Solo Female Travel Packing List for Costa Rica

What to pack for one week in Costa Rica? This solo female travel packing list will take you from capital city San Jose to volcanic Arenal & La Fortuna to the Monteverde cloud forests.

Looking for a packing list that can take you all over the world? See my full solo female round-the-world trip packing list here.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission from any purchases you make. You won’t incur any extra costs by clicking through, and all opinions are my own — I only recommend products I personally use or have vetted through trustworthy sources.

Table of Contents

The Best Backpack for Costa Rica

My backpack is an Osprey Farpoint 40L. I love it because it has nice padding, lots of built-in organization, front-loading panels, and straps that zip away for easy transport. It’s held up very well over six years of heavy use. It fits airline carry on requirements so I practically never have to check a bag. However, since my purchase of this backpack, Osprey has introduced a women’s version — the Osprey Fairview — with a slightly different shape and placement to the straps that is so much more comfortable for feminine frames. Until I investigated the differences of the Fairview, I didn’t realize how much I have jerry rigged my Farpoint to fit my body properly. If you’re in the market for a new pack, go Fairview!

hanging bridges in Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica | Solo Female Travel Packing List for Costa Rica

Clothing Packing List for Costa Rica

  • Two compression sacks
  • 2 long sleeve tees
  • 1 lightweight blouse
  • 4-5 t-shirts
  • 1 tank top
  • 1 lightweight cardigan
  • Jeans
  • Hiking pants
  • 2-3 pairs leggings
  • 2 pairs shorts
  • Maxi skirt
  • Dress
  • Swimsuit
  • Thin gloves
  • Hat
  • Scarf/sarong
  • Sunglasses
  • Fleece jacket (wear in transit)
  • Rain jacket (wear in transit)
  • 9 pairs underwear
  • Bra
  • Sports bra
  • 6 pairs socks
  • Sneakers (wear in transit)
  • Flip flops
  • Flats

Miscellaneous Packing List for Costa Rica

Arenal volcano hike in Costa Rica | Solo Female Travel Packing List in Costa Rica

Toiletries Packing List for Costa Rica

First Aid Packing List for Costa Rica

  • Small bag
  • Mini pill case
  • Advil
  • Sudafed
  • Pepto Bismol tablets
  • Vitamins
  • Prescription meds
  • Band-Aids
  • Moleskin

Liquids Packing List for Costa Rica

  • Quart size Ziploc bag
  • Sunscreen
  • Contact solution
  • Toothpaste
  • Mini roller perfume
  • Tinted moisturizer
  • Neosporin
  • Superglue
  • Bug spray

solo female traveler working on a laptop | Solo Female Travel Packing List for Costa Rica

Electronics Packing List for Costa Rica

Day Bag Packing List for Costa Rica

This is just what goes in my day bag for the flight to Costa Rica! See my regular day bag packing list here.

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6 Comments

  1. It’s so helpful to have it all written out like this! I am always scrambling trying to remember things haha.

    1. Extra tip: make a checklist on a free app like Color Note so it’s always saved to your phone! When you’re packing up to move onto the next destination or fly home, you won’t forget anything.

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