Clothes: San José is an informal and casual city; you can wear jeans, and comfortable walking shoes almost everywhere. Formal attire is only used on special occasions, like in business travels, and exclusive dinners or concerts. The highland areas (Monteverde, Savegre Valley) can be cold, and a sweater is recommended. If you are traveling to the Chirripó National Park, you shall take warm clothes, gloves, and scarves, since you will be sleeping 3500 m (1,070.2 ft) above sea level with no heating systems in the shelter. For the lowland areas light, loose-fitting shirts and trousers are essential (the weather is hot, sunny, and in some areas, humid). For beach excursions you will need a “complete” swimsuit. Nude or topless swimming or sun bathing is not common. If you plan to hike in the national parks make sure you bring the appropriate walking shoes. A hat or cap is a must for preventing sunburn.

Don’t forget to bring: a small backpack or travel bag for day tours, pocket knife, flashlight or torch, sandals for the beach, a pair of binoculars to observe animals, insect repellent, sunscreen lotion, insect repellent, and rainwear (umbrellas, raincoats, waterproof shoes). We recommend you bring plenty of film, as it can be expensive in Costa Rica. Rolls of film for slides are especially difficult to get hold of. An alarm clock may also come in handy. The electrical current throughout Costa Rica is the same as US-110 volt AC. Outlets are generally 2-pronged. A voltage converter is necessary in order to use 240/250-Volt AC-powered items.