7 Things to Bring to Costa Rica
You’ve finally booked that dream vacation to Costa Rica, and now you must prepare to pack.
Of course things to bring will include clothes and cameras, toothbrushes and toothpaste. But what are you forgetting? What could you pack that would make your vacation a little bit easier, and a little bit better?
We’ve come up with a list of seven things to bring to Costa Rica that won’t take up too much space in your luggage, but will be a big help once you arrive in Central America. Realize, of course, that all of these items can be purchased in larger cities such as San Jose, Escazu, Jaco and San Isidro, but by bringing them with you you’ll save time, and possibly money.
Here’s our list of things to bring:
1) Headlamp
Whether you’re camping or staying at one of our amazing rental properties near Dominical, bringing a headlamp or two is a smart idea. The sun sets at about 6 p.m. every evening in Costa Rica, so you can expect to spend time walking in the dark – and it’s pretty dark near the beaches and jungles. A headlamp will offer you much more safety, even though you won’t look like a local.
2) Binoculars
This dazzling country has more butterflies than any other nation on the planet. There are also hundreds of species of birds patrolling the sky, as well as countless other creatures, mammals and insects buzzing about on a daily basis.
With a nice pair of lightweight, travel binoculars in your pocket, you’ll be able to enjoy Costa Rica’s outdoor beauty from a much more intimate perspective.
3) Water Shoes
From Crocks to Tevas to Columbias, there’s no shortage of water shoe options for sale. While you’ll certainly want to pack a pair of traditional flip-flops, a sturdier brand of water shoes can be a huge advantage when trekking through rain and mud.
They also stay on your feet during high-impact outdoor adventures and fishing trips. And who doesn’t lose something when they fish? Better to be safe than sorry.
4) Collapsible Cooler
This is a luxury item to bring, no doubt, but you’ve earned a little bit of luxury on this vacation, right? Sure, you can buy a Styrofoam cooler at a local market and lug it around with the hope it doesn’t crumble. But a collapsible cooler is so much more practical.
Let’s say you hike into a secluded waterfall or a hidden beach. You can pack cans of beer or soda, drink them, crush them and put them into a bag. At the end of the day you dump the ice, fold up that cooler, grab that bag of recyclables and you’re on your way. Less weight. Less lugging. More fun!
5) Baby Wipes
Like the Swiss Army Knives of self-maintenance, baby wipes come in very handy when you need them most. Baby wipes cool you down on a hot day. They’ll clean your hands and face when the going gets dirty, and trust us, things can get a bit muddy down near the equator. Quite simply, they never let you down, and you’ll be the envy everyone around you who wasn’t wise enough to parcel a few packages.
6) Small Umbrella
Locals love umbrellas because they protect them from the rain and sun.
Throw a small one in your suitcase and we can guarantee you it’ll come in handy, either in blocking out the hot morning sunshine or keeping rain off you during an afternoon downpour.
Another thing to bring could be a waterproof jacket, but honestly it gets pretty hot wearing those. An umbrella is much more versatile and cool.
7) The Official Guide to Costa Rican Spanish
Spending time in a country where the language is not your own natural spoken tongue, a pocket-size Spanish/English dictionary or phrasebook is always a good thing to bring.
If you don’t speak a word of Spanish, having a little guidebook handy can help ease the language gap.
In fact, Costa Ricans use different terms and words than some Spanish-speaking countries. So, if you’d like to learn the lingo, we’d recommend purchasing the Official Guide to Costa Rican Spanish on Amazon.com for about $10.
Pura Vida!
