Is San Jose, Costa Rica, really as dangerous for tourists as some people make it out to be?

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yellowstone

Although it is worse than it used to be, San Jose is still quite a bit safer than even Detroit or St. Louis (America's most dangerous cities). There is really little danger of your being killed, injured or raped but property crime is high. The only precaution you need to take is to use cabs at night to travel and to have the place that you stay at or where you are dining etc call you a cab or flag you down a cab (and make a note of the number). Cabs are very cheap, you can drive for about 15 minutes for about $2. There are some hostels that are in isolated dicey neighborhoods. Pangea and Toruma are in pretty secure neighborhoods (there are others too, but I do not know them all).

lotsaanswers

I think the answer is "you shouldn't walk around NY or Miami at 3am in the morning in an area you don't know....and you shouldn't do that in SJ,CR either".....it's a common sense approach. A friend, single woman, 30's, just spent 4 days there in SJ alone and loved it, no trouble seen. Two guys I know just went and only when they went to a casino far from town, they were told to take a taxi back..don't walk...again, a reasonable precaution anywhere: if you don't have common sense, at least ask locals at your hotel for advice, or travelers in your hotel who have already been there a few days. We went in 2005 and loved it, as well as the CR people.

moonwalker

Te US has second largest prison population in the world I live in the US I do day to day chores travel where I like I don't go to the bad part of town I don't walk at 3:00 am in the slums do this in Costa Rica you will be OK I was the many times I visited

gretaotto

I agree with most of the answers, except the gun one. I am Costa Rican and it is not as bad as many people put it. There are a lot of petty thieves that will jump at the opportunity to steal from a tourist, specially if they are carrying an expensive camera, jewelry, expensive sunglasses and the such. Like in most places of the world I would stay away from secluded places, walk around in lonely streets in the middle of the night, cash dollars in a park with a stranger in broad daylight, accept a car ride from a stranger, etc etc. Just use your common sense as you would in any other city in the world.

San Jose is a lot safer than many Latin American cities. It is not like an assassin is ready to jump at you at every corner. The main problem would be with thieves, just keep your money and travel documents close to you at all times.

wetdreamdiver

Man, most of the people who answered your question haven't got a clue...I've been going down there since the middle 80's and it's a little worse, now that lots of Americans go down there since 9/11. But, to be perfectly honest, if you have been to any major U.S. city and feel relatively safe coming out of a bar at night with half a head of steam going, you're going to be fine in S.J...really!
There is some crime, usually limited to robberies in secluded spots by dope fiends(they're in every country of the world!), but few murders or physical attacks occur in comparison with the number of adult population. Just go down there and have fun and don't worry about stupid things like that. Now, Colombia is another story...

Lyn M

It really is far less dangerous than many cities. Stay away from the Coca-Cola bus station and if you have to take a trip out of there, stay in the station, away from the road, and watch your stuff.
The areas that tourist are inclined to find themselves, besides that bus station, are perfectly fine. I have never feared for my safety even as a woman with small children walking around alone.
What the other people said makes sense. You don't really want to walk around strange streets anywhere late in the evening.

Uncle Johnny

You have to watch your butt anywhere in this world that you
go. Especially not a good idea to be out late at night by yourself.
Dont flash wealth, etc.

shoe s

they walk around with guns

Travel in Paradise

i think is the same in all the world, if you dont now do not go alone at nigth, if better if you stay in not on the capital San Jose all the time make a route and be happy.

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