How to get around Costa Rica

Getting around

Domestic flights (mainly Sansa and Sky Way) are the fastest way to reach more remote destinations like the Osa Peninsula or Tortuguero, which have limited or no road access.

A rental car, ideally 4WD, is the most flexible way to see the country and genuinely necessary for some destinations -- many rural roads are unpaved and river crossings are common in the rainy season. Shuttle van services connecting major tourist towns are a comfortable, popular alternative.

Public buses are extensive and cheap between larger towns. Tortuguero specifically is reachable only by boat or small plane -- there's no road access at all.

Verified against Global Affairs Canada, September 2026.

Before you hire a car, read this

If you are involved in a road accident, the Costa Rican government may prevent you from leaving the country until all injury claims have been settled — regardless of which party was at fault or who was insured — and the local legal process can run for several months. That is the fact that should decide whether you drive here at all, because the risk of being in an accident is not small: Costa Rica has one of the highest traffic accident rates in the world.

Conditions explain why. Most roads are unpaved and the paved ones are generally in poor condition, with potholes, sharp curves, missing signs, landslides and narrow lanes, and it is worse in the rainy season. Drivers do not reliably respect traffic law and often drive at night without lights. A foreign licence is valid for up to 180 days or the length of your entry stamp, and you must carry your passport when driving — photocopies are not accepted and failing to produce it means a fine. If a police officer asks you for money, you can complain to the Costa Rican Tourism Bureau.

Taxis, and the colours that matter

Official taxis are orange at the airport and red with a yellow triangle on the side everywhere else. Book ahead rather than taking one from a rank or flagging one down, note the driver's name and plate number, make sure the meter is running, and never use a shared taxi. Sexual assaults against foreigners by taxi drivers in San José have been reported, which is what that advice is for.

Buses and theft

Public buses are unreliable — schedules and routes may not match what was announced, and traffic and road conditions make them late. Pickpockets target tourists on them: keep ID and valuables on your person rather than in the overhead rack or under the seat, and do not sleep. Police also check passengers on public transport, often to find foreigners who have overstayed the 90-day visa exemption.

Car break-ins are very common countrywide and rental and luxury vehicles are the target of choice, in the car parks of hotels, supermarkets, restaurants, shops, national parks and beaches. When you leave the car, check the doors manually: "key jammers" can interrupt the signal from a fob and leave the car unlocked. Passport theft is extremely common and peaks in the tourist seasons, November to May and July to August. Thieves work in pairs, one distracting while the other takes. If you are threatened, hand over cash and valuables without resisting.

Beaches, weather and the ground itself

Very few beaches are supervised by lifeguards, and there are no warning signs of dangerous conditions — an empty beach here tells you nothing about whether it is safe. Heavy rains from mid-May to the end of November bring severe flooding, flash floods and landslides that can make roads impassable, and rivers can rise from rain falling somewhere else entirely. Costa Rica sits in an active seismic zone: earthquakes and tremors are regular, tsunamis are possible and can arrive within minutes of a nearby quake, and there are several active volcanoes. If you are staying on the coast, find out the local tsunami evacuation plan on arrival rather than during a warning.

Money and the law

The currency is the colón, and cash withdrawals work only with a four-digit PIN — a six-digit card will not work at an ATM here. Dengue is a risk that varies by season, year, region and elevation, and the mosquitoes bite in daylight around dawn and dusk. One legal point with no equivalent elsewhere in this guide: Costa Rican law prohibits political activity by foreigners, and joining a demonstration can mean detention or deportation.

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Sources & verification Covers the sourced claims on this page.

Checked against Global Affairs Canada — After a road accident the government may bar you from leaving the country until all injury claims are settled, regardless of fault or insurance, and the process can take several months, Road conditions and safety are generally poor and Costa Rica has one of the highest traffic accident rates in the world, with most roads unpaved and drivers often running without lights at night, A foreign licence is valid for up to 180 days or the length of the entry stamp, and the passport must be carried when driving because photocopies are not accepted, Official taxis are orange at the airport and red with a yellow triangle elsewhere, should be booked ahead rather than flagged or taken from a rank, and shared taxis should never be used, Public buses are unreliable with inaccurate schedules and routes, pickpockets target tourists on them, and police check passengers to find those who have overstayed the 90-day exemption, After a road accident the government may bar you from leaving the country until all injury claims are settled, regardless of fault or insurance, and the process can take several months, Road conditions and safety are generally poor and Costa Rica has one of the highest traffic accident rates in the world, with most roads unpaved and drivers often running without lights at night, A foreign licence is valid for up to 180 days or the length of the entry stamp, and the passport must be carried when driving because photocopies are not accepted, Official taxis are orange at the airport and red with a yellow triangle elsewhere, should be booked ahead rather than flagged or taken from a rank, and shared taxis should never be used, Public buses are unreliable with inaccurate schedules and routes, pickpockets target tourists on them, and police check passengers to find those who have overstayed the 90-day exemption (September 2026).