The Essential Things to Bring to La Fortuna, Costa Rica
These are the essential items if you like to vacation close to the Arenal Volcano:
- Lightweight dry fast clothes,
- Comfortable sandals,
- Swimwear,
- Mosquito repellent,
- Sunscreen SPF 30+,
- Hiking shoes/trail running shoes or closed toed hiking sandals,
- Sunglasses,
- A hat,
- Battery pack,
- Medical kit & all your necessary medicaments,
- Waterproof phone case,
- Camera & Go Pro,
- Easy-dry day pack,
- Rain jacket and an insulated water bottle.
Let’s cover the formalities for your Costa Rica travel
Packing the essentials is important, but first we must make sure that you are able to enter the country and therefore, please check off this list:
- Bring your original passport and make sure it will be at least 3 more months valid on the day of your arrival to Costa Rica
- If you like to rent a car, bring your original valid driver’s license
- Credit cards you plan to use (don’t forget to tell your credit card company you are traveling overseas).
- Choose a travel insurance
- Copy of your Health Pass
- Your return flight ticket out of Costa Rica (printed or saved on your phone)
- Hotels, tours, car rentals and flight reservations (printed or saved on your phone)
From the essentials to the formalities to the ordinary:
Let’s complete your packing by listing off all the items that you should consider bringing easily to cross off by category:
Clothing:
- 3-5 short sleeve t-shirts. Quick dry shirts are recommended
- 1-2 long sleeve shirts for protection from the sun or hiking through higher elevation forests
- 1-2 blouses or dress shirts
- 2-3 pairs of quick dry shorts for general use
- 1-2 pairs of dress shorts or tropical weight skirts
- swimsuit and possibly a sarong
- 1 pair of casual dress pants
- 1 pair of long pants for hiking.
- 6-8 pairs of underwear
- 6-8 pairs of socks
- Sleepwear
- Nylon mesh bag for dirty/wet clothes
- *Packing Tip: Rolled clothing condenses better than folded clothing.
Toiletries:
- Toothbrush with cover
- Toothpaste
- Razor
- Shaving cream
- Antiperspirant
- Soap
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Hairbrush
- Cosmetics
- Tampons
Maps & Others:
- Map of Costa Rica & nature guide
- Spanish/English phrase book
- Binoculars
- Download Waze, Google Maps and WhatsApp as useful applications for communication and getting around.
Of course, everybody has their own style and plan for Costa Rica, but this list is a fundamental starting point. Take what works best for your itinerary and leave the rest. Happy packing and we see you soon in La Fortuna, Costa Rica.
