What do you pack for the rainy season?

May to November is the green season on the Pacific. Mornings are often clear, and the rain usually waits until afternoon, except in September and October, which can rain through the day on that coast. Pack the rain jacket at the top of the bag, not under the clothes. Bring an extra pair of socks, and a plastic bag for the shoes if the trail is mud. Clothes that dry overnight matter more than a second outfit. The same

What do you pack for the dry season?

December to April on the Pacific is sun, hotter beaches, and less rain. You can skip a heavy shell. You cannot skip sunscreen, a hat, and water. The northwest, around Tamarindo, is brown and bright by March, and there is almost no shade at noon. You still want the light layer. Alajuela and San José cool off at night. Monteverde is misty even in a dry week. A first swim on those beaches is the morning. The afternoon w

What should you leave at home?

Leave the heavy coat, the extra shoes, the jeans, and anything you would hate to lose from a parked car. A mask and a surfboard are easy to rent in a beach town. A mat is easy to borrow where yoga is the morning, in Nosara and Santa Teresa. A hair dryer and a second pair of nice shoes do not earn the space. Park gates, buses, and small sodas still prefer cash, in small colón bills. Take it out before a Sunday or a bo

What to Pack for Costa Rica

Pack a light rain jacket, shoes that can get wet, and reef-safe sunscreen. In the Pacific dry season, December to April, you can skip a heavy shell. You still want the light jacket. Valley nights usually sit around 18–26°C. The beaches commonly reach 28–32°C and do not cool off much after dark. The cold exception is Monteverde, and the summit of Chirripó.

Five quick-dry shirts, two shorts, one pair of long pants, two swimsuits, and shoes you can walk a wet trail in. Add sandals for the sand, and water shoes for waterfall rock and a rocky entry. A hat matters by noon. Shade on the Pacific beaches is thin. A light layer, a fleece or a thin sweater, covers valley nights and a Monteverde morning. A rain jacket beats an umbrella on a boat and on a trail. Cotton stays wet once a shower starts at lunch. Leave the heavy coat and the jeans.

Reef-safe sunscreen is the one to bring. Some parks do not want the other kind in the water. Bring insect repellent for the Caribbean and for wet forest, and less of it for a dry Guanacaste beach at noon. A small dry bag keeps a phone alive on a boat day. The month you are matching is in the best time to visit.