Whether you’re coming to Costa Rica to lay on the beach, hike up a mountain or embrace your adventurous spirit, which pair of shoes you bring can make or break a trip. Nothing is worse than trekking through the forest and breaking a toe because you only brought flip flops. Or hiking 5 miles in the humid jungle with wet socks and sneakers.
To fully enjoy all Costa Rica has to offer, it’s pertinent to bring the correct pair of shoes to prepare you for all of the elements. Packing for Costa Rica isn’t too difficult, but shoes are always tricky since there are just SO many!
We’ve traveled the corners of the country and have gone on many adventures in the water, jungle and mountains so we’ve learned through experience what kind of shoes work well for what activity and where. If you need advice on the best shoes for Costa Rica, check out our recommendations.
Best Shoes for Costa Rica
Two important things to know: where are you going and what are you doing? These answers will greatly influence the type of shoes to bring.
Other factors to keep in mind when buying the best shoes for Costa Rica are safety, traction and comfort. Waterproofness is also a factor, especially if you’re coming in rainy season. You want to make sure the pair(s) of shoes you bring will protect your feet, give enough support and is comfortable for every activity you do.
So let’s go through the various types of footwear that work for Costa Rica.
Flip Flops
This one is pretty obvious. For beach goers, flip flops are the best shoes. Easy to take off and on, lets your feet breathe and can get wet. Downside are the funny tan lines!
I do recommend bringing a sturdy pair of flip flops however. I’ve ripped a pair when I was getting off a boat as it got caught on the side and the strap broke. We’ve also ruined flip flops when walking in in the forest as the sandal got stuck in the mud. Not to mention I’ve slipped a couple times during rainy season since flip flops don’t have good traction.
So when you’re going boating or walking in the forest, be very careful not to get your flip flops caught on anything. A good pair of flip flops aren’t cheap in Costa Rica either, brands such as Roxy can cost up to $70 for a pair!
If you happen to break yours or need a cheap pair, check out the supermarkets, you can buy flip flops for about $5. The quality isn’t the best but it works temporarily. Avoid souvenir shops as they usually increase prices since tourists shop there.
Hiking Sandals
One of the questions we get a lot is “Which is better: open or closed toed hiking sandals?” They’re both great but let me tell you why we recommend closed toed hiking sandals.
Both open and close toed hiking sandals generally give good traction and are very breathable, comfortable and practical for going from water to land and vice versa. Most dry quickly and don’t weigh much, so they don’t take up a lot of luggage space.
However, the difference is in protection. Obviously with open toed shoes, your toes aren’t covered and are vulnerable to getting stubbed and poked. It’s easy to accidentally kick a rock when you’re walking, get a thorny branch stuck between your toes or worse, be bitten by ants. With closed toed shoes, you have a sturdy toe bumper for proection.
Our favorite closed toed hiking sandals are by KEEN. Yeison and I both have a pair of Newport H2 and love them. You can read my Keen’s review or check it out on Amazon. If you buy KEENs, buy a half size smaller as they do stretch out.
There are other excellent hiking sandals out there like Hi-Tec (used to have these before KEEN), Teva, Clarks (love their shoes, so comfortable) and Merrell (one of the best outdoor shoe brands).
Activities for closed toed hiking sandals: Activities for open toed hiking sandals:
- Canyoning Sightseeing
- Waterfalls Walking on the beach
- Ziplining Boating
- Horseback riding Hanging bridges walk
- White water rafting Ziplining
- Hiking in well marked paths River cruises
One downside to these shoes are the little rocks that sneak in there. If you get any, make sure to shake it out because they can cause blisters and be very annoying.
Sneakers
Sneakers are ideal for few conditions in Costa Rica. I’m wearing sneakers in the picture while hiking on a paved road in the hills outside Heredia. I’m not in the jungle, it’s dry season, it’s about 74 degrees and I’m not going in the water.
