Packing lists

What to pack for Costa Rica in February

February is the middle of the dry season on the Pacific side of Costa Rica, and one of the most reliable months to visit. The beaches in Guanacaste are hot and sunny day after day. Inland, the weather changes quickly: the volcano towns get passing showers, and the cloud forest is cool, windy and misty.

So the list covers three trips in one: the beach, the rainforest and the mountains. Pack quick-dry clothes you can hike in, swimwear, a light rain jacket and one warm layer. The country is casual and outdoorsy, and nobody will expect you to dress up.

Checked

The weather

Daytime high
91°F
33°C on the Pacific coast. The cloud forest is in the 60s.
Overnight low
72°F
22°C at the beach. Cloud-forest nights drop near 55°F (13°C).
Wet days
~1
On the Pacific coast. Arenal and the Caribbean side are wetter.
Daylight
12 h
Sunrise near 6am and sunset near 6pm, so plan early starts.

The capsule

Ten days, one traveler, Orchard palette. Olive for the trails, and ivory and rose for the beach towns. A capsule is a few clothes in one palette (a base color, a neutral and an accent) that all go together. The full list below adds what sits outside it.

Orchard palette · 11 pieces · 14 outfits

Layers

  • Light rain shellLight rain shell
  • Light fleece, for the cloud forestLight fleece, for the cloud forest

Tops

  • Linen shirtLinen shirt
  • Ribbed tankRibbed tank
  • Long-sleeve tee, for bugsLong-sleeve tee, for bugs

Bottoms

  • Quick-dry hiking pantsQuick-dry hiking pants
  • Linen shortsLinen shorts

Dresses

  • SundressSundress

Shoes

  • Trail runnersTrail runners
  • Water shoesWater shoes
  • Flip-flopsFlip-flops

Three days from this capsule

Beach day in Guanacaste
Cloud forest hike
Volcano town dinner

Shown for one traveler. Packlier packs a capsule like this for each person on the trip.

The full list

Clothes

  • Two swimsuits
  • Beach cover-up or sundress
  • Four or five quick-dry tops
  • One or two long-sleeve tops for sun and bugs
  • Quick-dry hiking pants
  • Shorts
  • Light rain jacket
  • Fleece or warm layer for the cloud forest

Shoes

  • Trail runners or light hiking shoes with grip
  • Water shoes or sport sandals
  • Flip-flops

Outdoors

  • Insect repellent
  • Reef-safe sunscreen
  • Binoculars for wildlife
  • Headlamp for night walks
  • Dry bag
  • Refillable water bottle
  • Sun hat and sunglasses
  • Packable daypack

Documents and tech

  • Passport, valid for your whole stay
  • Proof of onward travel
  • Driver’s license, if you are renting a car
  • Travel insurance that covers adventure activities
  • Some colones or small US dollar bills for tips
  • Power bank

Health and toiletries

  • After-sun lotion
  • Anti-itch cream
  • Any prescriptions, in your carry-on

Gear worth the space

  • Trail runners with grip

    The trails are muddy, rooty and often wet. A lugged sole that drains and dries quickly beats heavy boots.

  • Compact binoculars

    An 8x pair is light enough to carry every day, and it transforms a walk through the rainforest.

  • A light rain jacket

    Even in the dry season, Arenal and Monteverde get showers. A packable jacket keeps your camera and phone dry.

  • A dry bag

    For river trips, waterfall hikes and beach days, when you want your phone and passport with you and dry.

Hot beach, misty cloud forest, volcano showers: three trips in one. Packlier packs them into your one bag.

Tell it where, when, why, which bag and which palette, and it packs the capsule, checks it against the bag and adds everything that is not clothing. Launching this year on Android, with iOS to follow.

One email at launch, nothing else.