{"id":911,"date":"2018-12-05T08:00:52","date_gmt":"2018-12-05T14:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.therealdealtours.com\/blog2\/?p=911"},"modified":"2022-01-19T08:30:23","modified_gmt":"2022-01-19T14:30:23","slug":"tips-on-safety-in-costa-rica-for-tourists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.therealdealtours.com\/blog\/blog\/tips-on-safety-in-costa-rica-for-tourists\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Costa Rica Safe? Yes! | Tips on Safety in Costa Rica for Tourists"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is Costa Rica Safe For Tourists?  <\/h1>\n

A Few Tips on Safety in Costa Rica for Tourists & Reasons You Should Visit<\/h2>\n

Is it safe to travel to Costa Rica?  Well of course we think so.  We have been living here or sending clients here for many years.  We can proudly say that Costa Rica is one of the safest destinations we work in.<\/p>\n

For anyone traveling abroad, safety should be consideration and traveling to Costa Rica is no different of course. Sadly not all the information out there is reliable. Often, safety alerts and the events causing them are blown out of proportion. Sensationalism spreads like wildfire, but hard facts you have to search for.  This is especially true when it comes to destinations south of the U.S. border. Many things you hear about countries south of the border have been victims of “fake news” some might say.<\/p>\n

Is Costa Rica safe to visit?<\/strong> Every country in the world has their own undesirable issues that may deter tourism to certain places within the country, but that does not make the entire country unsafe. Some countries are unfairly getting a bad rap due to all the sensationalism in the news (here’s looking at you Mexico).  Would you really skip your Disney vacation in Florida due to the number of mass shootings there? Would you avoid travel to the US in general? (If so, please give the US a second chance. It is a beautiful country with so many amazing destinations and good people despite what you may hear on the news in your country). That said let’s get a few facts straight about the safety in Costa Rica.<\/p>\n

No Military!<\/strong> Yes, you read that correct. Costa Rica has no military. How is that possible? Costa Rica<\/a> is truly a safe, stable and peaceful country. So peaceful in fact that in 1948 they opted to abolish their military.  Instead, they dedicate that money to other needs of its people, such as free basic education all the way through university, free universal health care, and their police force.<\/p>\n

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Tourist Police!<\/strong> Speaking of safety in Costa Rica for tourists, Costa Rica has police force solely dedicated the protection of its visitors, the Policia Tur\u00edstica<\/em><\/strong>. This is a specialized police force that is gaining popularity in Latin America. In order to be qualified they have to be able to speak and communicate in basic levels of English and other languages. And thankfully, gang violence is not a safety issue in Costa Rica unlike some other Central American countries.<\/p>\n

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Highly Educated Population!<\/strong> Costa Rica’s education system ensures that the majority of their population has access to upper education. Costa Rica takes pride in this and rightfully so.  We all know that well educated societies make for the best tourist destinations.  In fact, Costa Rica is often chosen to by students of other Latin American countries to study.  Not only for its great schools, but because of its safety record too. In general, your chances of being the victim of a crime in Costa Rica are low, about 0.4% in relation to the country’s total population.<\/p>\n

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US Travel Advisory on Level One!<\/strong> At the time of this posting, the US Travel Advisory website<\/a> ranked Costa Rica as level 1 – Exercise Normal Precautions. This if the lowest level of concern for travelers abroad.  As we mentioned previously fluctuations and events can be a bit overblown, but we are proud that Costa Rica is one of the safest places to visit in Central America.<\/p>\n

Ok, but is Costa Rica safe for families?<\/strong> Costa Rica is one happy place to be.  In fact, Costa Rica has been named “happiest country in the world” by the Happy Planet Index three different times! Can you think of a better vibe for your family vacation? There are so many family friendly tours and things to do in Costa Rica<\/a> it would be a shame if you chose another destination out of fear. Just look at the sly grins on the faces of our lovely sloths<\/a>…Costa Rica is a very chill place to be!<\/p>\n

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We’ve got the scoop on your safety in Costa Rica. Things you should be aware of and ways you can protect yourself from getting into a sticky situation. In short, for traveling in Costa Rica, the safety precautions you would take are the same reasonable actions anyone would take when traveling anywhere in the world.  In fact, these are the same safety tips we would recommend in your own home country. There are no big areas of concern regarding your safety in Costa Rica. The most important thing to remember when traveling is simply to be aware of your surroundings.<\/p>\n