Sneakers are light and offer protection for your feet, but they’re not one of the best shoes for Costa Rica as many adventure activities involve water, dirt or mud. Since sneakers aren’t waterproof and they don’t normally have the best traction, they’re not the most ideal type of shoes to wear for the rain forest.
They are also not the most comfortable for hot weather such as Guanacaste or the South Pacific as they aren’t as breathable as hiking sandals.
Guanacaste is extremely hot and your feet will be stuffy and stifling in the searing 90-100 degrees heat. The South Pacific like Uvita and the Osa Peninsula is just as hot but it is much more humid, meaning your feet will be muggy and it’ll take forever for your socks and shoes to dry.
Activities sneakers are good for:
- Ziplining
- Sightseeing
- Walking in the Central Valley
- Hanging bridges
- Horseback riding
If you bring sneakers, try to get all-terrain shoe that is light, breathable, protects against mud and dirt and has a good grip. Saloman makes excellent running shoes and they have an all-terrain sneaker that does all of that.
Hiking Boots
Most hikes in Costa Rica aren’t too intense, but there are a select few where you do need a good pair of hiking shoes and boots.
Cons to hiking shoes/boots are that they are heavier, they take up more space, if they aren’t waterproof you’ll have soggy socks, they take longer to dry and are stuffy.
However, the pros greatly outweigh the cons when you’re hiking places like:
- Corcovado National Park
- Matapalo
- Cerro Chato
- Mount Chirripo
- Osa Peninsula
The reason why is that these shoes offer more protection and stability. Some of these hikes include climbing 12,000 feet up mountains such as Chirripo (the tallest in Costa Rica), hiking through unmarked paths in the forest or over large rocks and fallen branches like Matapalo.
And although it doesn’t have complete protection, it does offer some against snake bites. I always wear my hiking shoes when we go birdwatching since we’re usually going into the jungle to find the best viewpoints!
We highly recommend bringing a pair of waterproof hiking boots since many trails still require crossing streams and rivers. Yeison has a pair of KEEN Targhee waterproof hiking shoes (in the picture) which he wore crossing several rivers to a waterfall and his socks stayed 100% dry. It’s almost a must if you plan to hike during rainy season.
Rain boots
Rain boots are the best shoes for Costa Rica for hiking in the muddiest of trails, trekking through the jungle in rainy season and protection against snake bites.
Although it isn’t absolutely necessary to have rain boots for Corcovado National Park in dry season, we wore rain boots at the San Pedrillo station because it poured rain the night before and the trails were incredibly muddy. We crossed several small rivers and streams and the rain boots protected against all of the elements.
We initially were going to wear our hiking shoes but thankfully our hotel, Casa Corcovado Jungle Lodge provided rain boots. We were up to our ankles in mud in some places!
Rain boots offer the best protection against mosquitoes and snakes because they go up to the calf. Just make sure you bring a pair of long wick dry socks to protect your skin and keep your feet from feeling too stuffy.
You’ll see most farmers and field workers wearing rain boots for these exact reasons. You don’t need to bring a pair either, you can buy them for cheap at most supermarkets or some hardware stores. Also useful at Torguero National Park, where trails are very muddy when it rains and Rio Celeste also with muddy trails.
Extra tips
- Bring band-aids to cover blisters
- Before putting on your shoes, and shake it out to get rid of any unwelcome visitors. Scorpions, snakes and other critters like to call shoes home sometimes
- If you’re coming in rainy season, see what other essential gear you should bring in our post
- If you’re going to Corcovado NP, ask your hotel if they provide rain boots.
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Jenny Bublitz says
Thanks for the great blog!!! We will be hiking (trails with a guide) in Monte Verde and Arenal in late September. I’m assuming trails will be muddy? If so, do you recommend a certain shoe that holds up well in the mud and wet conditions? Thanks!!
