Costa Rica Trip Essentials

 

Keywords for your trip: Patience & Flexibility - The sooner you adopt the meaning of these two words, the trip will be that much more rewarding.  Costa Rica is not Manhattan ; everything is done in a much slower pace and a certain way.  Never have a preconceived notion of what this country should offer you unless you have done a full research about it.  You did not spend all this money to be stressed out.  Costa Rica is a very different and unique vacation destination, so remember, you are on vacation, relax and enjoy.  Let this beautiful country do its work for you.

Don't leave home without the following:

It is always important to be prepared and bring the proper items for a specific trip.  You want to bring only the necessary items to avoid over packing and travel more efficiently.  In Costa Rica , depending on your destination, you will encounter many changes in climate conditions.  It is very important to know ahead of time the exact itinerary so that you may plan accordingly.  Nobody likes unpleasant surprises.

The following items are recommended for a successful and memorable trip:

• Passports-must have a valid passport, more info
• Raingear - ponchos, hats, umbrella (a must if visiting during the green/rainy season).
  Tip: Regarding the poncho, purchase a cheap wallet size, disposable, very lightweight poncho sold at most sporting goods stores.
• Insect repellant with deet - this is very important when visiting national parks & rainforests.
• Strong sunscreen to protect the sensitive skin, you are in a tropical place very close to the equator.
• Camera and film if you do not want to miss anything, bring plenty of film and batteries.
• Light casual clothing for leisure activities.
• T-shirts, hiking shorts or nylon blend pants for faster drying.
• Small backpack/fanny pack to accommodate extra clothing, camera, other items for tours.
• Extra socks, underwear and back-ups to stay dry.
• Hiking boots waterproof if possible or tennis/sneakers.
• Water moccasins/Tevas if going rafting or river exploring.
• Bathing suit for swimming or sun tanning.
• Plastic bags for wet clothing, zip-lock bags for toiletries.
• Sweater if going to the volcanoes or higher elevation.
• Flashlight with extra batteries when going camping or staying in a jungle lodge.
• Binoculars are a must in order to get a closer look at wildlife.
• Extra contact lenses, eyeglasses, medications.
• Water bottle for hiking.
• Sunglasses, hat, sun visors

Click Here For A Printable Checklist

Hiking tip: Your feet are going to be very important on all the adventure tours; we need to protect them by wearing hiking boots/shoes not flip-flops.  When hiking or walking in the rainforest or Parks, it's important to have good footing and foot protection on the trails.  Always stay inside the trails.

 

Remember, we want to stay comfortable and dry as much as possible during our exciting tours in Costa Rica.  For more about Costa Rica, click here.