What to Pack for Costa Rica

After hosting hundreds of guests over the past 4 years, I`ve come to realize there are 3 big and very common mistakes that people make when packing for Costa Rica:

1. Overpacking
2. Packing the wrong clothes
3. Bringing totally unnecessary things

Don`t be one of these people.

In this article, I will go over some packing guidelines, what to pack, things I LOVE and recommend, what NOT to pack and other important tips!

Packing Guidelines

To make packing easier, use the following guidelines:

Pack for practicality, not a fashion show.
Lightweight, quick dry clothes are best.
Think casual dress code.

Unless you plan to do nothing but sit at a swim up bar and dress up for fancy dinners, you can ignore what I just said. But if you`re coming to Costa Rica to immerse yourself in nature, go on adventures, see wildlife and actually do all the things that Costa Rica is world renowned for, then these guidelines are what you should be aiming for.

An important thing to keep in mind is that LESS IS MORE in Costa Rica. It`s the culture here. Nobody cares what you look like or if you have name brand clothes. Nobody cares if you have makeup on or not. In fact, you will just look ridiculous if you try to wear makeup in this heat and humidity. It just melts off your face.

So I encourage you to challenge yourself to leave all your fancy things behind, ditch the eyeliner and mascara and just wear what feels comfortable! I guarantee it will make you enjoy your time in Costa Rica so much more and you will feel so free!

What to Pack

swim suit(s)
sunglasses
sunblock
insect repellent
flip flops
Columbia Drainmaker Trail Shoes*
socks (breathable)
quick dry hiking pants
tank tops / tee shirts (light weight, non-clingy)
shorts or skirts
beach cover up
casual dresses
“nice dinner” outfit (only if you feel like it)
lightweight rain jacket*
pajamas
long sleeved shirt (1 is enough)
sports bras
yoga pants
laptop or tablet (to watch Netflix if your hotel doesn`t have a TV)
hammock(s)*
passport holder / travel wallet
backpack (use for both hiking or your beach bag)
water bottle
toiletries (keep it simple, just bring the basics)
hat
GoPro (optional)*

Here`s some extra notes about some of the things listed above:

*Columbia Drainmaker Trail Shoes: These are my absolute favorite shoes to wear hiking, zip lining, waterfalling, etc. You can walk through water or even go swimming with them on and they drain the water super fast plus dry pretty quickly. Much better than a flimsy water shoe!

*Rain Jacket: Depending on where and what time of year you are traveling, you may or may not need a rain jacket. If you are traveling to places like Monteverde or Arenal, you should bring one. If you are only going to a beach destination (like Tamarindo, Manuel Antonio, Nosara, etc) you only need to bring one if you are visiting during rainy season (May- November).

*Hammock(s): These hammocks are super easy to pop up anywhere in about 30 seconds. So much more comfortable than laying on a towel on the beach or paying to rent beach chairs. Plus they are small enough to pack in your suitcase.

*GoPro: This is the best camera we`ve found that you can take with you anywhere (even in water!). Really fun for getting video footage swimming in the ocean, jumping off a catamaran, zip lining, waterfall adventures, snorkeling, etc.

Things that I LOVE and Recommend!

For those of you that prefer a visual list, here are pictures / links to the products that I personally love and recommend that you bring on your trip.

What NOT to Pack

jewelry
high heels
a bunch of makeup
beach towel (most hotels or vacation rentals provide these, only bring a beach towel if they do not)
hairdryer (it`s too hot for that nonsense)
jeans (I call these “leg prison”)
any clothing that is remotely uncomfortable
fancy, oversized purses

Don`t Forget Your Passport!

Obviously. But here`s a couple tips you may not have thought about…

To prepare for your trip, double check the current entry requirements with the Costa Rica Embassy just to make sure you`re able to get in the country!

I also recommend making a photo copy or taking a picture on your phone (the photo and information page) of your passport to carry with you so you can leave your actual passport in your hotel room. It is unlikely that anyone will stop you and ask for it, but just in case it`s always best to have this info on you.

Money Info

The local currency is called Colones, however USD (US Dollars) are accepted pretty much everywhere.

You do NOT need to exchange money if you are bringing USD with you. If you want to anyways for some reason, NEVER exchange money at the airport, they have the worst exchange rate! The banks usually are the best place to do this. When you pay with USD you will most likely get Colones back in change.

There are ATMs readily available in the main tourist destinations, but if you are going somewhere super remote, bring enough cash with you to hold you over.

Many places accept credit cards, but having cash on you in Costa Rica will make your trip a lot easier (souvenir shops, beach vendors selling coconuts, etc). Also, it is recommended to tip restaurant servers, taxi drivers and tour guides in cash!

