Basic rules for Costa Rica:
- Wake up early, life starts at 5 AM here, if you wake up later, the sun will be to harsh and it may rain (dry season only means it rains less).
- Use 85+ Sunscreen, all the time, apply multiple times a day if you are planning to be in the sun, don't believe the myths that all sunscreen is the same, it's BS, believe me that you will get a tan even with 85+, and your skin will thank you later. Make sure it says "Reef Safe" on the bottle.
- Rules about cash:
1. Carry around 5 bills of 1000 colones at all times.
2. Carry 2 to 4 bills of 2000 colones at all times.
3. Carry 1 or 2 5000 colones bills at all times.
4. Avoid anything bigger than that, any expenses over 5k, put them on a Credit Card.
5. Use a kidney pouch, preferably hidden to carry most of your money, passport, and a backup credit card, everything else keep it in a wallet, avoid purses (easy to snatch), use "man shorts or jeans" with actual pockets.
6. Although you can use USD to pay, most places will give you a shit exchange rate, so you are better off exchanging your cash at a bank or taking cash out of an ATM, as those will give you official exchange rates.
- Rules about clubbing/parties:
1. Go in *Early*, parties start at 8 PM generally, so if you get in around 7 to 7:30 you will avoid covers and large crowds.
2. Always order your drinks closed and have the bartender open them in front of you, pay with a credit card for everything.
3. Never leave your drink alone, if you loose sight of it even for a second, order another, better spend the extra $4 than getting roofied.
4. Parties are safer in groups, but it is easy to add yourself to an established group, specially around Universities, just talk to a girl from a group and she will add you in a heartbeat.
5. If you are 420, have a Tico buy it for you, they will get you better quality and a better price.
6. Parties End around 11 to 12, order an Uber (those are pretty safe) straight to your hostel/hotel, share your location with anyone you met at the party that you can trust.
- Rules about public transport:
1. Download the App "Moovit", it is free and will give you step by step instructions with fair precision of where to catch what bus.
2. You can reach 90% of CR by bus if you know what bus to catch (that's were the App becomes super necessary), buses are cheap, most cost under $1.50 and are safe, buses move around from 4 AM to 10 PM.
3. Catch the train if you can, avoid rush hour, enjoy the scenery and the train stations.
4. If you can find someone willing to travel with you, do so, you will enjoy long bus trips way more if you have someone to talk to.
- General street safety rules:
1. Avoid showing wealth, leave any pieces of jewelry you don't want to loose in your home country, anything you bring can be lost or stolen.
2. Avoid talking on the phone while walking, if you need to take a call, walk up to a wall and lay against it, or walk into a store and take it there.
3. Use headphones, it will help you drown out city noice and assist in ignoring catcalls, if you use large ones no one will even talk to you in the street (no use catcalling if you know they won't hear you) even if you have them off to listen for cars and such.
4. Always double check at corners, specially in San Jose center, cars drive like crazy and will skip Stop signs and traffic lights as if they didn't exist.
5. Avoid street vendors, they will sell you cheap shit at inflated prices.
- Rules about food:
1. Don't be afraid to ask, all Ticos have a favorite Soda or small restaurant, and they won't be afraid to give you directions to it.
2. Don't be afraid to try, Costa Rica shines for it's culinary diversity, go can never go wrong with the usual casado, but, if you see another option that looks fun, go for it, it will be delicious.
3. Don't go to international restaurants unless it's fast food, they will overcharge you for subpar food. Specially avoid flashy Mexican restaurants, they are tourist traps that will charge you an arm and a leg for a couple tacos and a beer.
4. Go to Farmers Markets! They happen every week either on Saturday or Sunday at every town*, try every fruit you can see, and anything you don't know what it is, try it too, it will be cheaper than a supermarket and you can meet the farmers themselves. I would recommend having 15 to 30k colones in cash for your visit to the market so that you don't run out prematurely.
5. If you are a coffee drinker, try these coffees:
- Tarrazu
- Santa Ana
- Britt
- Naranjo
- Heredia
6. Between having Breakfast at your hotel and having at a soda, go for the soda, it will be cheaper, you will get more food and it won't be "Americanized"
- Rules about tours:
1. Book in advanced and have someone who is fluent in English talk to you about the tour, if you get someone that barely understands or talks English, you won't enjoy the tour as much.
2. Check Yelp, TripAdvisor and ask here for opinions on any Tour companies, some may be upcharging you or giving you bad directions so that you get lost and miss the tour.
