Costa Rica Packing List for Men and Women + Our Free Checklist

From watching sloths in the wild to walking on hanging bridges, from hiking in tropical forests to watching beach sunsets, it is all going to happen.

Your Costa Rica trip bookings are all done and now it is time to pack.

Packing for Costa Rica can feel tricky because the same itinerary can mean warm beach days, humid rainforest tours, and cooler evenings in the cloud forests.

In this Costa Rica packing list (plus a free checklist), we share our go-to, year-round essentials for men and women, plus a few smart extras that make travel days and excursions easier.

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Costa Rica Packing Essentials: Our Top Picks

EssentialOur pick(s)
1) Passport & copies + cards + small cashTravel document organizer
2) Insect repellentDEET repellent / DEET-free repellent
3) SunscreenReef safe water-resistant sunscreen
4) Anti-chafe stick for humidity, walkingAnti-chafe stick
5) Motion sickness relief for winding roads/boat tripsBands / Meds
6) DaypackDaypack with rain cover
7) Dry bag10L dry bag / 20L dry bag
8) Packable rain ponchoBackpack-cover poncho
9) Microfiber towel (waterfalls/beach; dries fast)Quick-dry towel
10) Quick-dry clothing but skip denimQuick-dry tops / Lightweight pants / shorts
11) Hiking water sandalsFor women,
For men
12) Insulated water bottle (stays cold on tours)Reusable insulated bottle

Keep reading for the entire Costa Rica packing list.

Luggage and Organization

Must pack

Nice-to-have

Optionals

Needless to say, the most important thing for any packing list is the luggage itself. Apart from your main luggage, we recommend bringing a daypack and a dry bag for your Costa Rica trip.

Main Luggage: Suitcase or Backpack

Depending on your style of travel and itinerary, choose a backpack or a suitcase. This will be your check-in luggage if you are flying.

Carry-on bag: overhead roller or travel backpack

The carry-on bag will be for your essentials to keep with you, during your flight, shuttles between destinations and hotels or in your rental car. We use a travel backpack as the second luggage of size 40L or less.

Daypack

Carry a daypack for your daily tours and outdoor adventures. Depending on the length of the trip, we carry it as a personal item or carry-on in flight or pack it in our bigger luggage to use it during day tours.

We use our daypacks for carrying our valuables, say things like wallets and keys, spare chargers, rain poncho, insect repellents and water bottles. Since it can rain anytime in Costa Rica, it is best to use waterproof backpacks as your daypack.

This 26L one from Osprey with rain cover is our pick from one of the most trusted brands, particularly if you are planning to visit Costa Rica during the rainy season or shoulder season.

Check out this water-resistant backpack that you can use as travel-friendly daypack, that you can carry in your bigger luggage. There are several color options to choose from. It is a lightweight option, easy to fold and fits into a pouch.

Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon

Dry Bag

There are no dearth of water activities in Costa Rica. Whether you are surfing the waves or soaking in the hot springs or hiking to the stunning waterfalls or kayaking in the lakes or rafting in the rivers, there is a very good chance you will get wet.

So, a dry bag is an absolute essential on your Costa Rica packing list to securely store your belongings during all the water adventures.

Here is our dry bag pick, that you can use for all kinds of water activities in Costa Rica, like kayaking, surfing and swimming.

It is a roll-top variant which helps keep things secure inside, and comes in various color options and also in different sizes, ranging from 5L to 55L.

In our experience, a 10L should suffice for essentials, but get a 20L one if you plan to put bigger things inside, like a camera.

For our water adventures, we have one 10L dry bag and 20L dry bag for the two of us, and use either or both, depending on the things we need to carry.

We use the 20L water bag, when we carry our camera and lens.

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Buy on Amazon

The backside view of a woman enjoying the view of the waterfall in the green jungle.
Pubali, enjoying the view of one of El Tigre Waterfalls in Monteverde. Dry Bag on her back.

Packing Cubes

Since the time we started using them, packing cubes have been a game changer. They help compartmentalize things, resulting in more efficient packing.

Check out this complete travel bag organizer set of 8 packing cubes. They also come in various color options.

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Laundry Bags

Apart from the packing cubes, we also carry laundry bags. We always have wet clothes during our trips in Costa Rica for the weather, water activities, waterfalls, or even hiking.

So we like to keep the wet ones separate from the dry, use laundry bags for it. You can get washable travel-friendly laundry bags for those wet clothes towards the end of your trip.

