Costa Rica Safety Guide

Costa Rica pulls in more than three million visitors a year and, for the vast majority, the holiday rolls by without drama. Violent crime sits lower than in most neighbours. Yet petty theft and quick-grab scams still pop up in tourist magnets like San José, Manuel Antonio and Tamarindo. Roads narrow to mountain switchbacks. Riptides pulse on both coasts. Heavy May, November rains send hillsides sliding. Lock your bag, read the tide chart, and stay off the road after dark, basic habits that keep almost everyone out of harm's way. The public-health network is solid in the Central Valley but thins in the back-of-beyond, so buy travel insurance that promises private hospitals and a medical flight out. Tap water is treated and drinkable almost everywhere, and routine shots cover you unless you're heading deep into jungle fieldwork. Bottom line: Costa Rica ranks among Central America's safer bets, just apply the same street-smarts you'd pack for any foreign country.