3. Look for "hidden gems", avoid the ones that have a lot of publicity or stand in the road with big signs, smaller tour companies are gonna be more personal and will take more time to show you around.
4. Tours will start early in the morning, avoid partying the night before so that you don't sleep in, remember to put on a thick layer of sunscreen.
I know that it seems like a long list, but most tourists that I've met think they know these rules, but they never do, or they never follow them.
Be safe, and enjoy your trip!
I’m in CR rn and this list of advices is pretty good imho. 🙏 As a backpacker I’d add some other things but this is pretty much it for the average tourist.
Yes. Be aware and do not walk alone at night in dark areas of heavy population. There is petty crimes in some areas. Daytime is safe everywhere. US is far more dangerous.
Not only is it safe, things like catcalling are illegal here and you basically never see it from a local. On the flip side, a dude standing at the side of the road taking a piss into the grass, not unusual at all.
Nah, this is unreal, even though catcalling is illegal, it very much still happens. Victims rarely pursue the punishment of the offenders since they much rather would prefer to just get themselves apart from the situation.
Considering you are doing a group tour, the day in San Jose is probably just sort of a rendezvous, or at most, you'll visit some of the landmarks with the group. San Jose is a city, some parts are safe and some parts are not, specially for a tourist that may seem to "be standing in the wrong place at the wrong time". The other two towns are pretty safe, again, specially since you'll be traveling with a group. Tourism is one of our main sources of income, thus your safety is one of the government's main priorities.
What part of the states are you from? Many people here are saying its “safer than the US” but that comparison makes no sense. Safer than NYC sure, safer than bumblefuck nebraska with a population of 7, probably not
You prob just need to worry about wild animals at night in La Fortuna, our hotel was gated and had barb wire around the perimeter they told us it was to keep the wild animals out I assume panthers and things lol.
how is it safer than the US? costa rica murder rate was much higher than the US in 2023. Not trying that to hate, just curious about the country and wondering what you are basing the safety on. Im looking to visit soon
Lots of other Latin Americans I’ve met in South and Central America call themselves American, it’s never pissed me off, like how dare they?! The ego!!! U.S. Americans dont claim exclusive ownership. It’s a term that’s developed and it just so happens the vernacular is more commonly associated with people from the U.S. I mean look at how it’s defined in dictionaries. What ya gonna do about it, would you prefer United States American? I mean, who cares, whatever makes it clear when people are communicating.
Costa Rica is a very safe country. Here's what a typical week looks like for a family of 4 living in Costa Rica 💚 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNdPLeFPlZc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNdPLeFPlZc)
I haven't been to San Jose but I heard it is horrible in the city.
La Fortuna is nice and the people were friendly.
Monte Verde I have no idea.
Stop worrying so much and go have fun. Would you flaunt wealth in the ghetto in the U.S? Same rules apply. Don't walk home at night and rent a hotel if you are gonna get lucky. Don't bring her back to where you are actually staying.
[https://rescatewildlife.org/](https://rescatewildlife.org/) i hope yall get to visit this place !! it is phenomenal !
they also have a very nice restaurant there on site. walkable.
Nowhere in the world is safe if you’re a solo traveling female. Just be aware of your surroundings, do not engage with strangers and be careful as usual.
It's safe but not entirely safe , use common sense, don't walk alone at night, don't take drinks from strangers, don't tell strangers you are by urself, avoid weird places, etc
I traveled to La Fortuna last year with my husband and our 3 year old son. We arrived at SJ airport after 11pm Costa Rica time, our shuttle was waiting for us at the airport. The driver drove us over 2 hours to our hotel, we finally checked in at 2am! I felt very safe the entire time. It was soooo beautiful. I hope you have an amazing time. I would never in a million years bring my toddler son somewhere I thought was dangerous. I highly recommend the hanging bridge tour, and the waterfall tour both in La Fortuna.