Always be sure to tell your bank that you will be traveling in Costa Rica so that you don`t have any problems using your card or getting money from the ATM.

Need More Help?

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About the Author

castropolous

Co-founder of Castropolous.

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How I Quit My Job and Moved to Costa Rica

I meet tourists everyday who say they want to move to Costa Rica. And then what they say immediately after that is, “I guess I have to wait until I retire…” (insert sad face here).

Guys! This is simply just NOT the truth.

I moved here when I was 29 years old without being retired (and I am not rich), and it was really not that hard. Of course moving to another country has its challenges (which I tell you more about in another article), but the point is, if you are dreaming of moving to Costa Rica or another country, I want to let you know that YOU CAN!

In this post, I will share with you how I quit my job and moved to Costa Rica (without being retired!) and how you can do it too in 4 simple steps!

How I Quit my Job and Moved to Costa Rica

The reason why I moved here in the first place was because I met my husband, who is Costa Rican, on my first trip to Costa Rica (you can read more about our story here). I had fallen in love with both him and Costa Rica all in that same trip. Even if I hadn´t fallen in love with Fernando, I´m pretty sure I would have still ended up moving to Costa Rica on my own anyways. It just felt like home to me. I´m originally from Wisconsin, and had always dreamed of living somewhere tropical (I hate winter!)…I just had no idea it would come to fruition in another country! But on that first trip to Costa Rica, I just felt it my gut. This is where I was supposed to be.

After returning home from that trip (I was living in Minneapolis at the time), Fernando and I started skyping for hours every day. The falling in love part happened really fast, and 5 months later I was back in Costa Rica. We had talked about me moving there and I needed to go back to spend more time with Fer in person (it felt too crazy to be in love with someone via skype) and also see if I really could see myself living in Costa Rica. We traveled around the country together and long story short- the answer to both questions was YES! We got engaged on that trip and then I returned back to Minneapolis to start the process of actually making the move.

The actual process was pretty simple. I made the decision, quit my job, sold my stuff and moved. If you are considering moving to Costa Rica (or another country), keep reading to see the 4 steps I took and that you can take to do it too!

How You Can Too in 4 Simple Steps

1. Visit Costa Rica for More Than Just a Week

It happens all the time. You came to Costa Rica for a one week vacation, fell in love with the pura vida lifestyle and now you want to quit your job and move here. AWESOME! However, the reality is that vacationing in Costa Rica and actually living here are 2 completely different things. In fact, about 60% of expats end up moving back to where they came from! So before you completely pick up your life and move here, I highly recommend giving it a “test drive” first to see if it really is the right move for you. What you should do during your test drive:

Stay for at least a month (3 months would be even better)
Don`t stay in a hotel, rent a house or an apartment in a local neighborhood
Make friends with the neighbors and talk to as many locals as you can!
Travel to the different areas that interest you to live
Do normal everyday stuff like go to the bank, the hardware store, the post office, etc. to get a feel for what life is like
Test out if you will need a car (rent a car for part of your time here, and then use public transportation the other half)

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2. Make the Decision to SAY YES!

This seems like a no-brainer, but I think this is the step that holds most people back from ever making the move.

You need to SAY YES with conviction! Feel confident in your choice!

I knew I wanted to live the kind of life where I could watch the sunset everyday, not be stuck in traffic on my 45 minute commute home from work when it was already dark out!

You can do this no matter how crazy other people think you are. Trust me, I had my fair share of naysayers, Debbie Downers and Negative Nancys… who all thought I was insane for dropping my “American Dream Life” to move to a less developed country. But I didn`t care. I knew in my gut that moving to Costa Rica was the right choice for me, and it was one of the best choices I`ve ever made in my life.

Live your life for YOU, not for other people.

3. Make an Action Plan & Execute It

This step is super exciting, like packing for a vacation except on a much bigger scale! There will be a lot of logistics that go into making the big move, so make a list of what you need to do and then ACTUALLY DO IT. Seems super simple in theory, but just like anything else in life, humans have a hard time with change and many people just do not take action. So make your plan and take action.

