell suitcase, it’s less complicated to keep your factors organized and safe and sound from having smashed in transit.

If you are checking a bag, I advise this difficult-shell rolling suitcase from REI. It is resilient and has anti-microbial technology that inhibits the expansion of micro organism, which is a large moreover taking into consideration how humid the temperature is in Costa Rica.

If you only want to deliver a carry-on, this challenging-shell suitcase is just a smaller variation.

Trying to keep your matters organized

No matter whether you convey a backpack or a suitcase, packing cubes are a have to if you want to maintain your points arranged. I specially like clear/dirty packing cubes and sets like this just one, which have numerous compartments.

Before I applied packing cubes, it was constantly a wrestle to maintain my bag arranged, which can be disheartening when you’re touring from put to position immediately. Now that I use them, I simply cannot imagine touring without having them. Immediately after all, how are you heading to come to a decision what to wear if you just cannot see any of the objects in your bag?

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From what to use in Costa Rica to what bag to put every thing in, I hope this manual aids you put together for an incredible excursion.

What other things would you add to your record?

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