Buy on Amazon

Luggage and Organization: Optional

These are some of the things that are optional but depends on your packing needs and if you want to be extra careful with your luggage.

Compression Bags: If you need more efficiency in your packing.

AirTags for your luggage: This is just for your peace of mind.

Luggage Locks: If you need during transit or staying in shared accommodation.

Documents & Money

Must pack

  • Passport
  • Proof of onward / return travel
  • Driver’s license (if renting a car)
  • Card(s) for payment
  • Printed + digital copies of key documents
  • Travel insurance details
  • Offline access to bookings
  • Cash, local (CRC) and / or small USD bills

Nice-to-have

Optionals

These are obvious items that you will need for any international trip. But we still included it in the packing list so that this serves as an exhaustive checklist for your Costa Rica trip.

Passport

Passport with at least 90 days validity at the time of entering Costa Rica. Carry a copy of your passport, just in case, when you are going for your activities and traveling within the country.

Visa

Citizens of US, Canada, UK and EU are exempt from visa for Costa Rica. Review this list to check if citizens of your country need Costa Rica tourist visa. If you do need Costa Rica tourist visa but are in possession of a valid visa issued by US, Canada or EU, then you are exempt from the visa requirement.

Onward or Return Journey Ticket Proof: Mandatory

Not just the tickets for your trip to Costa Rica, make sure you have your ticket ready for the onward journey from Costa Rica within the days, you are allowed to stay in the country. The duration of stay changes by countries, 30 days to 180 days, depending on your home country.

Driving License

If you are planning to rent a car in Costa Rica, do not forget to carry your driving license. You will need it all the time.

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Travel Insurance

Purchase travel insurance as you would want to be protected against any unwanted mishaps.

We always use travel insurance from Heymondo or SafetyWing for our travels.

Heymondo has policies for short vacations as well as longer trips of more than 90 days duration. If you take multiple trips a year, you can also consider their annual multi-trip plans.

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Passport, Document and Card Holder

We use zipped passport and document holder for our passport, driving license, cards, document copies, boarding passes, and some emergency extra cash which we do not immediately need. We only take out the essential when required, during the trip.

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Anti-theft Money Belt: Optional

You only need this if you plan to visit certain areas of Costa Rica. If your itinerary includes the central part of San Jose, central market and surrounding areas, then use a money belt, just in case.

🛒 Shop our Costa Rica Luggage and Organization Picks on Amazon →

Clothes and Accessories

A vacation in Costa Rica is all about immersing yourself in nature and going with the flow. You can keep the same theme for picking the clothes for your trip: outdoors-friendly, casual and comfortable.

Within a short span of a few days in Costa Rica, you may be visiting hot and humid beach towns and mountain villages at higher altitudes with cool climate.

So, it is important to pack according to the climatic zones you are going to visit.

Must pack

  • Quick-dry t-shirts
  • Quick-dry pants
  • Lightweight shorts
  • Casual Shirts and Pants (men)
  • Summer Dresses (women)
  • Swimwear
  • Sarong / Beach cover-up
  • Underwear
  • Socks
  • Sleepwear
  • Hat / Cap
  • Sunglasses

Nice-to-have

Quick-Dry Tops/T-shirts

With so many rainforest and cloud forest areas spread across the country, typical Costa Rica itineraries include a lot of hiking. It could be in the national parks or in the private reserves, and the hikes could vary greatly in length and difficulty.

For hiking in humid weather, quick-dry tops/t-shirts are the most comfortable.

Quick tips:

  • Let 1 or 2 of your quick-dry t-shirts be long sleeved.
  • Use neutral colors for jungle hikes when you are in the lookout for wildlife.

Check this soft quick-drying t-shirt for men suitable for tropical warm weather. The material is moisture wicking and stays fresh during hikes.

For full-sleeve hiking top option for women, check this quick-dry lightweight one with UV protection from BALEAF.

And for short sleeved options, check this combo of 5-pack colorful tees of soft breathable moisture wicking material.

For all of the products recommended, you can choose from various color and size options.

Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon

Quick-Dry Pants

With the same logic, pack quick-dry pants. We recommend full length pants for hiking in the forests. They protect your legs from unwanted bruises in case your knees brush past some thorns or shrubs or rocks.

Check out these options for quick dry convertible hiking pants, for men and for women.

Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon

Quick-Dry Shorts

For hiking to waterfalls or in national parks where the forest is not too dense, like Arenal Volcano National Park, quick-dry shorts should work. We also like to use such shorts for walking on beach trails.

Check this moisture wicking lightweight shorts for men with UV protection, ideal for outdoor activities.

Buy Men’s Shorts on Amazon

For women, in addition to shorts, I also like to pack a skort (for women), that offers the flexibility of shorts and lends the style of skirt.

Casual Shirts & Pants (For Men)

You are likely to be spending only a day or two in and around the capital city San Jose. For those days, dress up a bit with casual shirts and pants, and you will be ready for any occasion, whether a walking tour of the city or fine-dining at a mirador restaurant or for pub hopping.

The tourist places in Costa Rica are generally not formal, and you can wear breezy clothes in the restaurants. Pick lightweight casual shirts for the capital or dining indoors.

Summer Dresses (For Women)

Pack a couple of your pretty summer dresses. They will serve you well for both hanging out in the beach towns as well as during your stay in the city.

Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon

Swimwear

Pack all your nice and colorful swimsuits. You will need them at the beach, in the hot springs, at the waterfalls and in the hotel swimming pools.

Check out these colorful swimsuits of varying styles, and add them to your Costa Rica packing list.

Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon

Sarong/ Beach Cover-up

Bring a sarong or a beach cover-up that will help you get ready swiftly from a swim in the ocean to a lunch by the beach.

Check out these options below for sarongs and beach coverups.

Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon

Man and woman, wearing dry fit clothes and hiking shoes, at the summit of Arenal 1968 trail in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, with Arenal Volcano in the backdrop.
Us, at the summit of Arenal 1968 trail, one of the best places to go in La Fortuna.

🛒 Shop our Costa Rica Clothing Picks for Women on Amazon →

🛒 Shop our Costa Rica Clothing Picks for Men on Amazon →

Microfiber Towel

For all the beach days and the wild carefree afternoons at the waterfalls, you would want to bring your own towel.

We recommend you to get a microfiber towel. It is lightweight, fast absorbent and quick dry – everything you would want in a travel towel. This one also comes with a mesh bag and you can choose from various nice color options.

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Sunglasses

Bring sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun.

Hat / Cap

A hat or a cap is useful during the long hikes on hot and humid days, or for beach days.

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Buy on Amazon

🛒 Shop our Costa Rica Accessories Picks on Amazon →

Man and woman wearing colorful clothes and sunglasses and hats - important things to pack for Costa Rica to prepare for the tropical sun.
Us, hanging out at Playa Hermosa, one of the beautiful beaches in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica.

Footwear

Must pack

Optional

  • Water shoes for rocky beaches and waterfalls (women | men)
  • Dress Shoes
  • Hiking boots

From scaling mountains to diving in the ocean, there are plenty of things to do in Costa Rica. So, it is important to bring appropriate footwear based on the activities that you are going to sign up for.

Hiking Boots vs. Hiking Shoes vs. Sneakers

Sneakers should suffice for hiking in the nature reserves, in the dry weather. If your itinerary do not involve much hiking, apart from easy walking in hotel premises or short nature walks, then pick your sneakers.

But if you are going to hike on forest trails, or will be walking for long periods at a stretch, or you are planning your trip in the rainy season, get your hiking shoes with decent grip.

And if you plan to go for technical trails with hours of hiking, like Cerro Chirripo, definitely use proper hiking boots.

Based on our experience of traveling and hiking in Costa Rica over the years, a pair of good hiking shoes should be sufficient for most itineraries. To be prepared for rains anytime during your hike, we suggest getting waterproof hiking shoes.

If your trip is planned for the months between May and November, take note of these 15 essential items to include in your Costa Rica packing list for rainy season.

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Buy on Amazon

Hiking Sandals

Costa Rica is blessed with miles of coastlines, Pacific to the west and Caribbean to the east. While there are several beaches that are easily accessible, there are many others that can be reached only by hiking. For such hikes in the beach town areas, pack hiking sandals.

Get hiking water sandals which will also be useful for some waterfall hikes la La Leona.

We use the lightweight, breathable, waterproof sandals from Keen, the Hyperport H2 for women and the same for men. The sandals are multipurpose, easy to pack and we can use them for waterfall hikes, water activities, and medium difficulty hikes where closed shoes are not mandatory.