To prepare for my move to Costa Rica, these were the logistics I needed to take care of before I could leave:

Quit my job
Find out what the penalty was for breaking the lease of my apartment (it was $1200 so I just had to bite the bullet)
Make a plan for work (like I mentioned before, I was not rich or retired and needed to figure out how I would make money!)
Rent an apartment (this one was easy for me because I was moving in with my fiance, and he took care of that part)
Sell my stuff (furniture, car, extra clothes, etc)
Prepare my cat for the move (vet visit, current vaccinations, buy him an airline ticket)
Buy my ONE WAY TICKET!
Get some quality family time in (I dedicated 2 weeks of pure family & friend visiting time before I left)

Depending on your current life situation, your action plan could be just as simple as mine or you may need to add a couple extra things (like if you have kids- where will they go to school?). So think about your needs and figure it out one step at a time. There will be moments where you feel like you`re stuck and you might start to doubt yourself, but do not get discouraged. Every logistical “problem” has an answer!

4. Go and Don`t Look Back

At this point, you`ve already “practiced” living in Costa Rica, you`ve SAID YES to the move and you`ve taken care of the logistics. Now, get on that plane and go!

For me, this was the hardest part. I think I cried for about 24 hours non- stop with my family and friends before I actually got on that flight. It is not easy to leave the people you love and who love you, and I will not lie and tell you that it gets easier. Four years later, this is still the hardest part for me and really the only thing that I don`t like about living here. But this is part of the sacrifice I had to make in order to follow my heart and live the life I wanted to create for myself, together with my husband. I`m grateful everyday for the life I`m living and am so happy I gave this gift to myself!

The good news is that if making the move doesn`t turn out the way you expected, you can always go back to where you came from! I was confident to make the move because I knew that if it didn`t work out for any reason, I could just go home. I could get my job back. I could get a new apartment. I could buy new things again. Life would go on.

So go and don`t look back!….unless the person behind you on the plane is kicking your seat, then you can look back and give them the eye! haha!

Are You Ready to Make the Move?

Our Portuguese Water Dog, Luka!

The purpose of this post is to make you SMILE!

Luka has been “working” with us at hotels his whole life so far and I think most of our guests love him more than they love us! For real though, his name has been mentioned on TripAdvisor as much as ours! So I feel like he deserves his very own blog post.

A Little Bit About Luka…

We got Luka right when he was born 3 years ago, when we lived on the caribbean island, Roatan. He has traveled with us all over Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica (our home) and Panama. He is supposedly a portuguese water dog, although we are certain not a purebred considering we got him on an island. Luka has one brother (our cat Ashton) and one sister (Xena, who still lives in Roatan).

Luka`s Hobbies

He loves to swim, jump (about 5 feet high)!, fetch, dig in the sand and cuddle. His swimming skills are really impressive. He can jump over the waves to fetch his stick and then body surf his way back to shore (too cute!). His latest hobby is learning how to boogie board (his favorite beach is Playa Linda). His favorite treat is a fresh coconut, he likes to drink the coconut water and then eat the meat too (but only after he plays fetch with it first).

So, not to brag or anything, but Luka is pretty much the best dog ever. Sorry for all you single lady dogs out there though, Luka is married to Emma, our friend`s dog!

Want to Meet Luka?

If you want to play with Luka on your trip to Costa Rica, stay with us!

About the Author

castropolous

Co-founder of Castropolous.

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Top 10 Reasons why Costa Rica is Awesome

1. The PURA VIDA Lifestyle

If you`ve never been to Costa Rica before, the first thing you need to learn is that everything is Pura Vida. Pura Vida (pronounced as “poo-rah-vee-dah”) is the country`s motto and way of life. The direct translation is “pure life” although it`s meaning is much more than that- it`s literally the mentality and lifestyle here.

Just think of “hakuna matata” which is the same concept. It`s all about having no worries, being happy in the moment, appreciating what you have, having an optimistic attitude and knowing that every little thing is gonna be alright (Bob Marley was a very Pura Vida kinda guy).

You can use “pura vida” as a way to say hello and goodbye or as a response when asked how you`re doing. If you don`t speak Spanish and you`re traveling in Costa Rica, just say “pura vida” to any local and they will immediately light up, smile and shout “pura vida!” back to you!

2. The Happy People

Costa Rica has been ranked #1 multiple times on the Happy Planet Index as being the happiest country on earth. The US ranks 108th to put that in perspective. The pura vida mentality is obviously a main reason why the people are so happy, and when you add in the beauty of this country, the climate, the fact that the government focuses on education and health vs. having an army…it`s no wonder why the people are so happy here!

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3. The Beaches

Costa Rica has some of the most stunningly beautiful and clean beaches in the world. Two sides of the country are along coastlines- the north side is the Caribbean and the south side is the Pacific. The beaches range from crystal clear water, white sand beaches to black sand beaches- and a ton of them are top surfing spots in the world. Our very own Playa Espadilla (main beach in Manuel Antonio) has been ranked in TripAdvisor`s Top 25 Beaches in the World!

