{"id":39067,"date":"2013-08-11T09:22:36","date_gmt":"2013-08-11T13:22:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/?p=39067"},"modified":"2020-09-16T08:57:52","modified_gmt":"2020-09-16T13:57:52","slug":"why-its-safe-to-live-and-travel-in-costa-rica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/blog\/why-its-safe-to-live-and-travel-in-costa-rica\/","title":{"rendered":"Why it\u2019s Safe to Live and Travel in Costa Rica"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why it\u2019s Safe to Live and Travel in Costa Rica<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Costa Rica has been a favorite destination for tourists, retirees, and second home owners for many years. \u00a0It is perfectly safe to travel and live here full time in this country. \u00a0Of course you have to use caution in certain areas of the San Jose due to crime concerns and use common sense to avoid petty theft when travelling with cash, passports, and electronics throughout the country. \u00a0In tourism areas there is always petty theft of thieves breaking into cars and taking wallets, cameras, and cell phones or snatching an unattended bag in a crowded public place. \u00a0In the capital city of San Jose crime is of greater concern and many home owners have bars on their windows and live in gated communities with 24 hour security.<\/p>\n

I have lived here for over 7 years and been traveling here since 1998, over 14 years. \u00a0I have not ever felt unsafe or threatened. \u00a0Crime rates have increased during this time, but out where we live in the rural area around Dominical it is not as much a concern as in other areas. \u00a0There is also the C.A.P. (Crime Awareness & Prevention) on Crime of Costa Rica that was founded in Playa Dominical. They have taken many steps to reduce crime in the area and have even installed cameras at many local area establishments and near the beach. \u00a0Below are tips from C.A.P. on how to travel safely around the country.<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 During your stay here use caution when contacting unknown people.
\n2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When swimming or playing in the ocean, make sure someone is watching your valuables.
\n3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Use caution when visiting remote locations or isolated beaches.
\n4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When in restaurants, markets, or other public areas NEVER leave your valuables unattended.
\n5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When you travel by car, always lock the doors, and never leave your personal items in sight.
\n6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When staying in hotels use the safety boxes to keep cash, jewels and documents protected.
\n7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lock doors and windows in your place of lodging.
\n8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Keep a photocopy of all documents\/passports in order to facilitate the retrieval of any lost item.
\n9.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Don\u2019t be a victim.\u00a0 Be aware of your surroundings and know WHERE you are at all times.
\n10.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Do not wear valuable jewelry that can draw attention to you.
\n11.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In the city carry small backpacks in front of you.
\n12.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Stay alert if someone approaches or pushes you, or you feel that you are being followed. Notify the nearest police officer or walk into the nearest public establishment.
\n13.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To exchange money only use banks or authorized exchange windows.\u00a0 You will need your passport for all bank transactions.
\n14.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Use ATM\u2019s that are located in public and well lit areas.\u00a0 Avoid help from strangers.\u00a0 Withdraw, count your money, and put it away before leaving.
\n15.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If traveling by bus keep all carry-ons in your possession. \u00a0Verify you have all items before departing bus.
\n16.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In the event of an emergency always call 911 first. \u00a0Ask for an English speaking operator.\u00a0 Identify your local police station and\/or town.
\n17.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If during your travels you feel lost or experience any difficulties you can call 800-TURISMO.<\/p>\n

Costa Rica is a safe and peaceful country with the exception of a few bad apples. \u00a0As long as you follow these suggestions above you should have a fun vacation or be able to live here tranquilly.<\/p>\n

I hope you got value from reading: Why it\u2019s Safe to Live and Travel in Costa Rica.\u00a0 If you would like additional information about migrating to Costa Rica,<\/b> ple<\/b>ase contact<\/b> our office HERE.<\/b><\/a> Here are a few really interesting articles about Costa Rica, and all the fun you can have whether you are contemplating a vacation or as an investment vehicle.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why it\u2019s Safe to Live and Travel in Costa Rica Costa Rica has been a favorite destination for tourists, retirees, and second home owners for many years. \u00a0It is perfectly safe to travel and live here full time in this country. \u00a0Of course you have to use caution in certain areas of the San Jose […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":308,"featured_media":38973,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[10372,2346,2340,1716,5339,32927,1738,32925,32922,32929,32928,2335,2350,8286,32924,32921,2382,2024,32926,32923],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/How-To-Start-A-Business-In-Costa-Rica.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39067"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/308"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39067"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39067\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41710,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39067\/revisions\/41710"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39067"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=39067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}