BackpackerMom

In the four years that I’ve lived in Costa Rica I have seen it go from a super-safe place to watching my back everywhere I go. The poverty level has skyrocketed due to all the foreign investors flocking to this paradise and buying out the land which the average Costa Rican cannot afford. Aside from the nonstop car theft and break-ins people are now becoming assaulted on the streets as well. But don’t despair, if you follow these basic rules you can truly enjoy yourself and keep all of your belongings.

1. When you first arrive take an airport taxi, they are safe and run by the government.
2. Don’t go to San Jose after sun down.
3. Don’t stray off the main streets of San Jose.
4. Take as little on you as possible: just enough money for the day, hold tight to your camera, leave your passports and major credit cards at home if not needed, and don’t display your jewelry for the world to see.
5. Work only with certified tour groups.
6. Watch for suspicious characters. (This one seems obvious, but one thing about Costa Rica is that its still very new to the crime scene, ironically the thieves are quite obvious and can be spotted from afar.)
7. If renting a car, ALWAYS, lock it. If you can get access to one with an alarm or a club–DO SO! Hijackings are becoming popular here as well, drive with your doors locked (especially at nights) don’t get out of the car if stopped, don’t help cars that looked distressed, and start beeping if you feel you’re in danger.
8. When taking money out of ATM’s avoid dark alleys and try to take it out during a busy time of the day.
9. Now that Costa Rica has disconnected itself from the US dollar (before it was regulated by the government and only banks could make change) a whole string of money-changers have come out of the woodwork and an insane amount of counterfeit bills as well. Stay with the banks, if you feel one bank is giving you too low of a rate, go to another one.
10. Don’t leave your belongings out of your site. Again, this one is obvious, but how often do we hang our backpacks/purses on the backs of our chairs while dining? I’ve seen customers of nice restaurants bump into seats accidentally and next thing you know, he’s off enjoying your things.