We just got back from THE. MOST. FUN. Bachelorette Party in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica! Luckily, the bride’s sister / maid of honor currently LIVES in Costa Rica and was totally on top of everything! With her inside tips and my passion for finding the BEST brands for travel (If you know me, you know I love a good *Travel Guide* and *Packing List!*), we were able to create the Ultimate Costa Rica Bachelorette Guide!
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Here’s the scoop on where we stayed, what we wore, what we did, and more!
FIRST: A FEW TIPS & GENERAL COSTA RICA INFO
Like I mentioned, Kat’s sister, Linzey, currently lives in Costa Rica and is the owner / creator of “The Family Fun Tour” blog! They have an INCREDIBLE story of minimalist full-time travel with small children! Y’all can also follow along on their Instagram to see all of the fun!
I am SO thankful for Linzey’s preparation to make sure everything went smoothly on our trip. It was about a 3 hour drive from the airport to our house and we all flew in from different parts of the country, so coordinating incoming / outgoing flights with a transportation company was essential! With Linzey’s guidance, we had a better idea of what to expect as far as travel, money stuff and packing essentials:
TRAVEL TIPS:
- Costa Rica is paperless so there’s no paperwork to fill out on the plane. However, be prepared to give your destination address at Customs and Immigration.
- Always a good idea to have a copy of your passport on your phone.
MONEY TIPS:
- Bring cash! EVERYONE takes American dollars. You will get Costa Rica money “colones” back in change, but no need to exchange currency beforehand.
- Make sure to let your bank know about your travel plans! You don’t want a false fraud alert to freeze your account by mistake!
PHONE TIPS:
- Totally worth it to pay for an international plan! You can take your chances and hope for wi-fi, but I like to have service while traveling for safety reasons.
- Verizon and AT&T both have plans that allow you to use your phone there for only $10/day.
PACKING TIPS:
- Costa Rica is SUPER casual. We didn’t wear heels or wedges the entire time, even on our night out!
- Coordinate packing with others to see what can be shared (ex: hair dryer, curling irons, and other bulky items that take up space)
WHERE WE STAYED: VISTA HERMOSA ESTATE
This house was BANANAS! Probably the nicest place I have EVER stayed. Their team was super friendly and accommodating, and the house even has its own active social accounts! You can find tons of information on the property and services on their website, but some of my favorite features include:
- JUNGLE & OCEAN VIEWS – The top floor has a gorgeous infinity-edge pool overlooking the jungle and ocean. We spent most of our time here!
- PRIVATE CHEF INCLUDED – Our chef made the most amazing breakfasts, dinners and delicious smoothies every day!
- WALK TO THE BEACH – There’s a path you can take through the jungle straight to the beach. Make sure you wear athletic shoes because it’s a hike but definitely doable!
- 8 BEDROOMS / SLEEPS 24 – We had 12 guests total so we had PLENTY of room.
WHAT WE WORE: MATCHING EVERYTHING!
CUSTOM BACHELORETTE SWIMSUITS (FANCY YOUR FANNY)
There’s no such thing as “extra” on a bachelorette! Not only did we have the groom’s face everywhere… we took it one step further and had the BRIDE’S FACE everywhere too! How fun are these matching swimsuits from Fancy Your Fanny?? We originally planned on just wearing the suits for a photo op, but they were so comfortable and flattering that we actually wore them for TWO FULL DAYS!
COLORFUL ACCESSORIES (JOSEPHINE ALEXANDER COLLECTIVE)
…And of course we had matching colorful accessories! These Rainbow Flower Earrings and Pom Scrunchies from Josephine Alexander Collective were so perfect for our colorful Costa Rica vibe!
WHAT WE DID: ITINERARY (6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS)
SATURDAY:
- ARRIVAL DAY – SETTLE IN
- DINNER @ HOUSE
SUNDAY:
- YOGA, THEN BREAKFAST
- WALK TO THE BEACH
- DINNER @ EL AVION
- DRINKS & DANCING @ SELINA HOSTEL & JOLLY ROGERS
MONDAY:
- YOGA, THEN BREAKFAST
- POOL DAY & PHOTOSHOOT
- We had the luxury of inviting Kat’s wedding photographer to Costa Rica to capture some of the bachelorette fun! He was able to get amazing group shots at the house and also incredible drone footage! Highly recommend including a professional photographer on your trip if possible!
- LATE LUNCH @ ARENAS DEL MAR BEACH CLUB
- DINNER @ HOUSE
- LINGERIE SHOWER
- We did a lingerie shower on my bachelorette, and I ended up with SO MUCH LINGERIE (almost too much) so I decided to give swimsuits to the bride instead! Moving forward, I would TOTALLY recommend this for brides, especially if they are planning a tropical honeymoon!
TUESDAY:
- EARLY BREAKFAST
- CANOPY SAFARI ZIPLINE TOUR
- DINNER @ HOUSE
WEDNESDAY:
- YOGA, THEN BREAKFAST
- SPA PARTY @ HOUSE
- FAREWELL DINNER
THURSDAY:
- DEPARTURE DAY
JUST FOR FUN: PARTY FAVORS
Last but not least… the maid of honor spoiled us with amazing party favors and personalized goodies! Here are some links of what I could find below – feel free to use as inspiration for your next bachelorette!
- Matching Tanks
- Customized Tote Bags
- Personalized Eye Masks
- Personalized Tropical Tumblers
- Pura Vida Anklets
- Ice Rollers
- “Beach Don’t Kill My VIBE” Koozies
Well there you have it! I seriously wish we could relive this Costa Rica bachelorette, but I guess looking at photos will have to do for now! What a fun season of life to have so many weddings and bachelorettes, and I have another one coming up in the next couple of months! Where do you think it will be?? Leave your destination guesses in the comments below… Until next time! 😉 XOXO
