The Complete Costa Rica Packing List

If you’re searching the web trying to figure out your Costa Rica packing list, you must be in the process of booking a trip here.

We’re stoked for you – we love it here, and we just know you will, too!

We’re an award-winning surf and yoga camp that’s been welcoming travelers to Costa Rica through our Bodhi Sessions Adults Surf + Yoga and Bodhi Family Surf Camps for over a decade now. It’s safe to say we’ve got some skin in the game!

We’re more than confident that we can adequately advise you on what is necessary to add to your Costa Rica packing list.

By equipping you with this knowledge, we aim to empower you to have an enjoyable and safe trip here in paradise.

Costa Rica Packing List 

Here’s a quick summary of everything listed and explained in more detail down below:

• Passport (valid for the entirety of your stay in Costa Rica)
• Proof of Exit from Costa Rica (within 90 days)
• A couple of swimsuits (check out our blog on picking the right swimsuit for surfing)
• A rashguard for surfing
• A light rain jacket
• A pair of closed shoes/ sneakers
• A pair of sandals/flip-flops
• A hat and sunglasses (we love Sunski sunglasses)
• Athletic/comfortable clothing for yoga
• Clothing essentials — shirts, shorts, socks, underwear
• Light sweatshirt / long sleeve (mostly for air-conditioned buildings or transportation) 
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Reusable water bottle 
• $200 – $400 cash USD per week
• $100 worth of local currency (Colones)
• Debit and credit card
• Tylenol / Advil (just in case)
• Electrolytes (optional, but good for transitioning to warm/sunny climate) 
• Snacks! 

Arrival essentials

Before you even start thinking about packing your suitcase and setting off on your adventure, there are a few things that you absolutely can’t forget.

Some of these reminders will seem quite obvious – but it’s these things that are most easily forgotten!

First and foremost, you’ll need your passport. Costa Rica requires that your passport be valid for the entirety of your visit.

Another arrival requirement that many people forget, however, is proof of exit from the country within 90 days. Essentially, this is your return ticket back to your country of origin.

If you’ve booked a one-way flight, you must show proof of another flight, or a bus or cruise ship ticket out of the country within 90 days. You’ll get asked for this at the airport of departure (flying into Costa Rica) and again upon arrival in Costa Rica.

Check out our blog, Flying to Costa Rica, for more detailed info about the process of arriving in Costa Rica!

Suitcase essentials

Now that you know better what you need to enter Costa Rica, let’s pack those suitcases. 

This guide will be more geared to the weather, activities, and geography that are more typical to where we’re based at Bodhi Surf + Yoga – which is in beautiful Uvita, Bahia Ballena.

Your Costa Rica packing list will vary depending on which part of Costa Rica you visit.

Obviously, a summer surfing trip will require different clothing than cooling off in the cloud forests.

Clothing

Here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga, we believe that less is more!

It’s unnecessary to lug a huge heavy suitcase down here with you, only to use half of what you bring anyway. 

We work with a local person in our community who washes clothes for our guests, so even if you don’t bring much, you can always have laundry done and re-wear clothes.

We recommend that guests bring the following essentials to our week-long surf + yoga camps:

• A couple of swimsuits (check out our blog on picking the right swimsuit for surfing)
• A rashguard for surfing
• A light rain jacket
• A pair of closed shoes/ sneakers
• A pair of sandals/flip-flops
• A hat and sunglasses (we love Sunski sunglasses)
• Athletic/comfortable clothing for yoga

This is a list of essentials alongside underwear, shirts, socks, and shorts. Those are certainly needed!

Here in Uvita, Bahia Ballena, our climate is warm year-round.

We rarely need to wear sweatpants or sweatshirts, but this kind of clothing can be helpful for your flight or any transportation you take. 

Our driver, Wali, is known for keeping his bus very cool with the air conditioner – no complaints here!
But of course, depending on the time of year and the weather, you may require different clothes. Check out our blog on the weather in Bahia Ballena to give you a better idea of the weather during your visit!

Pack a Day Bag or Backpack

We highly recommend bringing a backpack with you on your trip to Costa Rica!

More than anything, having a travel bag is always useful when flying. It allows you to have your flight essentials on hand at all times:

• Passport and boarding pass
• Snacks
• Headphones
• Portable charger

But once you’ve already arrived in Costa Rica and at your home base, having a backpack makes for an efficient trip!

