Want to visit Costa Rica, but aren’t sure what to pack for winter travel? With my dry- season packing list, I’ll make sure you are prepared!

• With my detailed winter (“dry season”) Costa Rica packing list, you will save time and can rest assured you won’t be caught without an important item.
• I’ve traveled here multiple times (including living here for several months), and refined my packing list with each trip.
• This list will work for you whether you’re planning a low key Costa Rica beach vacation, or an action-filled outdoorsy adventure. 🥾 I’ve done it both ways, and this list has you covered!

One of the challenges packing for a trip to Costa Rica is the unpredictable weather. With temperatures varying depending on terrain, it’s tough to say what you will encounter.

To help you prepare, here are a few tips for what to pack for Costa Rica in winter (or fall!) for my fellow ladies. This list should work for travel between September and March.

⇒Read More: My itinerary for 10 days in Costa Rica

Seasons in Costa Rica:

First, you should understand the seasons here. The land of pura vida experiences just two main seasons: dry season and rainy season.

DRY SEASON (December to April)
This is typically considered the best time to visit, especially for beach lovers. You can generally hope for plenty of sunshine, less humidity, and less rainfall. The animals (including SLOTHS!!) are more active during this time too.

Temperature wise, the coastal areas reach highs of 85°F to 95°F (29°C to 35°C), while the Central Valley (such as in the capital of San Jose) is cooler, more like 70°F to 80°F (21°C to 27°C).

RAINY SEASON (May to November)
Known for almost daily afternoon showers, this season will also be more humid. The temperatures are still warm, generally between 75°F and 85°F (24°C to 29°C), but it can feel hotter due to the humidity.

While mornings are often sunny, you can basically expect rain in the afternoons or evenings almost every day; particularly in September and October.

REGIONAL VARIATIONS- While the weather is dependent on where in the country you’re going, generally it will be warmer and more humid near the coasts, and cooler and rainier in the cloud forests or central valley (especially at higher elevations).

IN SUMMARY:

• Dry Season: 5% to 15% chance of rain daily

• Rainy Season: 40% to 80% chance of rain daily

Dress in Layers!

When packing for your winter trip to Costa Rica, I have one key tip: dress in layers! Although you may think “dry season” will truly be dry every day, that isn’t always the case.

With that, I’d recommend a day-bag or small stylish backpack (versus a purse) to wear each day. This way you can add and remove clothing as needed, and have room for essentials like rain gear, bug spray, sunscreen, and more.

The Right Shoes are Key

I’ve found that in Costa Rica, packing athletic hiking sandals (such as Tevas or Chacos) is your best bet. They really are so versatile! You can basically wear these every day, and in almost all situations.

You can wear them to go swimming, or to protect your feet on a pebbly beach. They are sturdy enough to hike in. They’ll stay on your feet if you go white-water rafting or kayaking. They are stylish enough to wear out and about in the city. You get it…

The only time you might want to have different shoes is if you’ll be lounging by the pool often, or going out to nicer venues or restaurants.

You may also want to pack sturdy hiking boots you can wear with socks, especially if you’ll be going on longer hikes or in the higher elevation areas.

If casual gym shoes (like Adidas or New-Balance) are more your thing, those will work fine too!

Breathable or Moisture Wicking Fabrics

If you strive for peak comfort, try to get higher quality fabrics. If you’ll be doing a good deal of hiking or walking on your Costa Rica winter trip, you can easily break a sweet with the humidity.

If you get moisture-wicking hiking pants and shirts, you will feel much better overall! If you can find water repellant items too, go for it!

General Rule 

When it comes to fashion, Costa Rica is about as laid back as you can get. The vibe I get is that you can really wear whatever you like, and nobody will judge you for it.

The focus is more on practicality and comfort. Tourists are known for dressing in more outdoorsy style gear, while you’ll see locals more often wearing jeans and a t-shirt, or a dress and sandals.

For visitors, casual clothing is appropriate for most occasions. For a night dancing or out on the town, a cute dress or even just jeans and a fun top are fine!

Hiking and the Outdoors

If you plan to go hiking on your trip to Costa Rica, typically a good rain jacket is essential. For winter, or dry season, you should pack one in your bag- but its likely you won’t need it.

For footwear, water resistant hiking boots are ideal. 🥾 Quick-drying or lightweight hiking pants are also a good idea, along with quality hiking socks. 🧦

If your hikes won’t be anything too intense, I have found wearing my athletic sandals the whole time is totally fine too!

I usually wear hiking pants (long because of bugs), athletic sandals, a moisture-wicking t-shirt, and then pack a lightweight cotton jacket or rain jacket in the higher elevation areas.

Make sure to apply sunscreen and bug spray before you go out, and always bring sunglasses or a hat too. Of course a water bottle is a necessity too. The heat and humidity are no joke!

MY OFFICIAL LIST:

⇒Get a PDF checklist of what I packed, sent to your email!⇐

EXTRAS: With every trip, there are a few basic items I always bring. These include:

• Purchasing travel insurance! It’s cheaper than you think, and covers so much. I will NOT travel without it after having needed to rely on it several times over the years.

• My luggage of choice: checked bag size and carry on size

• Small combination padlock to keep on my purse/day bag to prevent theft

• Portable charger to keep in my purse for my cell phone & Packing cubes to stay organized

• Some sort of notebook or journal to jot down what I did each day

• See all my best travel safety, organization and packing items!

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