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!
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
- Laundry bag
- Foldable tote
- Sleep sheet
Toiletries Packing List for Costa Rica
- Small packing cube
- Contact case
- Glasses and case
- Bar soap and case
- Solid shampoo and case
- Small microfiber towel
- Cucumber face wipes
- Purell wipes
- Deodorant
- Razor
- Nail clippers
- Toothbrush and cover
- Dental floss
- Tissues
- Cotton swabs
- Hair clip
- Comb
- Tampons or menstrual cup
- Laundry detergent sheets
- Sink stopper
- Paracord
- Headlamp
- Door stop
- Duct tape
- Small cosmetics bag
- Mini makeup palette
- Concealer stick
- Eyeliner
- Travel size mascara
- Lip balm
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
Electronics Packing List for Costa Rica
- Laptop and charger
- Waterproof phone case
- Earbuds
- Plug adapter kit
- Surge suppressor
- Thumb drive
- External battery
- Camera case
- Camera
- Rechargeable AA batteries and charger
- Extra memory card
- SD card adapter
Day Bag Packing List for Costa Rica
- Cross-body anti-theft day bag
- Inflatable pillow
- Eye mask
- Collapsible water bottle
- Personal alarm on carabiner
- Mini LED flashlight
- Mini Sharpie
- Book
- Journal
- Pens
This is just what goes in my day bag for the flight to Costa Rica! See my regular day bag packing list here.
Saving this packing list for my trip, thank you for sharing it!
So glad it was helpful!
It’s so helpful to have it all written out like this! I am always scrambling trying to remember things haha.
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.
Helpful Info!! Great article!
So glad it helped!