4. There`s So Much To Do!

In addition to the beautiful beaches, Costa Rica is world renowned for for it`s epic waterfalls, rainforests, mountains, rivers and volcanos which in turn means there`s so many things to do! Some of the world class things to do and see are:

- Zip Lining
- Whitewater Rafting
- Surfing
- Volcanos
- Hot Springs
- Fishing Charters
- Kayaking
- Scuba diving
- Parasailing
- Waterfalls (hike, swim, rappel, jump off!)
- ATV Rides
- Agriculture Tours (coffee, chocolate, spice plantations)

5. The Weather

Being from Wisconsin, the weather is one of the things I love most about this country! The average annual temperature ranges between 70-81 degrees and has 2 main seasons: wet and dry.

Dry Season (December- April): Hottest time of the year! It`s pretty much hot and sunny every single day with a very small chance of rain (if so it`s usually overnight). Great time to travel if you`re dreaming of a beach vacation and getting that tan on!

Wet Season (May – November): Usually it`s hot and sunny during the day and then there`s a pretty good chance of afternoon showers or heavy rain at night (awesome sleeping weather!).

Wet season is actually my personal favorite time of year because you get the perfect balance of rain and shine, everything is greener and it`s less crowded (it`s the “low season” for tourism).

A good thing to know is that there is no “bad” time to travel to Costa Rica. We live in Manuel Antonio (beach town in the southern pacific) and it`s warm enough year round to go swimming in the ocean even if it`s a rainy day!

6. The Food

Everything is super fresh! To get started, the pineapple here is like no other. I used to hate pineapple when I lived in the states, but here it`s like a magical explosion of deliciousness in your mouth!

The typical plate here is called a “casado” which includes rice, beans, your choice of meat (usually beef, chicken, pork or fish), salad and plantains. You can easily make it VEGAN like I do by ordering the casado without any meat (and asking what kind of dressing is on the salad to check if it`s vegan). It`s a super balanced meal and really delicious!

Costa Rica also has a ton of exotic fruits, my favorites being guanabana, lychees, passion fruit to name a few….and since the weather is awesome here year round, every town has a weekly farmer`s markets (“la feria”) where you can buy fresh produce, organic coconut oil, flowers and souvenirs from local artisans.

7. There`s NO Army!

That`s right- it is possible to have a country that`s safe without having an army. The army was abolished in CR in 1949 and since then the money has been reallocated to education, health and pensions. No army + pura vida = everyone happy and peaceful!

8. The Wildlife

Costa Rica has nearly 6% of the world`s biodiversity even though it only takes up .03% of the earth`s landmass. That`s a ton of plants and animals people!!! Every day I see a new bug or flower I`ve never seen before, it`s like I can`t believe my eyes. Costa Rica is especially famous for having monkeys and sloths, which is just one of the main reasons tourists travel here.

In Manuel Antonio, we are lucky to have 3 species of monkeys:
• Howler Monkeys (2nd loudest mammal on earth)
• White Face or “capuchin” Monkeys (these guys are crazy!)
• Titi Monkeys (only found here)

I see monkeys everyday like how I used to see squirrels in Wisconsin. We even have bridges for the monkeys to cross our streets because there`s so many of them! Ha!

For advice on the best wildlife tour, click here.

9. The Eco- Conscience Mindset

Costa Ricans know that their land is precious and they are very focused on protecting it. Over 25% of the landmass is protected and dedicated to National Parks (rainforests, cloud forests, beaches, wet lands, etc). Along the same lines as not having an army, Costa Ricans have a profound respect for life of all kinds. Animals, plants, people, you name it….if it`s alive they want to keep it alive!

10. The Freedom

I`m from “the land of the free” and I can honestly say I`ve never felt more free in my life than I have living in CR. Want to take your dog to the beach without a leash? Go ahead! No shirt, no shoes- no problem!

I`ll never forget my 2nd trip to CR (the one where I made the choice to move here)…Fer and I were taking a road trip around the country and we stopped at a gas station to fill up and take a break from driving. Fer came back to the car with a beer and cracked it open so we could share the beer and chill a bit. I freaked out and said “you can`t open that in the car, what are you doing!?”…and he said “yes I can, what are you talking about?”….he explained that yes, drinking and driving is obviously illegal- however having an open beer in your vehicle is totally fine, just don´t drive drunk! It`s more about common sense and people taking responsibility for themselves here, instead of having a million rules and lawsuits about everything. As long as you are not hurting anyone, you are free do whatever you want!

About the Author

castropolous

Co-founder of Castropolous.