Sammi says
I would recommend the closed toed hiking sandal so it’s easy to wash and can go through mud/dirt/water to land easily. If you wear hiking shoes/boots, it would be best to have waterproof ones so you don’t have to deal with muddy and soggy socks or ruining your shoes if they get very muddy/wet. It does rain quite hard in those areas in late September so definitely check our Rainy season packing list Costa Rica
Sofiya says
Hello! Thank you for the wonderful blog. I’m going to Puerto Viejo (Limon province) in April and going to hike in area parks. I’d like to get hiking sandals,but I’m very afraid of spider and snake bites. Would you recommend getting hiking boots instead, or do you think I would be okay with the sandals?
Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Sofiya! If you go to Cahuita National Park, the trail is very well maintained and defined, just make sure to not to stray off the path but you don’t need hiking boots. Snake and spider bites are not very common in Costa Rica honestly, unless you’re going out in to a remote jungle on a non defined trail, snake bites are very rare. Closed toed hiking sandals are great and let your feet breathe, but if you’re planning to hike like, in the Talamanca mountain range or somewhere more remote and rural, then hiking shoes/boots are the best choice. If you’ll just be in Cahuita National Park, Gandoca or around Puerto Viejo, hiking boots aren’t mandatory. I saw people walking through Cahuita with flip flops.
Joanna says
Hi there, is it a crazy idea to bring YALOX water shoes? The second half of our trip to Costa Rica will be in La Fortuna for the waterfalls, hot springs and zip lining. Would those kind of shoes be a bad idea?
Thank for all you tips and advice here!!
Sammi says
Hi Joanna! They would work for beach, hot springs and waterfall but if you’re doing any walking or hiking, I wouldn’t wear them. Ziplining is probably ok since you’re not walking that much and it’s all on platforms but if you plan to go to a national park for hiking, or something that involves walking for long periods of time not in water, I wouldn’t wear water shoes.
Matt says
Hi Sammi-
Thanks for the article. Recently moved to Guanacaste and actually on the hunt for *indoor* shoes! Need something with some arch support to wear around the house. Anywhere to get Crocs or something similar in Guanacaste?
Sammi says
I’d try the stores in Liberia but Crocs are pretty expensive here, if you don’t want to pay like double what they normally cost in the US, you can find the cheap knock offs.
Veronique Turmel says
We will visit the regions of Tortuguero, Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio next March with the children and we want to reduce the luggage. What shoes do you recommend to bring?
Thanks
Sammi says
I recommend the closed toed hiking sandals and bring some socks in case they get cold up in Monteverde since Monteverde is colder and higher in elevation. Tortuguero and Manuel Antonio are super humid and hot.
Ken says
We are going to Arenal (Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna waterfall), Monterverde (coffee trails, cloud forest walk, sky tram) & Manuel Antonio(National Park & Beach) in first week of July. Trying not to overpack…..so wondering whether flip flops and a hiking show would suffice. Don’t own a hiking shoe…with4 in the family…trying to be budget friendly. Thought and recommendations?
Sammi says
Hi Ken, you can wear normal tennis shoes (you don’t really need hiking shoes, none of those places require actual hiking shoes since the trails are all nicely maintained and super flat/easy to walk.) It’ll be stuffy and not as practical as hiking sandals but they will work. You can even wear flip flops to Manuel Antonio NP, you don’t need hiking shoes.
Wendy says
I’m going to CR in May and visiting Arenal and Manuel Antonio. We’re not planning to do any activities, just hiking the parks. Can I get by with just bring sneakers? I didn’t want to buy new shoes as I’m not sure how often we’ll use them after this trip. Should I bring rubber boots as an alternative for waterproof shoes? Or should I really just invest in some waterproof hiking shoes like Keens?
Sammi says
You can definitely wear just sneakers to Arenal and Manuel Antonio. It’s just fairly humid in Manuel Antonio so the hiking sandals will be more comfortable and let you feet breathe (also easier to put on after you go in the water). You can also wear flip flops to Manuel Antonio too since the trails are nicely laid out. You don’t need rubber boots at all.
