The tropical beauty and laid-back lifestyle of Costa Rica can lull you into carelessness.

In the last few years an increase in tourism has been matched by an increase in robberies. While assaults still are a rare occurrence, hotel room break-ins, thefts from busses, cars and on the beach are frequent.

Hints for Travel Safety:

Never leave valuables unattended in your vehicle.

When traveling by bus, be aware that most thefts happen inside the bus, so keep a close eye on your carry-on luggage. Special care should be taken on the bus from San José to Puntarenas. Pay attention around Barrancas, 15 kms before Puntarenas. Here thieves often leave the bus, having snatched bags in the last moment.

The bus terminal La Coca Cola in San José, near the Mercado Central, is reputed for its gangs of thieves who work very professionally. Take extreme care of your belongings and always be suspect if anyone pushes against you.

Burglaries happen even in the most upscale hotels. Use the hotel's safe for your valuables and keep your doors and windows locked.

In popular beach towns you must be careful of thieves that sit and watch for tourists to leave valuables unattended. As well, some thieves may sit close to you and while you nap or are distracted they grab your valuables.

Should you be robbed there is little recourse. On the whole Nicoya Peninsula police stations are scarce and highly understaffed. You can file your robbery report at the police but response to theft will be limited.

Prisons in Costa Rica seem too full so that the police often lets offenders just walk away the next day. There is also a law that until the age of 18 there is no punishment for petty crime - even if you catch the thief, he might smirk at you the next day on the street.

Left picture:
Hang-out at the supermarket of a beach village. As far as I know these attempts were always fruitless.