Jeff_Costa_Rica

Little by little, things are easing. It's still a very slow opening.

Hotels with 20 rooms or fewer can open at 50% capacity.

Restaurants that have been approved for health permits can operate at 50% capacity. They can open on weekdays only. They can offer delivery on weekends.

Beaches can open from 5 am to 8 am on weekdays only. That’s a very short time.

Eleven national parks plus Monteverde Reserve can open at 50% capacity. These include Manuel Antonio, Poas, Irazu, Rincon de la Vieja, and Arenal. You can enter in a group of five or fewer. All hiking trails are set up to be one way. Observation platforms, like the one at Poas, and visitor centers are still closed. Manuel Antonio requires temperature checks for all visitors. Corcovado is still closed.

Professional sporting events can take place without spectators.

The nighttime and weekend driving restrictions I mentioned above are still in place.

The kicker here is that there still is no international tourism. They’re opening up very slowly to the domestic market for now.

volcanogirl

Glad things are starting to open back up a little bit. How do people feel about tourists coming back? I'm sure they're ready to be back in business, but maybe a little nervous too. Would tourists be required to wear masks? They did the same thing with our beaches here. Open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. so people can get exercise.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

The border closures have been extended until "at least" June 30. No international travel for the next month. That was announced today. It's not a good sign.

Lufthansa just announced yesterday it would resume service to Costa Rica in mid-June. That won't happen.

volcanogirl

Thanks for the update, sad news. Things are starting to open back up here but with restrictions. I went to get a haircut and had to have my temperature taken, sign a waiver, sanitize my hands, wear a mask, etc. My stylist was wearing a full face shield. Restaurants are open 50%.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

A few of the restrictions have been loosened, although a couple of them have been tightened up. Remember: There is still no international tourism until at least July 1.

All hotels, no matter what the size, can now open at 50% capacity.

Restaurants can open every day of the week at 50% capacity.

Museums can open at 50% capacity. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

A few more national parks are open at 50% capacity, including Tortuguero, Santa Rosa, Ostional, and Cabo Blanco. This part is new: You must be under 65 to enter. They must be afraid of letting anybody in who's in a high-risk category.

Driving restrictions are still in place. No cars are allowed on the road from 10 pm-5 am weekdays and 7 pm-5 am weekends. This part is new: In the very northern part of the country, cars must be off the road at 5 pm every night. The fear is people crossing the border illegally from Nicaragua and wanting to make it more difficult for them to get into the country. The only place of tourist interest that would fall into that restricted territory is Caño Negro, but that is still closed anyway.

volcanogirl

Interesting to see the rules and how they're changing. It wouldn't occur to me to limit people by age. Glad at least a few things are loosening up. I had a friend who travelled within the States this week, and she said they boarded the plane by row starting with the back. Also you never surrender your boarding pass to anyone, just show it and scan it yourself. And drinks and snacks were served via a sealed bag. Everyone wore masks.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

You know, airlines have announced they will require masks for everybody’s safety, and I’m all in favor of that. But they’re not enforcing it. I’ve read that flight attendants have been told not to say anything to passengers without masks. I wish they'd enforce it.

Costa Rica’s evening/nighttime driving restrictions will be in place until August.