Helene says
Hey there, we are going on a trip to Manzanillo in a couple of weeks. We have kayaking, turtle watching in Gandoca, zip lining, rain forest night tour and jaguar rescue center. I was trying to decide if I should but a pair of Merrell Siren hiking boots, I have a pair of open toed Teva’s but I figured I would need something closed toed. Do you think I would be more comfortable with closed toed hiking sandals. Thank you for the great blog 🙂
Sammi says
I would definitely recommend a closed toe hiking shoes, especially for a night tour and ziplining. It’ll give you more security. We love our KEEN sandals, you can read our review on them here: KEEN hiking sandals women
Sammi says
Hi Diana! Hiking sandals will be perfect for the area, you won’t need boots. Hikes in both those areas are not very hard, they’re all on flat, well maintained trails without any heavy elevation climbs or rocks. The only thing would be is to get closed toed bumper hiking sandals. I wrote a more detailed section about both those places in this post: Costa Rica packing list
Diana says
Hi Sammi! So glad I stumbled upon your blog! I’ll be heading into the Monteverde Cloud Forest/La Fortuna/Arenal area in February 2018 for hiking and exploring and I wasn’t sure if hiking boots or hiking sandals were a better choice. What do you suggest? Thanks in advance!
Erica Brooks says
Hi- love your blog! I’ve been reading it in prep for our honeymoon in May 2018! Would you recommend closed toes sandals for hiking rio celeste? Thanks so much! -Erica
Sammi says
Hi Erica, yes those work great and what I always wear. You can read more about Rio Celeste and our tips here: Rio Celeste guide
Aerance says
Hi!
I’ll be in Costa Rica from end of September to early October? Mainly staying in the Puerto Viejo/Limon area. I was wondering if trail runners and flip flops would be good enough or is it best to purchase a pair of hiking sandals. Is a rain jacket a must since I’m on the carribbean side?
Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Aerance, that should be fine for shoes, unless you want to do activities like white water rafting, canyoning, tubinh, etc. where you have to go from land to water, then I would highly recommend hiking sandals. A rain jacket is very useful on the Caribbean, though October is generally their driest month, it can still rain, especially in September.
Aerance Teo says
Thank you so much for the tips!
Samta says
Hi –
Thanks so much for all of your detailed and informative posts! I’m headed to CR for the 2nd half of May. Im visiting Arenal, Monteverde, Uvita with a daytrip to Corcovado and Manuel Antonio. I’m planning to buy a pair of low hiking shoes (not boots), either Oboz Sawtooth low or KEEN Targhee. Do you recommend ALSO buying water sandals like Newport H2? Some other combo altogether? (Given the time of year and places I’m visiting?)
Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Samta, those shoes should be fine, you don’t really need to buy water sandals unless you’re doing an activity like white water rafting or canyoning because if you have only your hiking shoes, they will get soaking wet and you won’t have another pair to wear until they dry. But if you’re not, those shoes will be fine. Yeison has the KEEN Targhee hiking shoes and they are awesome and waterproof. It will just be very hot and sweaty for your feet (which is why I prefer my KEEN hiking sandals and they dry super fast) but the hiking shoes have more protection. It’s not really needed for places like Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio but since you’re going down to Uvita and visiting COrcovado for a day, hiking shoes are highly recommended and the Targhee are excellent against water, Corcovado might be muddy/rainy last half of May and it’s a lot more humid in the South Pacific.
Sammi says
Hi Deanne, I actually wrote a post comparing the two stations you can read here: San Pedrillo and Sirena Station Corcovado National Park
When we visited San Pedrillo in January, we wrote rain boots which were given to us by our hotel and I highly appreciated it. January was just ending rainy season so a lot of the paths were really muddy. But you can see in the pictures that the San Pedrillo path is pretty straightforward and nicely maintained. It isn’t steep, there are some stairs but it’s a pretty easy path.