Packing for daily activities

We encourage our weekly guests to take a backpack with them for any excursion that they do – even just going for a walk about the town! That way, they can be sure to have their:

• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Water bottle

Our favorite sunscreen brand is Badger Balm. They are a fellow B Corp company that’s family-owned and makes their products to be minimally processed and environmentally friendly.

They also have kids’ mineral sunscreens for those traveling as families!

Here in sunny Bahia Ballena, you must carry around sunscreen. It doesn’t take as long to burn as you might think!

Badger Balm also provides us here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga with our insect repellent. This, too, is made to be not only more environmentally friendly than other brands but better for your skin as well.

Another item that MUST be carried around at all times is a reusable water bottle!

We always say that if you wait until you’re thirsty to hydrate, it’s already too late! This isn’t to scare or worry you – it’s just that it’s essential to stay on top of your hydration when enjoying our sunny and warm community.

We have reusable water bottles here on site that we lend to our guests in case they don’t have one. Fellow B Corp and 1% For The Planet member Klean Kanteen provides us with their reusable water bottles.

If you want to read more about our sustainable partnerships, feel free to surf over to our Responsible Business Hub!

Traveling with Money

Just like with which clothes you should pack, your itinerary will determine your budget.

One of the great things about visiting Costa Rica (at least from the US) is that American Dollars ($USD) are an accepted currency here.

We recommend that our guests coming for a week of our Bodhi Sessions Surf + Yoga camps bring between $200 – $400 in cash. This is just a rough recommendation, as the amount of money you need depends on what extra activities you do.

At Bodhi Surf + Yoga, we also recommend getting your hands on some of the local currency while traveling. We suggest bringing about $USD 100 worth of Costa Rican colones with you.

Playing around with the local currency is an important part of an immersive travel experience! Costa Rica’s money is also aesthetically beautiful. For example, the 10,000 colones bill has a sloth on it!

Trying to figure out the country’s currency is also a great way to put your math skills to the test. Are you paying $0.50 for a mango or $100 – who knows? But that’s half the fun!

Along with cash, it’s smart to bring your credit or debit card with you. Like USD cash, international bank cards are widely accepted here in Costa Rica.

At least here in Uvita, Bahia Ballena, most restaurants, supermarkets, and souvenir shops accept international bank cards.

Here in Uvita, we have several banks that accept international bank cards and allow you to withdraw Costa Rican Colones. Most of the grocery stores around here also give change back in Colones – even if you paid in USD.

Check out our blog on Uvita’s services and amenities for more info about banks, grocery stores, and more!

Bodhi Surf + Yoga Pro Packing Tips

There are a few items worth packing that are easily overlooked but are extremely important!

As much as we remind our guests to keep hydrating throughout the day, it doesn’t take much to get dehydrated.

We highly recommend bringing electrolytes with you! You can buy these as little sachet packets that you mix into a glass of water.

Electrolytes help tremendously to prevent and combat early dehydration.

Another thing that you shouldn’t forget to bring is your simple meds– things like Advil and Tylenol. Being physically active in a hot climate like ours, it’s not unheard of to get mild headaches.

This is completely normal. It’s a healthy reaction of your body to some pretty trying conditions! Usually, all it takes to get rid of a mild headache is some Advil and a nap, so be sure to pack it!

Another essential that often gets overlooked are snacks! Not just for your flights, but it’s useful to have a few granola bars and crackers to snack on throughout your trip.

If you have been dehydrated or unwell and you’re just getting your appetite back, these are the perfect snacks to whip out of your suitcase to tide you over for the afternoon.

Those suitcases aren’t gonna pack themselves!

Might we see you down here soon to enjoy some surf, yoga, delicious food, and endless memories together?

Either way, we hope this blog has made you feel more confident about your trip to Costa Rica and, if you even need it, gives you a push to book that ticket!

If you do need an extra little bit of encouragement, that’s ok too. Head over to our Travel Hub to see why Costa Rica is an ideal destination.

Now you have your Costa Rica packing list – all that’s left to do is pack those suitcases!

But first, one more suggestion from your friends at Bodhi Surf + Yoga: pack a Spanish phrasebook! Traveling is an excellent opportunity to learn new skills and try new things – use it as an opportunity to practice a new language!

This will help you integrate and immerse yourself within the community that you’re traveling – you’ll be glad you did!