| What to
Pack For when you will be in San José
San José is in the Meseta Central, or
central plateau of Costa Rica, at an elevation of about 3,500 feet above sea level. So San
José's weather is spring-like year round, with daytime highs in the upper 70's, and
evening temperatures sometimes down into the lower 60's or even the upper 50's.
Because the evenings can be cool, you will
likely want to pack a long-sleeved shirt, cotton sweater or lightweight jacket.
San José is a cosmopolitan city with a
metropolitan population of about 1 million. Dress there is comfortable, but not really
casual. Costa Ricans for example typically do not wear shorts in San José. So we suggest
wearing slacks, jeans or skirts.
San José boasts a wide variety of
international restaurants, with menus for every taste and budget, ranging from dressy to
casual. So simply bring the clothes you prefer and you'll find restaurants to match.
There is also the opportunity to do a lot
of walking in San José, so you will want to bring comfortable walking shoes - tennis
shoes are fine.
It is also a good idea to wear a fanny pack
to carry your passport and valuables.
For when you will be in the areas near our tree farms
Once you arrive in the
area of our tree farms, you are definitely in the tropics. The daytime temperature here is
usually in the 80's during the dry season (mid-December through end of March), and
slightly cooler during the rainy season (April through November).
The dress at the hotels and restaurants
along the coast varies with the hotel, but it is always more casual than in San José.
For example, if you stay at Cabinas Punta
Dominical, near Campo Real, some guests will wear slacks and a sport shirt or blouse to
dinner. Others will wear shorts, T-shirts, and thongs, flip flops or tennis shoes.
Anything in that range is fine. It is just a very relaxed and casual atmosphere.
If you plan to be here during the rainy
season, you may want to bring a light sweater or sweatshirt just in case the evening
temperatures cool off after or during a rain.
For your visit to the tree farms to see your trees
and enjoy the farms
In general, you may want to wear
clothes to the farms that aren't your best - because you will have the opportunity to do
lots of outdoor activities that tend to get clothes dirty.
We suggest wearing long, loose fitting cotton pants or jeans.
We also suggest wearing light colored clothes. Some of our tree owners have found that
dark pants or shirts tend to make you hotter when in the sun.
The air here is clear and the sun is very bright, so we
recommend a hat with a wide brim to keep the sun off your face and head and the rain out
of your eyes. We also recommend a minimum of 15 SPF sunscreen. Sherry uses 45 SPF
sunscreen, and even under a long-sleeve shirt she still gets a little tan! The sun is very
different here and we feel it is better for you to be protected.
If you plan to hike or ride horseback, we have found that
powdering yourself up well on the area inside your pants with a medicated talcum powder
allows your clothes to move freely and avoids chafes or irritations to your skin. So you
may want to pack a little medicated powder.
Checklist of additional items to pack
- plenty of athletic crew socks to wear while wearing boots (We have a
supply of unlined rubber boots at Campo Real for you to use, or you can buy a pair when in
San José - they are only $7 or $8, and are known here as "Costa Rican tennis
shoes." They are great to wear when on the farms because if you get your feet wet,
these rubber boots dry overnight so you have something dry to wear the next day.)
- folding umbrella (particularly during the rainy season, April through
November)
- poncho (particularly during the rainy season)
- sunscreen - the air is very clear and the sun is very bright
- long pants and/or jeans (light colors are most comfortable)
- toiletries (i.e., toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, etc.)
- zip lock bags (for use in protecting your camera equipment, etc. in
case of rain, or dust during the dry season)
- fanny pack - to carry valuables when walking around San José or
other towns, also a great place to carry extra sunscreen and your camera while visiting
our tree farms
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