Safety

With 1.9 million travelers visiting Costa Rica annually, more than any Latin American country, travel is quite popular and common. Still, travelers to Costa Rica should exercise caution. The emergency number in Costa Rica is 911.

Traffic in Costa Rica is dangerous, so be careful. Pedestrians in general do not have the right of way. Roads in rural areas may also tend to have many potholes. Driving at night is not recommended.

Robbery at knife point is not altogether uncommon. There is no army and the police have been known to be corrupt.

Buses – especially those destined for San Jose – are frequent locations for robbery. Any bus rider who falls asleep has a good chance of waking up and finding his baggage missing. Don’t trust anyone on the buses to watch your things, especially near San Jose. Like any other tourist destination, watch out for pickpockets. Purse snatchings, armed robberies and car-jackings have been on the rise lately. Stay alert and protect your valuables at all times, especially in the San Jose area. “Smash and grabs” of car windows are very common all over the country so do not leave valuables in your vehicle.

Another common robbery scheme includes slashing your tires, then when you stop to fix the flat, one or two “friendly” people stop to help and instead grab what valuables they can. If you are motioned to pull over by anyone, do not do so until you are at a well-lit and safe place.

Make use of hostel or hotel lock boxes if they are really secure – this is great when you want to swim or kick back and really not worry. Do have a few beers and enjoy yourself, but never drink so much that you won’t be alert and aware of what’s going on. On a long trip, it’s advised that you make back-up CDs (or DVDs) of your digital photos and send a copy back home. In the event that you are robbed, you will thank yourself!

When encountering a new currency, learn the exchange rate from a reliable source (online ahead of time or a local bank, preferably) and create a little cheat sheet converting it to US dollars or the other Central American currency you are comfortable with. Travel with small denominations of US dollars (crisp 1s, 5s, 10s) as back-up… usually you’ll be able to use them if you run out of local currency.

Go to a bank to change money when possible and practical. If you find yourself needing to use the services of a person who is a money changer (Sunday morning at the border, for instance) make sure to have your own calculator. Do not trust money changers and their doctored calculators, change the least amount of money possible and take a hard look at the bills – there’s lots of false ones out there. Always insist that your change be in small bills – you’ll lose more at one time if a large bill is false, plus large bills are hard to change (even the equivalent of $20 USD in Costa Rica or $5 USD in Nicaragua can be difficult in some small towns, believe it or not!)

Traveling alone is fine and generally safe in Costa Rica, but carefully consider what kind of risks (if any) you are willing to take. Always hike with other people and try to explore a new city with other people. On solo forays, if you feel uncomfortable seek out a group of other people (both women and men). A well lighted place with people you can trust is always a plus. A busy restaurant or hostel is a great source of local info as well as a great place to relax and recharge.

Narcotics

Marijuana traffic, distribution and commerce is illegal in Costa Rica. There is absence of law when you carry marijuana for personal use quantities only (up to 3 joints) and police could try to get money from you or keep you in the local comisary for up to 12 hours. The US DEA is also present in Costa Rica and has been known to pretend to be a tourist. There is a Costa Rican equivalent of the DEA as well. It is not advised to do illegal drugs in Costa Rica. It is also not advised to bribe a police officer. Do so at your own risk.

Prostitution

Prostitution is legal in Costa Rica and can be a destination for those looking for more than sun and surf on their vacation. Unfortunately, some of the sex tourists coming to Costa Rica sexually abuse children who are held hostage in the sex tourism industry. Prostitution with minors (less than 18 years old) is considered a crime in Costa Rica. The majority of sex tourists in Costa Rica are from the United States, and are prosecutable by the Protect Act of 2003. This act gives the US government the power to prosecute US citizens who travel abroad to engage in sex tourism with children under the age of 18. Several other countries including France, Canada, the UK, Netherlands, and Australia have similar laws. Arrests, warrants and prosecutions are being made under these laws.

Bus travel tips

Below is a list of suggestions for traveling by bus in Costa Rica and neighboring countries. These are overcautious tips, but the bottom line is that they can help prevent being ripped off. Nearly all thefts on the bus are preventable thefts!!!!

Travel with someone else when possible. A trusted friend is best, of course – not just someone you met last night at the hostel, but he or she will do in a pinch. (Trust your gut feeling with new friends – most are great, but some may be con artists!) Traveling with a friend makes the journey more entertaining and more fun… you can talk and share travel stories and each of you can take turns sleeping on long bus rides. Also, there is the fact that “two heads are better than one” and it’s always good to be able to brainstorm if you aren’t sure what the answer to your travel question or concern is.

Make sure to wear a money belt with your passport, cash, credit/debit cards and ticket (bus or plane). Even if all your other belongings are stolen, you would still be able to get to your next destination. The waist belts are best; a neck pouch can be lifted while you are asleep. A thief would really have to disturb you and your personal space to get a waist belt.

On any bus ride (1st, 2nd, 3rd class, whatever!) try to sit above the luggage compartment so that you can watch that your bag doesn’t “walk away” when others get off the bus. Costa Rican buses usually have one compartment for those heading to the main destination, and a separate one for people getting off along the way to avoid problems. Be aware if the “destination” compartment is opened en route!

Try not to fall asleep or take turns with a travel partner (when you are lucky enough to have one.) Best way to snooze alone is with your bag on your lap and your hands crossed over it. Don’t leave valuables in outside compartments.

Make conversation with locals on the bus so that they can see that you are competent in Spanish and comfortable in the Spanish speaking environment. (You’ll enjoy yourself plus this may make them feel friendly towards you and more willing to alert you if someone is snooping in your stuff. Or it might warn them that if they steal from you, you will talk to the bus driver and police and make a full report.) Even some Spanish is better than none – use what you have! It’s great practice and the more you improve the safer you’ll be!

Don’t bring anything that you are not willing to lose. Keep your day pack attached to you at all times when traveling – the straps get wrapped around your leg and the bag squeezed between your knees or feet. You don’t want to lose your travel notes, camera, etc.

NEVER EVER leave anything in the overhead bins. Almost 100% of all thefts on buses are from the overhead bins. Keep it on your lap!!!

Drinking

Most places have potable water, so don’t worry about drinking tap water. Bottled water is also available at low prices. Refrescos are beverages made from fresh fruit (cas, guanabana, sandia/watermelon, mora/blackberry, fresa/strawberry, granadilla/passion fruit), sugar and either water or milk. All sodas (mom and pop diners) serve these. You can also easily buy the standard international soda pops. 'Fresca', 'Canada Dry' and the local 'Fanta Kolita' (fruit punch) are recommended.

The national drink is called guaro, which is made from fermented sugar cane. It is similar to vodka, and is usually drunk with water and lemon. Note that it’s not a very "clean" liquor, so exercise caution.

There are approximately 8 different national beers available (and most international), which are sold in cans, bottles and even kegs. The most common beers in the country are Pilsen and Imperial: all bars and restaurants serve both. Bavaria, "Bavaria Negra" (dark) and Bavaria Light are considered higher quality but more expensive, Rock Ice and Rock Ice Limón (lemon flavor) has a higher alcohol percentage and is less common in rural areas. Heineken is locally made under license and is more expensive as well.

Ready-to-drink coffee is excellent and considered (again) to be among the best in the world.

Original content here