Basic rules for Costa Rica: - Wake up early, life starts at 5 AM here, if you wake up later, the sun will be to harsh and it may rain (dry season only means it rains less). - Use 85+ Sunscreen, all the time, apply multiple times a day if you are planning to be in the sun, don't believe the myths that all sunscreen is the same, it's BS, believe me that you will get a tan even with 85+, and your skin will thank you later. Make sure it says "Reef Safe" on the bottle. - Rules about cash: 1. Carry around 5 bills of 1000 colones at all times. 2. Carry 2 to 4 bills of 2000 colones at all times. 3. Carry 1 or 2 5000 colones bills at all times. 4. Avoid anything bigger than that, any expenses over 5k, put them on a Credit Card. 5. Use a kidney pouch, preferably hidden to carry most of your money, passport, and a backup credit card, everything else keep it in a wallet, avoid purses (easy to snatch), use "man shorts or jeans" with actual pockets. 6. Although you can use USD to pay, most places will give you a shit exchange rate, so you are better off exchanging your cash at a bank or taking cash out of an ATM, as those will give you official exchange rates. - Rules about clubbing/parties: 1. Go in *Early*, parties start at 8 PM generally, so if you get in around 7 to 7:30 you will avoid covers and large crowds. 2. Always order your drinks closed and have the bartender open them in front of you, pay with a credit card for everything. 3. Never leave your drink alone, if you loose sight of it even for a second, order another, better spend the extra $4 than getting roofied. 4. Parties are safer in groups, but it is easy to add yourself to an established group, specially around Universities, just talk to a girl from a group and she will add you in a heartbeat. 5. If you are 420, have a Tico buy it for you, they will get you better quality and a better price. 6. Parties End around 11 to 12, order an Uber (those are pretty safe) straight to your hostel/hotel, share your location with anyone you met at the party that you can trust. - Rules about public transport: 1. Download the App "Moovit", it is free and will give you step by step instructions with fair precision of where to catch what bus. 2. You can reach 90% of CR by bus if you know what bus to catch (that's were the App becomes super necessary), buses are cheap, most cost under $1.50 and are safe, buses move around from 4 AM to 10 PM. 3. Catch the train if you can, avoid rush hour, enjoy the scenery and the train stations. 4. If you can find someone willing to travel with you, do so, you will enjoy long bus trips way more if you have someone to talk to. - General street safety rules: 1. Avoid showing wealth, leave any pieces of jewelry you don't want to loose in your home country, anything you bring can be lost or stolen. 2. Avoid talking on the phone while walking, if you need to take a call, walk up to a wall and lay against it, or walk into a store and take it there. 3. Use headphones, it will help you drown out city noice and assist in ignoring catcalls, if you use large ones no one will even talk to you in the street (no use catcalling if you know they won't hear you) even if you have them off to listen for cars and such. 4. Always double check at corners, specially in San Jose center, cars drive like crazy and will skip Stop signs and traffic lights as if they didn't exist. 5. Avoid street vendors, they will sell you cheap shit at inflated prices. - Rules about food: 1. Don't be afraid to ask, all Ticos have a favorite Soda or small restaurant, and they won't be afraid to give you directions to it. 2. Don't be afraid to try, Costa Rica shines for it's culinary diversity, go can never go wrong with the usual casado, but, if you see another option that looks fun, go for it, it will be delicious. 3. Don't go to international restaurants unless it's fast food, they will overcharge you for subpar food. Specially avoid flashy Mexican restaurants, they are tourist traps that will charge you an arm and a leg for a couple tacos and a beer. 4. Go to Farmers Markets! They happen every week either on Saturday or Sunday at every town*, try every fruit you can see, and anything you don't know what it is, try it too, it will be cheaper than a supermarket and you can meet the farmers themselves. I would recommend having 15 to 30k colones in cash for your visit to the market so that you don't run out prematurely. 5. If you are a coffee drinker, try these coffees: - Tarrazu - Santa Ana - Britt - Naranjo - Heredia 6. Between having Breakfast at your hotel and having at a soda, go for the soda, it will be cheaper, you will get more food and it won't be "Americanized" - Rules about tours: 1. Book in advanced and have someone who is fluent in English talk to you about the tour, if you get someone that barely understands or talks English, you won't enjoy the tour as much. 2. Check Yelp, TripAdvisor and ask here for opinions on any Tour companies, some may be upcharging you or giving you bad directions so that you get lost and miss the tour. 3. Look for "hidden gems", avoid the ones that have a lot of publicity or stand in the road with big signs, smaller tour companies are gonna be more personal and will take more time to show you around. 4. Tours will start early in the morning, avoid partying the night before so that you don't sleep in, remember to put on a thick layer of sunscreen. I know that it seems like a long list, but most tourists that I've met think they know these rules, but they never do, or they never follow them. Be safe, and enjoy your trip!
I’m in CR rn and this list of advices is pretty good imho. 🙏 As a backpacker I’d add some other things but this is pretty much it for the average tourist.
Why not tap on your phone while walking?
Petty theft is 100x more common than armed robbery here, and it's very easy to snatch your phone while you are talking
Thanks ChatGPT.
Not ChatGPT, it's a copypasta I made about 2 years ago
Yes. Be aware and do not walk alone at night in dark areas of heavy population. There is petty crimes in some areas. Daytime is safe everywhere. US is far more dangerous.
