Mary

Just got done reading a message posted by someone (can't remember the name) who said when she travelled to CR she left her wedding ring at home and then went on to reley other safety tips that concerned me, such as "don't carry a purse" or leave anything in your rental car, etc. We are travelling to CR in March, purchased "air only" tickets and I just got done making a reservation yesterday for a condo in Tamarindo at the Tamarindo Vista Villas. Just how careful do I need to be walking in and around the town and on the beach, or do we just lock ourselves in the hotel for a week? Just kidding, we aren't that paranoid. But really, how careful do we need to be? And, has anyone stayed at the Tamarindo Vista Villas? This is our first trip to CR. Thanks for any help and peace-of-mind you can give me. Mary

Kim

Mary,
Tamarindo is safe other than just making sure there's not valuables left in your car where someone can see it.
The people are friendly.
There are lots of poor people that live in Costa Rica and I was told to leave my wedding ring and other valuable jewery at home, just in case they were desprate.
I didn't need my purse. My husband just carried the money in his wallet (front pocket). I didn't know the different money exchanges anyway, so he took care of that and also, better safe than sorry!
Costa Rica is like any other foreign country.
There's really nothing to worry about other than the info. I gave you.
Have fun in Costa Rica!
Kim

Just-Think

Mary, just a quick followup to what Kim posted.
Just read the USA Consular sheet on Costa Rica and noted that it stated the per capita income was $3,700 per year in 1999.
Most of the petty crime --- quick grab and run of cameras, purses, etc. is in San Jose itself. Luggage is a target during the airport processing procedure, so do keep track of your luggage as your process thru their immigration; it can and does disappear from some of those who are inattentive. This isn't limited to Costa Rica -- it's all over the world.
Would I take and wear jewelry whose value exceeds the average person's annual income? No. Particularly when I'm visiting a foreign country whose language I don't really speak and understand that well. It's a personal thing with me; I just don't want to be concerned about something I can avoid very simply.
For the most part I just assume I stand out in a crowd as a tourist; if I'm a tourist, I'm probably more of a target for petty thieves than the locals.
For me it's easy to visit foreign countries and lessen the potential for being a target. I leave the real stuff at home in the safe deposit box, dress conservatively and modestly, my husband makes sure his wallet doesn't flash "a big roll" when he opens it.
Common sense tells me that the way we dress and handle our money makes us less of a target than that other couple -- both wearing obviously expensive watches and she is wearing that gorgeous diamond ring and terrific heavy gold chain.

Iza

Mary,
We stayed in Tamarindo for 6 days last August and I never felt threatened in any way. We often went out to local restaurants at night, walking in the dark and we felt very safe. (By the way take a flashlight with you. As anywhere in the tropics, it gets dark there around 6 pm. We often walked along the beach to get to where we were going since the roads tend to be very dusty, and the flashlight came in handy).
I wore my wedding ring which is rather plain but left my expensive watch at home (more for fear of losing or misplacing it than of being robbed). I didn't have a purse with me, and I scaled down my wallet (did not take any credit cards or store cards that I knew I wouldn't use), again, more for convenience than anything else. I often walked around in Tamarindo with a shoulder beach bag and my wallet in it and never encountered any problem whatsoever. We used the hotel safes to store extra cash, passports and travelers checks, so that we did not have to carry all that stuff with us.
Just as the other person responding to this message said, just use common sense and you will be fine. I did not find CR any more dangerous than any other place I traveled to.
As far as leaving anything in the car, I wouldn't leave anything of value in my car even here, at least not in plain view, and rental cars are much more easily identifiable.
I am sure you will enjoy Tamarindo. Have a great trip.

Dave

Leave your wedding rings and all valuables at home. You don't need them, and travelling is hard enough, so why add extra worries?

Connie

Depends on the ring.Obviously a 3 carat
dazzler is going to attract more attention than a l/4 carat chip!
as I travel more, I find it best to only
take the jewelry I could live without if
it was taken. This is the time to wear
brightly colored costume jewelry and enjoy it! Save the gems and gold for
home.
W/regard to keeping money save, I make
small, zippered pouches which pin into
the waistline of my garments. This is
where I put the majority of my $$ as
well as ID or credit cards. Works good
for going to the outlet malls too!!

Mary

Thanks everyone!!
I feel much better now. I'm printing these responses out for my husband to read. And, yes, I will be leaving my wedding ring at home, but I think it's probably safe to take my Swiss Army watch. Thanks again!!
Mary

Carl Z

This must be the craziest BS I've ever read here,and that's saying something!
The women I know who are single buy a ring to wear in CR when traveling, now you're saying that you're worried someone will rob you of one??
LOL!!!
Here's Tip from someone who's traveled extensively in Latina America for 3 decades now-Don't Worry!
Follow the good advice about Petty Thievery but ignore the foolishness, including the ignorant alarmist propaganda especially from your own Government.
If you're ever in a situation where some escaped convict/desperate drug addict is intent on violent armed robbery you're much more likely to be in the USA than Costa Rica.

Ignore-Carl

Carl sounds like another one of those Canadians who just love the opportunity to bash Americans and the crime rate in America.
Carl obviously isn't reading current newspapers in Costa Rica so he obviously does not know non-violent crime is up to a alarming proportion to Costa Ricans. No one is comparing anything in Costa Rica to anywhere else and you shouldn't be either.
Read what I said, Carl ... non-violent, meaning breaking into rental cars, purse, camera, gold necklaces "snatch and grab" thievery along with home burglaries, and yes, some 'hold-ups', etc. are a topic in the newspapers.
Woman to woman, I was one of those who advised Mary to leave the EXPENSIVE JEWLERY (READ: REAL GOLD AND REAL PRECIOUS GEMS) at home. Yes, I have the money to replace my multi-carat diamond wedding band but no one can replace the sentimental value it carries. So, I switch to a simple plain gold wedding band when it makes me feel better to do so.

