Packing for Costa Rica is a little different from packing for a typical summer holiday.

Most family trips combine rainforest, waterfalls, hot springs and beaches, often within the same itinerary. That means you'll need clothes for hot weather, swimming, walking, rain showers, air-conditioned hotels and long flights.

When we visited Costa Rica in August with our 7-year-old son Joshua, we were travelling during the rainy season and found that a few items made a huge difference to our trip. Fortunately, you don't need specialist hiking gear or expensive outdoor equipment, but there are some things I wouldn't travel without.

Quick Answer: What Do Families Need to Pack for Costa Rica?

If you're visiting Costa Rica during the UK summer holidays, focus on:

• Lightweight clothing

• Quick-dry fabrics

• Good trainers

• Water shoes

• Swimwear

• Lightweight rain jackets

• Mosquito repellent

• Travel sickness tablets

• Dry bag for phones and valuables

The most important thing to remember is that you'll probably spend part of your trip in the rainforest and part at the beach. Pack for both.

In this guide, I'll cover exactly what we packed, what we were glad we brought, what we didn't use and the items I'd recommend for families visiting Costa Rica during rainy season.

Some of the links in this guide are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products, services and travel essentials we'd genuinely use again ourselves.

Clothing for Costa Rica: Rainy Season and Hot Weather

Costa Rica is warm and humid year-round, so lightweight clothing is your friend.

For Adults

• T-shirts and vests

• Lightweight shorts

• Lightweight trousers

• Light rain jacket

• Swimwear

• Flip flops

• Trainers or walking shoes

• Lightweight jumper for flights and air conditioning

• Underwear and sleepwear

• Hat and sunglasses

For Kids

• T-shirts

• Shorts

• Swimwear

• Lightweight rain jacket

• Trainers

• Sandals or flip flops

• Pyjamas

• Hoodie for flights

• Plenty of spare clothes

The biggest lesson we learned was that children get wet far more often than you expect. Between the rainforest, waterfalls, hotel pools and sudden showers, Joshua seemed to be changing clothes constantly.

Quick-dry clothing is incredibly useful and far easier to reuse than cotton items.

Shoes Matter More Than Most People Realise

If I could give families one packing tip, it would be not to underestimate footwear. You don't need heavy hiking boots for most Costa Rica family holidays, but the right shoes will make activities much more comfortable.

I'd recommend:

• Trainers for attractions such as Mistico Hanging Bridges and walking trails

• Water shoes for waterfalls, rocky areas and beaches

• Flip flops for hotels, pools and beach days

We used all three during our trip and were glad we packed them. If you're planning activities in La Fortuna, see Best Things to Do in La Fortuna with Kids

Rainy Season Essentials

If you're travelling between May and November, you'll want a few additional items.

We found these particularly useful:

• Lightweight rain jackets or compact ponchos (we got some from pound land and didn't bring them home)

• Small travel umbrella

• Dry bag

• Waterproof phone case

• Quick-dry clothing

The rain wasn't constant during our August trip, but when it arrived it could be heavy. Having lightweight waterproofs meant we carried on with activities rather than heading back to the hotel.

For more on the weather, see Costa Rica in August with Kids: Is Rainy Season Worth It for Families?

What to Pack in Your Beach and Pool Bag

Whether you're staying in La Fortuna, on the Pacific Coast or both, you'll spend a lot of time near water.

Our beach and pool essentials included:

• Swimwear

• Rash vests for Joshua

• Sunscreen

• Sunglasses

• Hats

• Flip flops

• Beach bag

• Reusable water bottles

The Costa Rican sun is surprisingly strong, even on cloudy days, so sunscreen and rash vests quickly became daily essentials.

Things We Were Glad We Packed

Looking back, these were the items that delivered the most value:

• Lightweight rain jackets

• Water shoes

• Travel sickness tablets

• Dry bag

The dry bag was particularly useful during waterfall visits and boating trips.

Things We Didn't Need (or Wouldn't Pack Again)

Not everything earned its place in our suitcase.

If we visited again, I'd probably skip:

• Too many "smart" outfits

• Jumpers

• Multiple pairs of trainers

• Bulky waterproofs

Costa Rica is generally very casual, and quick-dry clothing gets far more use than dressier items.

