Yoga retreats can be so many things: transformative (cliché but true), adventurous, relaxing, challenging. The precise way your experience plays out depends on many things, including your reason for attending, the teacher(s), the style of yoga, the destination…and your packing list.

I was reminded of this on a recent yoga retreat hosted at Vista Celestial, a getaway perched (very) high in the jungled hills of Uvita, Costa Rica.

Views from Vista Celestial.

The hotel came with amenities—think umbrellas and laundry service—that could have made my packing a little less spartan. Still, I found myself filling my carry-on with items I knew I would need rather than anything superfluous. Of course there are certain less-than-necessary items that are always worth the real estate. I brought my journal and two slim-ish novels which I found time to read. My work laptop also came along (if you’re able to, leave yours at home!). And, for my sanity, I lugged along a hair straightener just to clean up my frizzy waves a tiny bit.

But for the most part, the minimalist approach has always served me well.

Your Personalized Packing List

My packing wants and needs have been honed over several yoga retreats and even more solo trips overseas. I prefer not to check luggage, which makes keeping things streamlined both a preference and an essential. And every time I pack outside the lines, the universe reminds me that less is more.

For this retreat, I brought three pretty blouses and a silk slip dress. Did I wear any of them? No. Unless you count the 10 minutes I donned the dress while snapping selfies in my seriously stunning (and air conditioned) room, or the blouse worn for a lovely dinner at the hotel’s neighboring sister property, Rancho Pacifico. But my collection of cotton tees would have served me just fine in both instances. I also brought a sweatshirt and a light jacket, both of which took up a ton of room and remained, useless, in my suitcase for the entirety of the trip.

Past retreats that I have attended came with a suggested packing list. But if you’re starting from scratch, keeping the below item categories in mind will set you up for comfort and success:

• Weather-ready gear
• Functional footwear
• Environmentally safe products
• Multiple basics
• Multi-purpose bags or backpack

Additionally, you can give yourself a solid start by researching aspects of your own adventure: the area’s culture dictates, the activities you’ll be doing, and expected weather patterns. This will provide essential information for what to bring beyond your yoga clothes.

Ahead are the less-than-glamorous, but very necessary, items that came in clutch while I was in Costa Rica. Take what you need and leave the rest at home!

5 Things to Pack for Your Next Tropical Yoga Retreat

Your adventure starts back home when you’re packing your suitcase. These practical items made my Costa Rican experience more comfortable and, hence, more fun.

1. Lightweight rain jacket

(Photo: Patagonia; Design in Canva)

When you picture yourself in a yoga retreat setting, you’re likely in your go-to yoga shorts and tank—and not much else. But in reality, many yoga retreats are situated in tropical destinations where the elements have the final say in your schedule. As noted above, umbrellas may be available at your hotel, but out in the world, you’ll need your own protection against inclement weather.

My Patagonia rain jacket is about 8 years old (which speaks to its edurance), but the Women’s Torrentshell is a similar option. Consider your rainy retreat an opportunity to make an outdoor investment that could last a lifetime…or at least a decade or two.

$189 at Patagonia

2. Sneakers or closed-toed shoes

(Photo: Salomon; Design in Canva)

Sandals (and even bare feet) are what you’ll need for 80 percent of your yoga retreat. But retreats are rarely limited to yoga alone. And for that other 20 percent, you’re probably going to want some closed-toed shoes with good tread for when hikes, walks through nearby towns and cultural sites, treks to waterfalls, and more are on the agenda. This goes double if any of your planned outings find you in the rainforest, where animals, poisonous plants, and oh-so-much mud make boots or sneakers an essential. Because trust me, you don’t want to miss out on any of the fun because of your exposed toes.

Trails and a waterfall at Vista Celestial.

Vista Celestial has a private trail to an on-property waterfall reserved for guest access only. That trail is steep, slippery, and muddy as hell, all with howler monkeys singing their very intense songs overhead. I would not have been able to safely hike it in sandals.

$118 at Salomon

3. Reef-safe sunscreen

(Photo: Badger; Design in Canva)

Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. It’s also home to hundreds of miles of coral reefs that are endangered due to human activity and climate change. As a result, choosing a reef-safe sunscreen is the only ethical option.

And if you’re able to extend this ethos to all of your products, do it! Your showers and bath wash into the waterways, so keeping things clean really does matter. But since we all have to start somewhere, just promise us that, at bare minimum, you won’t enter any natural water slathered in anything but reef-safe SPF.

$20 at REI

4. All of the sports bras

Keeping it minimal makes a ton of sense for most items on your packing list. Although if you’re heading to a tropical region, sports bras are not one of them! In class and everywhere else, you should expect to sweat. But banking on the ability to easily wash and dry your clothes can sometimes leave you in a lurch (and remember that drying takes much longer in high humidity). 

Instead, save a good portion of your suitcase for multiples of your favorite sports bras, leggings, shorts, even socks. If you don’t end up using them all, no worries. But if you do find yourself soaking through fabric with every flow, you’ll be happy to have clean, dry options on hand.

$20 at Target

5. A functional tote

(Photo: Tote Bag Factory; Design in Canva)

Whether you’re a yogi or just a human existing in the world, chances are you are well stocked in tote bags. A tote can come in handy no matter where in the world your yoga retreat finds you. Toss your journal and books in there, bring it along for a shopping excursions, or use as a beach bag, folded towel and bikini included.

The main point here is that whatever bag you bring shouldn’t be precious. It should be something that can get wet and even a little dirty  and comfortably fit all of your stuff.

$2 at Tote Bag Factory