Safety in Costa Rica: what overland travellers should know

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 21 January 2026.

Safety

Crime is rising — Bag-snatching, armed robbery, scams, break-ins at homes and hotels, thefts from cars and assaults have all grown markedly in recent years, in the capital and in the tourist spots alike. Around 1,500 cases of assault, theft or violence against international tourists were recorded in 2025, many of them Italians. Keep money, jewellery and electronics out of sight and avoid isolated areas and public transport after dark.
Critical districts — The security ministry has named the districts where crime against foreign tourists rose sharply: Jacó, Quepos, Cahuita, Cóbano, Bahía Ballena, La Fortuna, Samara and Tamarindo. Robberies of people and thefts from vehicles are the main pattern there.
Isolated areas, Nicaraguan border — Avoid isolated areas, in particular the zones bordering Nicaragua and Guanacaste, where foreigners have been kidnapped for extortion in the past. Isolated beach spots are also to be avoided because of theft and attacks.
Coast roads after dark — Do not travel along the shorelines, even by car and above all at night, particularly on the Pacific coast at Tamarindo, Montezuma and Jacó and on the Atlantic side between Limón, Cahuita and Manzanillo. Foreigners have been killed there for extortion, and cars left unattended are broken into even in broad daylight.
National parks — Armed attacks on Italian tourists have been reported inside the national parks. Visit them in a group and only with authorised guides.
Storms, quakes and volcanoes — In the rainy season, roughly June to November, tropical storms can leave roads impassable through flooding or landslides, cutting access to airports and land borders; the advice during a storm is not to drive at all. Three major faults meet under the country, so tremors above magnitude 4 or 5 are frequent and there is volcanic activity, including several dormant but active volcanoes around the Valle Central where San José sits.

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 21 January 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Costa Rica before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.

Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 21 January 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.