Go, but pay attention.
Costa Rica holds a steady sketch score of 74, and you should follow the US and Canadian level 2 advisories rather than the UK's more relaxed stance. Check your measles vaccination status before departure.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Costa Rica
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Go, but pay attention.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Recommended:
From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Travel to Costa Rica is common, with 2.6 million people visiting annually, more than any other Latin American country.
- •Costa Rica is often considered one of the safest countries in Central America.
- •Travelling alone is fine and generally safe in Costa Rica, but carefully consider what kind of risks (if any) you are willing to take.
- •Traffic: Traffic in Costa Rica, particularly around the capital, is dangerous.
- •Robbery: Don't leave valuables in plain view in a car or leave your wallet on the beach when going into the water.
- •Watch out for pickpockets.
Staying healthy
- •Costa Rica has one of the highest levels of social care in the world.
- •For information on the current COVID-19 situation in Costa Rica, see Costa Rica's COVID-19 webpage.
- •Generally, no vaccinations are needed to get into Costa Rica, but you should bring bug-repellent to keep away mosquitoes and other biting insects and prevent malaria and other similar diseases.
- •Tap water in urban areas of the country is almost always safe to drink.
- •All fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed.
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Right now
In the news the last few days
Real talk
What travelers actually say
Costa Rica is currently grappling with a shifting reputation regarding safety. While travelers once viewed the country as uniformly tranquil, recent reports highlight specific incidents including home invasions in Tamarindo and robberies at gunpoint. Beyond crime, travelers face environmental hazards such as landslides that impact bus transit. While some tourists still perceive areas like Tamarindo as safer than Jaco, the reality is that the country no longer holds the same level of safety it possessed five years ago. Beyond physical security, travelers must also account for health risks like dengue fever. Navigating the country requires caution, particularly when choosing between private transport and public buses.
“I just read about a Canadian that was killed during a home invasion in Tamarindo. Which I found especially strange given how tranquil and safe I thought Tamarindo was supposed to be, especially over Jaco.
— r/travel
“I read on my country’s travel guidelines page that there are cases of robbery at gunpoint. Also read increase in dengue cases there. Just last week there was a landslide causing a bus to crash.
— r/travel
“What has caused Costa Rica to go from very safe to now not exactly having the same reputation it did 5 or so years ago it seems?
— r/travel
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
A / B · 120V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 911 / ambulance: 911 / fire: 911
Zoom in
One Costa Rica city on SKETCH.WORLD
Real, resident-submitted Numbeo crime data at the city level — the same national picture above, with crime swapped for what people who actually live there report.
Show the receipts (12 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-07-12
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-07-12
- ca-gac — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-07-12
- cdc-health — observed 2026-07-12
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-07-12
- gdelt — observed 2026-07-12
- reddit — observed 2026-07-12
- unodc — observed 2026-07-12
- acled-hdx — observed 2026-07-12
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-07-12