I also went to Sirena station end of January and I wore hiking shoes for the day hike and it was perfect. Those trails are very nicely maintained and flat, no hills, no elevation. It was also a lot hotter/humid end of January and any muddy paths dried up. March is one of the hottest months in Costa Rica so you won’t have to worry about rain boots and I recommend wearing hiking shoes. It will be crazy humid and hot but you still want all the protection for your feet. If you’re going for a day trip like I did, a pair of hiking shoes is fine. In the post, I mention that you should wear flip flops to Sirena station if you’re going by boat because it is a wet landing. Bring a small towel so that after you disembark, you can dry and clean your feet and then put on your socks and hiking shoes.
Deanne says
Hi!! Love your blog!! We are visiting the Osa Peninsula in mid March. One day we will be going to either the Sirena Ranger Station or the San Pedrillo Ranger Station (they think we will be on the Sirena trip but if we dont get tics then the San Pedrillo). I have foot challenges and wear orthotics so I am worried that I wont be able to wear a hiking sandal due to lack of arch support. Yet, the hotel suggests we should bring a water shoe and a hiking boot on the Corcovado trip. I have been trying to find what the terrain will be like on either trip and all I seem to find are reports about the accommodations at the stations. We will just be on a day trip (6-8 hrs). The other challenge is I am trying to pack lightly so I don’t want to bring tons of shoes. Any guidance you might offer would be very much appreciated! Thanks!!
Tracy Brody says
Your blog article came up from a Google search and you motivated us to order a pair of Keen’s for all four of the family for our upcoming trip to Costa Rica. Now to read more of your articles to help us make the most of the trip. Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Tracy! Aw that is awesome, we LOVE our KEEN ssandals, they are seriously the best for Costa Rica!
Alex says
Hello! I loved your article! I’m preparing to leave for CR next week for my birthday, and just wanted to point out to you that in your picture of sandals the shoes you called Tevas are actually chacos! Just making sure you knew.
Sammi says
Hi Alex, hmm thanks! My friend told me her shoes were TEvas, she must have gotten them mixed up!
Aeri says
Hi Sammi! Again, thank you for all the great tips throughout your site! I’m in the process of planning my trip to Costa Rica at the end of July/beginning of August. We don’t have those close-toed sandals, but own a pair of water shoes. Do you think those would be okay to wear when visiting Arenal? Right now we’re thinking of doing activities like hanging bridges, ziplining, rafting. Or should we invest in the sandals? Thank you!
Sammi says
I’m not sure how well your water shoes are for walking, the hanging bridges walk isn’t super long and it’s fairly flat so they might be OK but it may not super comfortable. But I know you won’t be able to hike the national park in them just in case you guys decide to do that. Honestly, water shoes aren’t very common in CR from what I’ve observed of tourists except for at the beach: hiking sandals are the most common since those can be worn for any activity especially in the Arenal area. Water shoes would be fine for rafting and you’re not really walking at all during ziplining. I am just not sure how they are to walk around 3 miles or so in.
Bethany says
Hi, I’m traveling to Osa in June and am not sure what to expect from the rainy season down there. I’m attempting to pack for a month in a carryon and don’t want to bring more shoes than I need. Can I get away with just Keen’s hiking sandals or do you think I’ll need hiking boots too? I’d like to go on hikes, nothing crazy, but just enough to get good photos of animals and landscape. Are rain boots easy to come by down there should I decide I need that too? I’m just not sure what to expect!
Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Bethany, it’s going to be raining pretty good in June down south. You can bring your KEEN hiking sandals and buy a pair of cheap rain boots once you get to Osa, you can find them at the supermarket. If you’re hiking Corcovado National Park, rainboots are highly recommended especially in rainy season.
RJMS says
I am already in Costa Rica, at Samara. I need some closed toed sandals for hiking, can you recommend a brand and a place to purchase them in CR?
Sammi says
I am not sure if Samara has one, but a shoe store called Fusion has closed toed sandals, KEENs are our favorite and the outdoor shoe stores here usually have them. But it was hard for us to find the right size, Yeison is a 10.5 and we couldn’t find them anywhere.
Dev says
A great post
Sammi says
thanks!