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Costa Rica

24 scams

If you are looking for expansive jungles, romantic eco lodges, cloud forests, rolling surf, beaches, volcanoes, coffee haciendas and colonial architecture, Costa Rica has it all for you.

However, rising crime rates (though much of it is gang warfare) and tourist targeted scams are a cause of concern.

Note: vast majority of trips are trouble free and there is no need to be paranoid. That said, it always pays to be aware, careful, and prepared.

Emergency number

  • General emergency hotline: 911
  • Fire: 118
  • Ambulance: 128

Travel guide

  • Costa Rica hotels
  • Costa Rica day tours
  • Costa Rica multi-day tours

Travel safety

  • Costa Rica medical care
  • Costa Rica natural disasters
  • Costa Rica transport safety
  • Costa Rica violent crime, hazards
  • Travel safety gear
Arenal Hanging Bridges

Travel scams in Costa Rica

Start over
Rappelling at La Fortuna Waterfall

Unlicensed tour operators in Costa Rica

7 0

How it works: Opening: at tourist attractions, you may encounter touts who offer a very cheap tour. However, to secure your position, you have to pay upfront. Version 1: when…

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A market in Costa Rica

Price quote scams in Costa Rica

6 0

How it works: It is common in Costa Rica for tourists to be expected to pay higher prices than locals. This is possible as goods at markets are not labeled…

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Surfboards at Costa Rica

Playa Coceles surfboard damage in Costa Rica

6 0

How it works: At Playa Coceles, there have been reports of operators renting out soft foam/badly fixed boards which break easily when you use it. An inflated fee is then…

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Arenal Volcano

Arenal Volcano interception scams in Costa Rica

6 1

How it works: Scam 1: at the bus station to board the 8am bus to Tilarán, there’s a tout who will intercept you by shouting “Parque Ecológico”. This is not…

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Manuel Antonio National Park

Unofficial guides in Costa Rica

6 0

How it works: At national parks, you may encounter touts who offer to bring you around. Some may be good, but what generally transpires is a low quality and/or unsafe…

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Crossing the Nicaragua-Costa Rica border

Fake border crossing agent in Costa Rica

6 0

How it works: Version 1: being charged to use a free custom/immigration form. Version 2: someone offers to assist with the immigration process. He tampers with your documents and forces…

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Gas station in Costa Rica

Gas station scams in Costa Rica

3 0

How it works: Situation: in 2014, a major newspaper did an investigation and found that at 70% of the gas stations they visited, they were subject to one scam or…

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Juan Santamaría International Airport

Departure/exit tax scam in Costa Rica

4 0

How it works: Situation: in the past, when leaving Costa Rica, you have to pay an exit tax in cash at a counter in the airport. Today, most airlines have…

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Road in san Jose

Taxi piratas in Costa Rica

3 0

How it works: Version 1: unofficial taxi touts who claim that there is no more bus or that buses are not operating today, and that you should take their taxi….

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Playa Manuel Antonio

Unofficial parking attendants in Costa Rica

3 0

How it works: Version 1: unofficial parking attendants claim that there is no parking space left and get you to park a distance away from the real carpark. A fee…

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Travelscams.org is the largest community built database of tourist scams and key travel safety issues globally, with 1777 travel scams and 1688 user stories shared on 101 countries.

If you ever wondered how it feels like to glide along the Ganges in India’s holiest City or to trek along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, just go, as we have you covered on all pitfalls you may face. About us →

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