Costa Rica

Is Costa Rica safe to visit?

Mostly, yes, and it remains one of the easier countries in Latin America for independent travellers. Costa Rica has no army, no history of terrorism and no areas under US or UK travel warnings, and the Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary 2026 ranks it 62nd of 163, second in North and Central America after Canada. Medical care is good.

But crime has changed. The judicial police (OIJ) counted 873 homicides in 2025, a rate of 16.7 per 100,000, after a record 905 in 2023. That is more than four times the rate in Argentina and well above Peru, though still below Mexico. We score Costa Rica 62.

Who the violence affects

Most killings are linked to drug gangs fighting over trafficking routes and local markets. The 2025 total was only three fewer than in 2024, and the third highest on record. In 2025 San José province had 293 homicides, Limón 172 and Puntarenas 130, according to the OIJ. Guanacaste, home to most of the big beach resorts, had 79.

Visitors are rarely the target, but the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary now says gang shootings have become more frequent in urban areas, "including some locations popular with visitors". It also reports that rapes and sexual assaults have increased, some apparently targeting tourists, and that several foreign nationals, including one Briton, have gone missing in recent years. The US advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary, Level 2, names armed robbery, homicide and sexual assault as crimes that affect tourists.

Car crime and scams

The crime most visitors meet involves hire cars:

• The flat-tyre trick. Someone slashes a tyre while you are parked, then follows and offers to help change it while a partner empties the car. Drive on to a petrol station or busy place.
• Staged collisions. Criminals cause minor crashes to make drivers stop. If it looks deliberate, the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says keep going to a police station or garage.
• Luggage in parked cars. Never leave bags in a car, even in the boot, at viewpoints, beaches or restaurants.

On the Caribbean coast, mugging and theft are worse than elsewhere. Use red official taxis (orange at the airport) or an app, not unlicensed "taxis piratas". The FCDO also warns of methanol in cheap local spirits, including guaro, and of spiked drinks in bars.

Rip currents, volcanoes and the rainy season

The physical risks in Costa Rica are often bigger than crime. Rip currents are common on both coasts and many beaches have no lifeguards; the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says 50 to 60 people drown each year, about a third of them tourists. Crocodiles are regularly seen near surf beaches on the central Pacific coast between Playa Azul and Playa Esterillos.

Costa Rica has 16 volcanoes, several of them active, and Poás has had a significant series of eruptions; check whether parks are open before you go. Small earthquakes are frequent, but buildings and response are well prepared. From June to November, heavy rain causes floods and landslides that close roads, and the country can be affected by hurricanes.

Roads

WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 15.5 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, and the toll has risen since. The road safety council's preliminary count for 2025 was 572 deaths at crash scenes, 67 more than in 2024 and the highest it has recorded; that figure leaves out people who die later in hospital. About half the dead ride motorcycles. Roads between the main destinations are slow and winding, single-lane bridges are common, and potholes appear fast in the wet season. Avoid driving after dark, which falls at about 6 pm all year.

How to stay safe in Costa Rica

• Keep nothing in a parked car, and be suspicious of sudden flat tyres.
• Swim only at beaches with lifeguards or local advice, and never at river mouths.
• Avoid dark streets and empty beaches at night, particularly on the Caribbean side.
• Buy spirits from shops and bars you trust; avoid cheap guaro.
• Get insurance that covers zip-lining, rafting and surfing.
• Emergency number: 911.

How we scored it

Conflict (82) and health (78) are Costa Rica's strengths. Violent crime (45) is the weakest factor because the homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary has stayed near 17 per 100,000 for three years. Petty crime (55) is moderate, reflecting car-related theft. Road safety (51) is scored on WHO's 2021 estimate of 15.5 deaths per 100,000, set a little lower because 2025 deaths were the highest on record. We score crime on national data, but most visitors stay in areas with far less violence than the average.