Related reading:


Flip-flops

This is a no brainer. Beach days need the freedom of flip-flops!

Water Shoes

To protect your feet against rocks and pebbles on riverbeds and seabeds, wear water shoes while swimming in the natural swimming holes.

We like the socks style water shoes, like these ones by Speedo.

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Buy on Amazon

Man and woman in front of Llanos de Cortes waterfall in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Both of them are wearing water shoes, a must have item on your  Costa Rica packing list.
Us, at Llanos de Cortes waterfall. Water shoes are so convenient for places like this.

🛒 Shop our Costa Rica Footwear Picks for Women on Amazon →

🛒 Shop our Costa Rica Footwear Picks for Men on Amazon →

Weather / Rain Gear

Must pack

Optional

  • Umbrella

Rain Poncho

Wherever you go, whichever time of the year, bring a rain poncho. This is our best Costa Rica packing tip. Seriously!

We prefer a rain poncho over raincoat in Costa Rica, as it will be humid and warm, even if it rains.

Despite clearly demarcated rainy season and dry season periods, it can rain anytime in tropical Costa Rica. So, it is better to be prepared than regret.

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Light Jacket

When you are in the city, the mornings and the evenings can get cool. So, keep a light jacket.

This will also come in handy when visiting higher altitude places like Monteverde or the mountain towns in the Talamanca range. In those places, the temperatures are usually much lower. So dress in layers with with long sleeve shirts and light jacket to keep warm.

Warm Jacket

A warm jacket is not required in Costa Rica in most cases. If you are planning to hike up Costa Rica’s highest peak, Cerro Chirripo, you will need a warm jacket along with several other layers. However, these are specific activities which you can check before signing up.

Man wearing a rain poncho, standing near the waterfall.
Indranil, in his rain poncho.

Toiletries & Personal Care

Must pack

Specific use:

  • Shaving kit
  • Female hygiene
  • Hair ties / claw clip for humidity
  • Makeup basics, minimal kit

Nice-to-have

  • Mini travel containers if not buying travel-size

Optional

  • Ear plugs
  • Sleep mask

The toiletries bag should contain all your personal care essentials and first aid kit, but there are couple of items that you absolutely need to include in your Costa Rica packing list. Since regular objects may be pricier in Costa Rica compared to other countries (including US), it is better to pack them instead of buying here.

Insect Repellent

The most important item on that list is an insect repellent. Costa Rica is a tropical destination where crawlers and critters thrive. So, to protect your skin against insect bites, apply insect repellent on all exposed skin before venturing out in the wild.

Check out these long lasting repellents against mosquitoes and other insects, with DEET and without DEET.

Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon

Sunscreen

This is another important item on your Costa Rica packing list. Do not underestimate the tropical sun. Always apply sunscreen before going out in the sun, and reapply every few hours.

If you are going to do some ocean water activities, use a reef safe sunscreen to protect marine biodiversity.

This Blue Lizard SPF 50 sunscreen is 80 minutes water resistant, and reef safe and comes in different travel friendly sizes. So it makes for a good family friendly sunscreen for your Costa Rica vacation.

Another 80 minute water resistant and reef safe option is the SPF 40 Sport Mineral Sunscreen from Badger.

Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon

Anti-Chafe Stick

If you have long hikes or walks in your Costa Rica itinerary, the heat and humidity may result in chafing and blisters. Get an anti-chafe stick you apply to high-friction areas to prevent rubbing, chafing, and blisters.

Face Wash/ Cleanser

Face Wash or cleanser to remove all the dirt.

Moisturizer

Moisturizer to keep the skin hydrated.

Deodorant

With all the outdoor activities in the tropical weather, you may sweat a lot. Pack anti-perspirant deodorants.

Lip Balm

Lip balm to avoid chapped lips. I like to use tinted lip balms.

Dental Care Kit

Pack your dental care kit with toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash and dental floss.

First Aid Kit

Wherever you travel, it never harms to be armed with a first aid kit that includes all the basic essentials.

Check out this travel friendly all-purpose first aid kit. It is from Johnson & Johnson.

The box contains 160 pieces of first-aid essentials like band-aid, cleaning wipes, antibiotic cream, instant cold pack, to name a few.

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Hand Sanitizer

We always carry hand sanitizers to quickly clean our hands.

Check this Purell Advanced combo pack of small travel size bottles with flip caps.