Kim

This message above mine is very true. I would leave my wedding ring at home.
Carl sounds like a careless person to me.
We just came back from Costa Rica and I felt alot more comfortable leaving my exspensive jewlery at home.
Kim

Carl Z

FYI I'm not a careless person at all, quite the opposite.
But I reiterate that removing a wedding ring is an exteme reaction.
I'm more than familiar with the social situation in Costa Rica that's why I'm flabbergasted at people's overreaction to the same sort of thing that happens daily on the streets of their home cities-what's the big deal?
Or do you all live in 'Gated Communities'?
Costa Rican crime rates are very low especially when compared to those in the USA.
For the record, in all my years of traveling in Mexico, Central and South America I have NEVER seen a handgun in a private home-ever.
Hunting rifles/shotguns on ranches yes but that's it.
How many of you in the USA can say the same about the place you live in?
Have a nice holiday!!!

CrimeBuster

Carl:

For your information, the USA now has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. Our crome rate has fallen steadily for the past 8 years. With the exception of a few inner city ghetto areas such as East St. Louis, Detroit etc., this ia pretty safe country.

What does having a handgun in my home have to do with the crime rate?

The crime rate in every large city in Canada is higher now than in many comaparable US cities and that includes violent crimes. You don't have to take my word for it. You can check the North American relocation crime lab on the internet where you can see it for your self.
http://www2.homefair.com/calc/salcalc.html

It not only lists the overall crime rate per 100,000 habitants but gives a breakdown for each type of crime. For example: San Diego, CA ( where I live ) is the 6 th largest city in the US and has a crime rate of 95. Victoria, BC ( I lived there before ), which is a relatively small city has a crime rate of 317. Violent crimes such as murder, rape, aggravated assualt are anwhere from 2+ ( homicide ) to 5+ ( rape and aggravated assault ) higher in Victoria then in San Diego.

I can't say for Costa Rica but I am married to a Mexican citizen and we spend a lot of time in Mexico. The crime rate in Mexico is generally MUCH higher than in the US.

Carl Z

What are the three types of lies?
Lies, D****d Lies and Statistics.
I rest my case.

4-Pete's-Sake!

Seems that Carl believes high crime statistics HE'S read if it pertains to the USA but refuses to believe them if they show high crime rates in Canada.

Typical Canadian....way to go, Carl

Jerry

That is the sort of answer I would expect from a know it all like Carl.

Carl's motto is "my mind is made up, don't confuse me with facts".

I don't wish to engage in a Canada bashing session like Carl likes to bash the US. I like Canada and visit there often. However some Canadians need to remove their rose colored glasses and realize what is going on in their own backyard before criticizing others.

gina

I also am Canadian and have travelled a fair bit in Latin America and the Caribbean and have never felt unsafe and have never left my wedding set at home. The only place I ever felt truly unsafe was in front of Madison Square Gardens at dusk on a Sunday evening loaded down with shopping bags (admittedly, my own stupidity). Just don't wear extra jewelry. Wedding sets are usually not worth the bother of stealing and usually attract no attention. My girlfriend left her wedding ring and diamond home when she went to Jamaica and when she came home they had been stolen from her apt. in Chicago. These things can happen anywhere.

Judy

A better reason to leave your wedding ring at home is that if you are going to Costa Rica, you are probably planning an active vacation: hiking, rafting, SCUBA, etc. When I went to CR and on other active vacations, I usually wear only my plain wedding band. This allows me to look married without having to worry about losing or damaging my engagement ring.

My-Take-On-This

IF all you are going to do is drive to your condo in Tamarindo, you should have no problem with your wedding ring and a purse.

You should lock up ALL valuables (passport, bulk of cash, traveler's checks, etc.) in either your condo safe or the office safe for which you make sure to get a detailed receipt.

Do not leave valuables in your room or in your luggage. It's just plain stupid.

IF, however, you planned on riding long distances on the busses and walking around San Jose gaulking at the buildings, stores, and people with a camera hanging round your neck and the purse casually hanging off only one shoulder, or your wallet in a convenient back pocket, I would follow the more conservative advice given previously.

Luggage carried beneath the busses has a way of "disappearing."
There ARE pickpockets operating in San Jose and on the always crowded busses.

There ARE a few young toughs who do the "grab & run" of purses, cameras, necklaces but they are mostly confined to San Jose.

I've read it and heard it from Costa Ricans and North Americans living in Costa Rica. Any who deny it simply do not know better.

While locals are victims, it IS often the tourists that get targeted. You look different, you dress different, and you act different from the locals. The "bad guys" in any country can spot you a block away and it is assumed you do not speak the language of that country fluently, you don't react to the situation quickly or even know how. The chance of the "bad guys" being caught is MUCH less than if they steal from a local. Go to the Police Station in ANY country where you are a tourist and file a report, you will see exactly what I mean. That's just life.

kywood1955

Mary, My rule is if you're at all concerned about jewelry, leave it at home. If you take nice jewelry, wear it all the time; don't leave in your hotel room, etc. Personally, I wear just a gold band when traveling (especially to areas that we'll be active (hiking, horseback riding, water sports, etc.) If you're in a resort area, there will be less concern. In CR, don't leave ANYTHING unattended in your rental car. Don't be paranoid, just careful. CR is safe; but crime happens everywhere.

faithie

Not to be a party pooper , but the O.P. ( Mary ) posted over 4 years ago ..... lol , Faith . good advice though !!