From time to time the question comes up: How safe is Tamarindo? The press loves to report on the dangers of foreign nations, but how much of that attention does Tamarindo receive? It’s a touchy subject, but let’s try to get down to the nitty-gritty.
How dangerous is Tamarindo?
Getting right to the point, there’s not much danger at all, not after you make it to your gate. Of all the events which make up the parts of a vacation, the most dangerous part of your trip to Tamarindo is the car trip to your departure airport.
There may, however, be other concerns on your mind, other than what sort of sunblock to pack. (Go with the 50 SPF at least.) You may wonder about theft or acts of violence. While I can’t cite Tamarindo-specific municipal data on the following topics, in a town of around 600 standing resident locals, I can say with certainty that I have an informed perspective.
Let’s get into this…
Theft
Cards on the table, theft can happen in Tamarindo. There’s nothing unique about that fact. It’s a tourist town, yes, but it’s also a place where people congregate. Thieves love congregation, especially the tourist sort of congregator.
The nature of Tamarindo theft is almost 100 percent non-confrontational, meaning you won’t likely suffer a stick-up. It seems, “your money or your life,” doesn’t translate into Costa Rican Spanish.
The sort of thieves who wander into Tamarindo are opportunists looking for unlocked doors, distracted people, and unguarded bags.
Locals barely bat an eyelash anymore at stories from tourists whose backpacks disappear from the backseat of their rental cars. It would floor you to learn how often those car doors were left unlocked with the bags in plain sight. [Bad idea anywhere in the world.]
Here’s an avoidable scenario: Tourists pull off the road into a beachside parking spot to wade in the Pacific, leaving their doors unlocked for only a minute. When they return, they find their rental car emptied of its contents.
You think unlocked car doors sounds silly? Unlocked hotel doors happen too. For this reason, all of Horizon Pacific Vacation’s Tamarindo vacation rentals have secured gates, often cameras, and even guards in many cases. Remember, thieves anywhere in the world like easy access.
Don’t be silly. If you wouldn’t leave your door unlocked at home, don’t do it in Tamarindo.
Violence
One can get into a bar fight about as easily in Tamarindo as anywhere else in the world.
When assault happens, it’s almost exclusively tied to alcohol or illicit drugs. Also, the whole town hears about it. There have been exceptions, but only as one-offs over the years.
Look at it this way, if you find you’re the sort of person who gets into a bar brawl every time you go out, there’s a good chance you’ll find the same trouble in Tamarindo. You’ll have to work for it, though. Most folks in Costa Rica have learned tolerance.
Drunken fisticuffs aside, what about homicide you ask? This subject is why locals feel safe calling Tamarindo home. Homicide is almost unheard of. It happens, but rarely.
Like homicide elsewhere in the world, it’s never random, always personal between people who know each other by first or second degrees.
Compared to the data for cities in more developed countries, it’s not even a blip on the map. The most dangerous predator to your life in Tamarindo is the mosquitos. Simple solution: wear repellent.
Also, if you’re the sort who likes to get into bar fights, you might consider vacationing elsewhere. You won’t fit in well in Tamarindo. Folks here don’t just say, “pura vida.” We live it.
Driving
There is one point in your trip to Tamarindo where you’re safety is at risk. It’s on the way to the airport… your departure airport in your hometown. Yup.
Mixed with health issues like heart disease and stroke, road injury ranks in the top ten list of killers from the World Health Organization (WHO). You read that right. Other than events like sudden heart attacks, stroke, infections and other diseases, driving in cars made the list.
Considering that most road accidents take place within a 25-mile radius of our homes, then the trip to the airport is the riskiest move you make when heading to Tamarindo. After that, it’s all downhill, mostly.
But, what about driving in Costa Rica? The roads may not be perfect here (Where in the world are they? Alright, Germany, but where else??) but you’ll pay the utmost attention when driving in Costa Rica. That’s compared to driving at home, where you tune out from familiarity with the routes.
Carjacking is not really a thing in Costa Rica, certainly not in Tamarindo. If you’re worried about driving safety, random potholes can be hazardous to your driving experience, but so can herds of meandering Brahmans [cows] in the road.
Dead serious, you’ll want to keep your head on a swivel and drive slowly. Why rush?
Whatever else you may hear about Costa Rica’s violence, understand that the nation remains among the lowest year after year in violence rankings for Latin America. For perspective, the United States is statistically nine times more violent than Costa Rica.
If that was all that was holding you back, shoot a message to the team at Horizon’s Pacific. We’d love to hear your thoughts. We want to be your personal liaison to Tamarindo and Costa Rica.
Horizon Pacific Management & Rentals is located in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. Offering vacation rentals, property management, long-term rentals, as well as a complete concierge service. Providing you with a local contact during your stay, Horizon Pacific is a company you can trust, with the experience you need.