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Wet Wipes

On sultry summer days by the beaches in Costa Rica, I find wet wipes so handy to quickly clean face and feel fresh immediately. They are also useful for camping trips.

Check this pack of biodegradable unscented wet wipes for face and body, good for outdoors.

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Reusable Water Bottle

We carry reusable water bottles during our travels. The bottles helps us reduce dependency on plastics, and we refill them with filtered water whenever available.

Also, during day tours and hikes, they are easy to carry and keep the water cool.

In Costa Rica, certain places do not allow entry with plastic bottles, like Manuel Antonio National Park.

We use the Owala Freesip Sway bottle that checks all the requirements and like the bucket handle for ease of carrying it.

🛒 Shop our Costa Rica Toiletries and Personal Care Picks on Amazon →

Everyday Electronics

Electronics: Summary

Must pack

Nice-to-have

Optional

  • Action Camera (GoPro) and accessories
  • Drone + remote + chargers
  • Laptop + charger

We live in a digital world. So, even when traveling, there are few electronics items that you would want to pack for Costa Rica.

Mobile Phone + Charger + Waterproof Case

Whether for taking photographs or for storing your travel tickets and itineraries, it is hard to do without mobile phone while on vacation. Remember to bring the phone charger too!

For all the water activities in Costa Rica, you would want to add to your Costa Rica packing list, a waterproof case for your phone.

Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon

Laptop + Charger

Ok, this one can be an optional item on your Costa Rica packing list. But, if you are a digital nomad or a freelancer or a long term traveler, you will want to bring your laptop and charger.

Kindle

If you like to read while swaying on a hammock under a palm tree by the beach, you will find plenty such opportunities in Costa Rica. To replace the volume and weight of physical books from your luggage, bring your Kindle.

We carry our Kindle Paperwhites during our travel as physical books are difficult to pack.

Power Adapter

You may or may not need a power adaptor for Costa Rica vacation depending on where you are coming from.

Costa Rica uses 120V voltage and 60 Hz standard frequency. The power sockets are usually for two pin plugs. So, if you are coming from the US, for example, your cables will work normally – no need to bring a separate adaptor.

But if, like us, you are coming from a country with different power standards, you need to pay special attention. When we moved from India to Costa Rica a few years ago, we needed power adapters for everything, even for charging our phones. And now, we need to do the same whenever we are visiting home in India.

For all our international travels, we use and highly recommend having couple of universal travel adaptors that have sockets of different types (for US, Australia, Europe, India etc.), provide surge protector and also has USB outlets.

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Portable Charger or Power Bank

We carry portable chargers in cases of long day trips or any unforeseen circumstances which are not under anyone’s control. Like when power cuts happen due to extreme weather conditions.

Get a powerful portable charger which is compatible with your phone and can give you the emergency back-up for a decent amount of time.

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Cable Organizer

We carry phones and multiple electronic items that have different types of charging cables, extensions and small accessories. We use a cable organizer pouch to have them at one place and not dig for it when we need the items.

Camera Gear

Costa Rica is beautiful. You will find several photo opportunities, whether it is a stunning blue waterfall or a dramatic beach sunset or the tropical forests.

There are also serious bird photographers who come to Costa Rica to capture on camera gorgeous looking bird species. Whatever your motivation for photography is, bring the right photography gear to Costa Rica.

Camera Bag

We like to organize our cameras, lenses and all related accessories in our camera bag. Choose one that is the right fit for your equipment.

Memory Cards

Bring more memory cards than you think you may need.

Camera + Charger

Carry the camera that you are most comfortable shooting with. But we recommend keeping it light as in Costa Rica, you will be moving around or walking a lot. That is why we switched our equipment from crop sensor DSLR to mirrorless cameras. They are lightweight, compact and offer better stabilization.

Lenses

If you want to shoot animals and birds, include a telephoto lens. Choose a wider lens for landscape photography. We use 24-70 mm that suffices for landscape, macro as well as videos.

Tripod

With so many waterfalls and rivers in Costa Rica, you can get plenty of silky white shots of the waterbodies. But you will need a good tripod. We like our Peak Design Travel Tripod as it is lightweight, easy to pack and easy to carry.

Check out the options for different materials, carbon filter and aluminum. Click on the images to check current prices, offers, availability and delivery information.

Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon

Action Camera + Accessories

For all you adventurous souls, bring your action camera for capturing the memories of all the adventure activities you are going to do in Costa Rica. Whether it is zip-lining over the cloud forests or snorkeling in a marine biological reserve or white-water rafting over rapids of different grades, pack your Go Pro.

The new GoPro HERO13 Black is rugged and waterproof. So you no longer need the waterproof casing, like the very old generation GoPros. However, if you do not already have the other accessories like handler, head strap, carrying case, etc., buy the power bundle of GoPro HERO13 Black + Accessories and save more.

If you are a video creator, you may consider getting the GoPro HERO13 Black Creator Edition. It comes with all the tools you need for a compact audio video recording set up in the outdoors.

Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon

Drone + Remote + Chargers + Batteries

Different countries have different rules and restrictions about flying a drone. Some are so strict that you would consider leaving your drone back home instead of carrying it on your vacation. But Costa Rica is not among them.

In fact, flying a drone in Costa Rica is very easy. You just need to avoid flying in the handful designated no-fly zones.

Of course, if you do use your drone for photography and videography, you can get such cool perspectives of the breathtaking topography that Costa Rica has. If you bring your drone to Costa Rica, remember to pack the important accessories like remote, batteries and chargers.

We used to use the drone and accessories of the DJI Mavic Air 2 Fly More Combo. But we lost our drone in El Salvador, and now use an old and used drone from the DJI Mini series.

For longer flight duration and better range, we recommend the DJI Air 3. But if you plan to use your drone for vacations in other countries too, DJI Mini 3 Fly More Combo is a great choice. The drone weighs only 249 g and hence does not require any separate registration.

Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon

An aerial view of the whale's tail formation at Uvita Beach.
An aerial view of the whale’s tail formation at Uvita Beach.

🛒 Shop our Costa Rica Electronics Picks on Amazon →

Connectivity & Apps

This is your digital preparation that can save you hours of frustration on the road. Here is what to sort before you leave.

eSIM or Local SIM

We use eSIMs that let us roam with data ready as we land at the airport. There are several eSIM providers that work great in Costa Rica. We suggest these following ones, that we have used during our travels.

📶 Stay connected abroad. Get an eSIM before you fly.

We have personally used these three eSIMs and would pick them again depending on the trip:

Holafly: Unlimited data, no throttling. Use code PARADISECATCHERS for 5% discount.

Airalo: Widest coverage with 200+ destinations. Code NEWTOAIRLO for 15% off on first purchase and code AIRALOESIM10 for 10% off on next.

Saily: Budget-friendly plans, added security features. Use code PARADISE10 for 10% off.

If you prefer a physical SIM, buy one at a local carrier store. There is Claro SIM store at the San Jose airport, where you can get a local physical SIM.

Either way, you need reliable data for navigation, quick lookups, booking taxis, communicating with your tour operators and so on.

Whatsapp

In Costa Rica, WhatsApp is not optional. It is how everyone communicates in Costa Rica. Tour operators, hotels, drivers, and even some restaurants use it to confirm bookings and answer questions.

Download it, verify your number, and keep notifications on. It is also handy for free calls and messages over Wi-Fi if your data runs low.

Translation App

Spanish goes a long way in Costa Rica, even if it is just the basics. We suggest learning a few essentials before landing. Costa Ricans are friendly, and they appreciate efforts of non-native speakers.

We use Google Translate and downloaded the Spanish offline language pack. It works without data. Also, use the camera feature to translate menus or signs instantly.

Waze and Google Maps

We use a mix of Waze and Google Maps for our navigation in Costa Rica.

Waze has detailed real-time traffic updates, inputs from other drivers who are on the same road, so they call out presence of potholes, police, accidents or other delays. This helps is staying alert and planning your drive accordingly.

Google Maps is more useful for getting to know what’s nearby, reviews of restaurants, places and if you want to find a gas station or supermarket around.

With either app, we are careful about staying on course in remote areas, as they sometimes send you to dirt roads unnecessarily to save a few minutes, which may not be worth at all.

Offline Maps

Cell signal can be patchy, particularly in remote areas, on mountain roads or near national parks.

Before you go, open Google Maps and download the regions you plan to visit. You still get turn-by-turn directions, where you are located, and search for nearby spots.

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Costa Rica Packing List: FREE Checklist

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    Paradise Catchers

    We are Pubali and Indranil, an Indian couple living in Costa Rica and slow traveling Latin America and Caribbean.

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