Car Comfort Essentials for a Road Trip

Many families choose to self-drive Costa Rica. The drives aren't extensive but being prepared with a couple of essentials is always helpful. We took Joshua’s Trunki BoostApak, which meant we had our own setup and avoided paying extra for a rental car seat. Always check that your child’s seat or booster is suitable for your child and accepted by your rental provider.

We found these useful:

• refillable water bottles

• snacks

• neck pillows

• small cool bag

• tissues

• travel sickness medication

If you're hiring a car, read Driving in Costa Rica with Kids

Tech and Travel Essentials

Technology made our Costa Rica trip much easier.

We packed:

• tablet with headphones

• power bank

• charging cables - a cable with a USB is usually helpful to have to plug your phone into the car phone

• UK to Cosa Rica plug adaptor

• multi-USB charger

One thing I'd consider essential is an eSIM .

We used an Airalo eSIM, which allowed us to:

• use Google Maps

• search for restaurants

• access bookings

• navigate Costa Rica easily

We also downloaded offline Google Maps before travelling as a backup.

Travel Health Kit

A small travel health kit saved us several times during the trip.

We packed:

• plasters

• antiseptic wipes

• antihistamines

• children's pain relief

• insect repellent (and after bite)

• Swimmers ear treatment (Joshua suffers with this)

• travel sickness medication

We highly recommend this preventative swimmers ear treatment, it is particularly useful because Joshua occasionally suffers with swimmers ear when spending a lot of time swimming on holiday.

Travel Insurance

Don't forget the importance of sorting travel insurance before you travel. We use Just Travel Cover because it compares multiple providers and helps find suitable medical and cancellation cover.

Packing Strategies That Actually Help

A few simple packing strategies can make family road trips much easier.

Use Packing Cubes

Packing cubes made moving between hotels significantly easier. Instead of unpacking entire suitcases every few days, we could quickly grab what we needed and stay organised.

Use Luggage Trackers

We always travel with luggage trackers. They're one of those purchases you hope you'll never need, but they're incredibly reassuring during flights and airport transfers.

Choose Suitcases with Split Compartments

For family road trips we use Surfanic Maxim roller bags, which have a split-level design. This allows you to separate: clean clothes, dirty laundry, wet swimwear or pool gear. This design makes hotel repacking far quicker when moving between destinations a Costa Rica multi destination trip.

Final Thoughts

The good news is that Costa Rica is actually quite easy to pack for.

You don't need specialist hiking equipment or expensive outdoor gear. The key is packing for a mixture of rainforest, waterfalls, hot springs and beaches, while accepting that everyone will probably get wet at some point.

For us, lightweight clothing, good shoes, rain jackets and a dry bag covered almost every situation we encountered.

FAQs: What to Pack for Costa Rica with Kids in Rainy Season

Do you need waterproof shoes in Costa Rica during rainy season?

Not necessarily, but comfortable trainers that can cope with getting wet are very useful. We wore trainers most days and packed sandals or water shoes for waterfalls, hot springs and beach days. Extra socks were one of the most useful items we packed.

Should kids bring a rain jacket to Costa Rica?

Yes. A lightweight rain jacket was one of the most useful things we packed. It doesn't need to be heavy-duty waterproof clothing, but having something easy to throw on during a shower makes exploring much more comfortable.

Do you need water shoes in Costa Rica?

I'd highly recommend them for families. They were particularly useful at La Fortuna Waterfall, around hot springs and for beach days. The rocks around waterfalls and rivers can be slippery, so water shoes made a noticeable difference.

For more details on this what to expect when visiting see: La Fortuna Waterfall with Kids: What It’s Really Like (Steps, Swimming & Safety)

What should families not forget when packing for Costa Rica?

The items we used most were insect repellent, lightweight rain jackets, swimwear, water shoes, a dry bag and a reusable water bottle. If you're visiting places such as La Fortuna, you'll probably use your swimwear almost every day between waterfalls, hot springs and hotel pools.

plan your TRIP TO costa rica

If you’re planning your family trip to Costa Rica, these guides will help you pull everything together:

About Plan Family Escapes

We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.

Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.