When travelling to Costa Rica !

2004-06-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

Costa Rica presents few health worries. No shots are required. If you go through Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador or Honduras a vaccination against hepatitis is strongly recommended.

The Water

Outside of San José drink bottled water to avoid intestinal
infections. The US Public Health Service does not recommend taking any prophylactic medicines beforehand, but there are other ways to aid in prevention. I for instance only drink bottled water. Besides drinking bottled water, use it also when you clean your teeth. Eating Fruits
If you are new to the tropics, I recommend before consuming fruits, to peel them or wash them with bottled water. Don’t eat too much in the beginning. Your stomach needs to get used to acid fruits like ripe pineapples and many other new tropical fruits first.

Touching things:
One of the many delights of Costa Rica is touching new things, so a thorough hand scrub every chance you get is a good idea. Many restaurants offer a sink right in the dining room and it’s considered polite to wash before eating.

Swimming in the sea:
Drowning is a major cause of unnecessary death in Costa Rica. Be extremely wary of rip tides when swimming on either coast. There are few lifeguards on the beaches here. A rip tide is like an underwater river pulling you out to sea.
If you get caught in one, don’t panic. Swim parallel to shore until you are out of its grip and then swim back to the shore in a 45 degree angle.

Snakes and Scorpions:
One of the worries of new tourists are snake bites. Although Costa Rica has a large number of poisonous snakes, most tourists aren’t in such wild areas that they’re in danger. Watch your step and wear shoes. The two worst offenders are the fer-de-lance, or terciopelo in Spanish, a particularly aggressive snake with a very poisonous bite and the bush maker snake. Stay on the path, wear leather boots in the wild, and go with a guide. Scorpions are not as poisonous as in other countries, I got bitten by one in the finger and that finger stayed numb for a couple of days. Only the rattle snakes her are more poisonous as in the US.

Doctors:
If you should have a severe medical problem, most hotels will arrange a visit to the clinic or will have an English-speaking doctor make a house call. Costa Rica’s doctors are well trained, so if you’re sick don’t wait until you get home to have someone look at you. You might also check with your medical insurance company to see if they cover expenses outside of your country. Most do, but very few will pay for emergency medical evacuations, sometimes called air ambulances.

Prostitution
Prostitution is tolerated but not encouraged in Costa Rica and did not get much publicity -good or bad - until recent worries surfaced about the underground growth of sex tourism. Local and national authorities do not want the bad reputation or the social problems that go with that kind of tourism and organized trips for sex are strongly discouraged. Prosecutors crack down hard on underage exploitation and in 2001 the first American was arrested for just that. Most prostitutes work out of select clubs, singles bars or escort services and remain relatively low key unless you’re looking for them. Even then, women wait to be approached and are not generally forward or aggressive. Some streetwalkers have tested positive for HIV. If you indulge, use condoms and care.

Drugs:
Unlike in many European countries, Marihuana is still considered a drug in Costa Rica. Our recommendation is to absolutely not bring or use any drugs at all in Costa Rica. It is not worth the risks and you don’t want to spend time in a prison here. Try one of the superb Bavaria Negra beers instead.

Is Costa Rica the safest country in the world?
During my live I lived and visited many countries in the world. From Kuwait to Finland and from Canada to Brazil, with exception of Saudi Arabia (which was too hot for my taste) I believe Costa Rica is the safest country in the world. With over a quarter of its territory being some kind of nature preserve it is a true paradise.

Come and visit us and
Have a happy day
Jörn Malek

A nice way to stay informed is to ask for our Costa Rica News.

Health, Hookers and Drugs in Costa Rica

When travelling to Costa Rica !