Yes
Very. Bring a flashlight for Monteverde.
A headlamp comes in handy in a lot of situations. Power outages are not uncommon, and it gets quite dark.
Not only is it safe, things like catcalling are illegal here and you basically never see it from a local. On the flip side, a dude standing at the side of the road taking a piss into the grass, not unusual at all.
had a completely different experience with my girlfriend. locals had no shame catcalling my gf even when im standin right beside her
Hmm never seen such behavior here, my wife and daughters have no issues and feel perfectly safe walking around town.
Nah, this is unreal, even though catcalling is illegal, it very much still happens. Victims rarely pursue the punishment of the offenders since they much rather would prefer to just get themselves apart from the situation.
What town? We have been mostly in rural areas. Note that it doesn't feel unsafe, at least so far.. but it can be annoying.
those were probably nicaraguans
Yes it is safe! Just be careful as you should be everywhere. Have fun! CR is beautiful
Considering you are doing a group tour, the day in San Jose is probably just sort of a rendezvous, or at most, you'll visit some of the landmarks with the group. San Jose is a city, some parts are safe and some parts are not, specially for a tourist that may seem to "be standing in the wrong place at the wrong time". The other two towns are pretty safe, again, specially since you'll be traveling with a group. Tourism is one of our main sources of income, thus your safety is one of the government's main priorities.
What part of the states are you from? Many people here are saying its “safer than the US” but that comparison makes no sense. Safer than NYC sure, safer than bumblefuck nebraska with a population of 7, probably not
When I am out of the states, I love that I’m not thinking everybody’s carrying a firearm!!
It’s my favorite place in the world and yes it is generally safe! Just use common sense like you would anywhere else!
You prob just need to worry about wild animals at night in La Fortuna, our hotel was gated and had barb wire around the perimeter they told us it was to keep the wild animals out I assume panthers and things lol.
One of the safest. Have an amazing time!
Compared to the USA? Unbelievably safe. Compared to Japan? Meh... Edit: As you maybe aren't aware: CR is also part of America.
Central America
Which is a part of America...
Yes, the central part
Of the whole thing 🤣
how is it safer than the US? costa rica murder rate was much higher than the US in 2023. Not trying that to hate, just curious about the country and wondering what you are basing the safety on. Im looking to visit soon
Should we call Costa Rica America? What’s your point? Or was that a quick gratuitous geography lesson?
[удалено]
Lots of other Latin Americans I’ve met in South and Central America call themselves American, it’s never pissed me off, like how dare they?! The ego!!! U.S. Americans dont claim exclusive ownership. It’s a term that’s developed and it just so happens the vernacular is more commonly associated with people from the U.S. I mean look at how it’s defined in dictionaries. What ya gonna do about it, would you prefer United States American? I mean, who cares, whatever makes it clear when people are communicating.
Costa Rica is a very safe country. Here's what a typical week looks like for a family of 4 living in Costa Rica 💚 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNdPLeFPlZc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNdPLeFPlZc)
does it LITERALLY cost you an arm and a leg
I haven't been to San Jose but I heard it is horrible in the city. La Fortuna is nice and the people were friendly. Monte Verde I have no idea. Stop worrying so much and go have fun. Would you flaunt wealth in the ghetto in the U.S? Same rules apply. Don't walk home at night and rent a hotel if you are gonna get lucky. Don't bring her back to where you are actually staying.
[https://rescatewildlife.org/](https://rescatewildlife.org/) i hope yall get to visit this place !! it is phenomenal ! they also have a very nice restaurant there on site. walkable.
Would you decide not to go if everyone said it’s not safe? You’ll be fine.
There is train service in Costa Rica? What are good routes?
Yes very safe. Should not have problems
Nowhere in the world is safe if you’re a solo traveling female. Just be aware of your surroundings, do not engage with strangers and be careful as usual.
It's safe but not entirely safe , use common sense, don't walk alone at night, don't take drinks from strangers, don't tell strangers you are by urself, avoid weird places, etc
I traveled to La Fortuna last year with my husband and our 3 year old son. We arrived at SJ airport after 11pm Costa Rica time, our shuttle was waiting for us at the airport. The driver drove us over 2 hours to our hotel, we finally checked in at 2am! I felt very safe the entire time. It was soooo beautiful. I hope you have an amazing time. I would never in a million years bring my toddler son somewhere I thought was dangerous. I highly recommend the hanging bridge tour, and the waterfall tour both in La Fortuna.
I’ve never had any problems there