What to pack for Costa Rica in January: Arenal to the beach

December and January are Costa Rica’s dry season on the Pacific side: at Liberia, in Guanacaste, highs are around 35 °C (95 °F), lows around 17 °C (63 °F), and it barely rains. Arenal still gets showers, and Monteverde is cool, windy, and misty. Pack light clothes, a rain jacket, a fleece, two swimsuits, sunscreen, and shoes with grip.

The story

You land at Liberia in the late morning, and the heat meets you on the stairs: dry, bright, with a warm wind. You pick up the rental car, an SUV with high clearance, and drive east across dry pasture toward Arenal. Halfway there, the hills turn green and the windshield gets its first drops of rain. On this side of the mountains it can rain in any month.

In La Fortuna you wake to the volcano in cloud. You walk the hanging bridges in the forest with a rain jacket and its hood up, through a drizzle that comes and goes. The metal grating on the bridges is wet and the trail between them is muddy, so the sneakers with a good sole earn their place. In the evening you sit in the hot springs in a swimsuit, with water sandals for the stone paths, while the rain falls on the warm water.

Then you drive up to Monteverde, on a road that climbs and winds. At the top it’s cooler, and the wind blows hard through the pass. The cloud forest is wet even without rain: the mist leaves the trees, the railings, and your jacket damp. You wear the fleece under the rain jacket, and long pants. That night you go on a guided walk with a flashlight, and the guide asks everyone for closed shoes and long sleeves.

The last stop is a beach in Guanacaste, back on the dry side. It’s 35 °C at noon, the sky is clear, and there’s no shade on the sand. Sunscreen goes on twice before lunch, and the hat stays on. The fleece and the rain jacket go to the bottom of the bag. By evening it cools a little, and you eat outside in a light shirt.

Costa Rica in the dry season is hot and dry on the Pacific coast, showery near Arenal, and cool, windy, and damp in Monteverde. Pack light clothes for the heat, a rain jacket and a fleece for the hills, two swimsuits, strong sun protection, and shoes that grip on wet trails.

What to pack for Costa Rica in January

Pack for three climates in one week, and for a car.

Clothes

Light, quick-drying T-shirts and shorts for the beach and the drive: Guanacaste is hot and dry.
A rain jacket with a hood for Arenal and Monteverde, where showers and mist come and go.
A fleece or light sweater for Monteverde’s evenings and the wind at the top.
Long, light pants and a long-sleeved shirt for forest walks, night tours, and mosquitoes.
Two swimsuits, so one can dry: the hot springs and the beach both need one.
A sun hat or cap for the beach, where there’s little shade.

Shoes

Sneakers or light hiking shoes with a grippy sole for the bridges and the muddy trails.
Water sandals for the hot springs, the beach, and river crossings.
Extra socks: in the cloud forest, they get damp.

For the day

Reef-safe sunscreen with high protection, sunglasses, and lip balm with SPF.
Insect repellent for the forest and the evenings.
A small backpack with a rain cover, or a dry bag for the phone and the camera.
A flashlight or headlamp for night walks.
Binoculars, if you have them, for birds and sloths high in the trees.
A refillable water bottle.

Documents, money and tech

Your passport, valid as long as your nationality needs (see Good to know).
A ticket out of Costa Rica, printed or on your phone.
Your driver’s license, and a credit card in the driver’s name for the rental car’s deposit.
Some US dollars in small bills, and a card for the rest.
A plug adapter if you come from outside the Americas: sockets are types A and B, at 120 V.
An eSIM for Costa Rica, so maps work on the road between stops.
A car phone holder and charger: you’ll navigate by phone.

Good to know

Weather on the coast: at Liberia’s airport in Guanacaste, January highs average 35 °C (95 °F) and lows 17 °C (63 °F), with about 1 mm (0.04 in) of rain in the month; December highs average 34.5 °C (94 °F) and lows 18 °C (64 °F), with about 12 mm (0.5 in) over three days, by the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional’s 2005–2025 climatology for the Daniel Oduber airport. The trade winds there blow hardest from January to March.
Weather in the hills: by the IMN’s regional climate studies (1961–1990 baseline), the Arenal side follows the Caribbean’s rain pattern, wet in every month, and cold fronts bring rain at the end and start of the year. The mountain zone of the Guanacaste and Tilarán ranges, which includes Monteverde, averages around 25 °C (77 °F) by day and 17 °C (63 °F) at night across the year; Monteverde, higher up, is cooler.

Stop	December–January	What changes in the bag
Guanacaste coast	17 to 35 °C (63 to 95 °F), almost dry	Sunscreen, hat, swimsuit
Arenal, La Fortuna	Showers possible, warm	Rain jacket, grippy shoes
Monteverde	Cooler, windy, misty	Fleece, long pants, rain jacket

Getting around: a rental car is the easy way to link the three stops. Drive the mountain roads in daylight, and check what insurance the price includes: rental desks in Costa Rica usually require third-party liability cover.
Plugs: types A and B, 120 V.
Money: the Costa Rican colón (CRC). US dollars are widely taken in tourist areas, and cards work in most hotels and restaurants.
Entry: Costa Rica’s immigration service sorts passports into groups, and your group decides whether you need a visa and how long your passport must still be valid. Check yours on the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería’s visa page, and carry a ticket out of the country and proof that you can pay for your stay before you fly.
Health: if you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk, check on the Ministry of Health’s site whether you need a vaccination certificate (checked October 19, 2026).
More trips like this: what to pack for Bali in the dry season, with a volcano too, or Mexico City and Cancún.

Questions

Does it rain in Costa Rica in January?

Very little on the Pacific coast: Liberia gets about 1 mm (0.04 in) of rain in January. Near Arenal, showers are still possible in any month, and Monteverde is often misty, so pack a rain jacket for the hills.

Is it cold in Monteverde in December and January?

It’s cool rather than cold: Monteverde sits high in the mountains, and the wind and the mist make evenings feel colder. A fleece under a rain jacket and long pants are enough.

What should I wear in Costa Rica in December?

Light clothes for the coast, where highs are around 35 °C (95 °F), plus a rain jacket and a fleece for Arenal and Monteverde. Wear shoes with grip for wet trails, and bring water sandals for the hot springs and the beach.

Do I need a 4x4 in Costa Rica?

Not always, but a car with high clearance helps on the mountain and beach roads. Drive in daylight, and check what insurance the rental price includes.

Do I need a visa for Costa Rica?

It depends on your passport: Costa Rica sorts nationalities into groups, and the group decides whether you need a visa and how long your passport must still be valid. Check yours on the immigration service’s visa page, and carry a ticket out of the country.