Every day the news shows a world full of violence: shootings at schools, threats of war, terrorism and more.  A terrible truth that everyone who takes a vacation would like to escape from.  However, not all exotic destinations are safe.  If you are wondering if Costa Rica is a safe place to visit, continue reading our blog and learn more about this tiny and tropical nation.

 

Costa Rican Facts

 

Costa Rica is a small country in Central America of 19,730 square miles. For a better understanding is half the size of Kentucky, 2.8 times smaller than New York or 5.3 times smaller than Colorado.

 

In such a small area, Costa Rica owns 6% of the biodiversity of the planet and has been a role model of peace in the world because of the abolition of the army in 1948.

Costa Rica a safe place to visit Pura Vida

Image by Costa Rican Times

Pura Vida (literal translation: pure life) is the country´s motto, and means feeling great, enjoying little things in life and living every minute.  Nicoya, a small town in Costa Rica, is part of the blue zones of the planet, which are the areas with the highest life expectancies in the world. And, last but not least, the country has been ranked the happiest place in the world in 2016 and 2012.

 

Safe Vacations

 

Recently, the US Department of State launched an improved Travel Advisory platform which included Costa Rica in the lowest advisory levels for safety and security risk.  This new system endorses the fact that Costa Rica is a safe place to visit and enjoy your holidays.

Costa Rica´s most important economic industry is Tourism. Last year almost 3 million tourists visited the country.

 

  • Crime

The crime rate in Costa Rica is one of the lowest in the region, with 11,8.  Countries like El Salvador, sadly holds an 81,2 or Honduras with a 59 rate (per 100K inhabitants).  In South America, the highly touristic country of Brazil holds a rate of 25,7. While, in the Caribbean, Jamaica shows a high crime rate of 50, Puerto Rico 20 and the Dominican Republic a 15,8.

Costa Rica, still have many problems to solve, as any other country in the world. Central America has become a bridge for drug trafficking, affecting Costa Rica naturally.  However, the delinquency has not affected the tourism as the crimes are mostly related to gangs in some areas of the country that are not frequented by travelers.

Tamarindo Costa Rica Safe places to visit

Tamarindo is one of the most visited towns by tourists in Costa Rica. Image by MBC Real Estate Costa Rica.

  • Natural Disasters

To consider a country a safe place to visit there are other considerations to take into account besides robberies such as nature and its power.

Being a tropical country, the location of Costa Rica is prone to the impact of storms and hurricanes. However, our country has been blessed for years, as the damage caused by this type of phenomenon has been on a small scale. Damage usually occurs in flooding of rivers affecting houses on their slopes, and although we have lamented the loss of human lives, especially in populations with very limited resources, the lives of tourists have not been at risk.

Volcanic activity is another natural phenomenon present in the country. Currently, 3 active volcanoes are reported: the Rincón de la Vieja, the Turrialba and the Poás. However, these do not represent a threat to tourists since the authorities monitor the activity and the parks and surrounding areas are closed, avoiding any human involvement.

Costa Rican Volcanic Activity Safe Places to Visit

Turrialba Volcano, one of the active volcanoes in the country. Image by CRHoy

Costa Rica is located on two tectonic plates, the Coco and the Caribbean. This causes the movements of the earth to be constant, normal and generally imperceptible. For obvious reasons, tremors of stronger scales are perceptible, however, the country has a rigorous anti-seismic construction code that has helped to reduce the consequences in case of major earthquakes.

 

  • Diseases

Another aspect of a safe place to visit is a low danger to get infected with a disease.

Some infectious diseases have aroused much fear in recent years. Among them, the Zika, generating a lot of alerts for trips to tropical countries.

The latest updates from the World Health Organization regarding Zika in Costa Rica confirm the infection of only one tourist in our territory who recovered completely. In addition, the last bulletin issued by the national authorities confirms a constant reduction of cases to only 3, with 0 cases of complications in pregnant women and 0 cases of neurological complications in general.

 

Better safe than sorry

As in any other part of the world, precaution and prevention are key to avoid unfortunate situations.  The following actions can help you have a pleasant trip wherever you decide to travel, even if it is a safe place to visit:

  • Do not carry valuables
  • Do not travel with large amounts of cash and avoid displaying the money to the public
  • Do not leave your belongings unattended at any time
  • Do not leave valuables inside cars
  • Try to advise you by professionals using certified guides, recognized agencies and recommended hotels
  • If you do not know the place do not go out alone at night or in lonely areas, unless you are advised otherwise by a trustful person

We encourage you to visit Costa Rica, it is a safe destination that we know you will enjoy. If you are looking for unique and personalized experiences contact us and we will help you plan your activities.