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April 5, 2022

Clothing For Costa Rica Should Be Simple

What to pack for Costa Rica

If you find yourself contemplating what to pack for a trip to Costa Rica’s southern Pacific zone, well, this is the blog for you.

We’re going to get real here, without fluff, and provide the most logical tips on what to pack, after checking in hundreds of clients into their vacation villas over the years.

First and foremost, Costa Rica is a country with various weather patterns in different areas. For example, the temperature in the city of San Jose is often much cooler than along the Pacific coast. Our focus here is the type of clothing items you’ll need in the Dominical area, an incredible coastline where our luxury rental villas are located. 

Dominical is a laid-back beach town, and most people’s attire reflects that attitude. With this in mind, our No. 1 piece of advice is to pack light.

So many times our guests show up with a suitcase on top of a suitcase stacked to the roof of the car. You’re not going to need all those clothes, and there’s no point in throwing your back out with all of the heavy bags. Visitors can easily get by with a dozen t-shirts or blouses, a few boardshorts or bikinis, a couple sundresses, two pairs of sandals and a pair of hiking shoes (always pack an extra pair of sandals in case the ones you’re using have a blowout). Of all the aforementioned items, you’ll probably go through more t-shirts than anything. A basic rule is to have two clean shirts for every day, one for the morning and one for the night.

Our top tips for what to pack for Costa Rica:

  • All of our vacation rentals have washer and dryer units. Take advantage of this setup and do laundry once or twice during your stay. It’s way less work than overpacking and can save you money with baggage fees at the airport. Well even supply the laundry soap!
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  • Our next piece of advice is this: Very, very few people in Dominical are going to judge you by your attire. Even the nicest restaurants and bars around here have no dress code. There’s no pressure to “dress nice” in slacks or an evening gown to go out to a diner. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with dressing to the nines, it’s just not something that’s required. And, honestly, all that fancy clothing may end up being a bit warm during the course of the evening, especially if you’re going to get crazy on the dance floor when the daiquiris kick in.
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  • You should also pack a waterproof rain jacket if you’re visiting any time between April and December. Most of our rain comes in the afternoons, so you’ll want to be prepared. Water resistant clothing isn’t going to cut it in a jungle downpour. Make sure you go waterproof.
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  • A light, long-sleeve shirt is a smart item to bring, as is a pair of jogging pants and a pair or two of knee-high socks. Bugs typically are not much of an issue around here, but if your skin is super sensitive to bites, these items will come in handy in the late afternoons and evenings. Bringing these things can also mean less reliance on toxic bug sprays.

All told, Dominical is a place to dress for comfort and practicality, not so much to impress. It’s not Paris or New York City fashion week down here. It’s just sunny and warm with a chilled-out beach vibe. We appreciate who people are, not what they wear. And with that, your packing plans just got a whole lot easier.

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