Is It Safe to Walk Around With a Camera in Costa Rica?

The short answer: YUP, YOU’RE GOOD!

You’re not going to have to walk around gripping your camera for dear life, terrified that someone’s going to rip it off your neck—especially if you’re at a beach town, where tourists are the backbone of the entire economy (and all walking around with their cameras and iPhones). There are going to be plenty of tourists around, and all with cameras (especially to snap that sloth high up in the tree!)

There are also plenty of weddings that take place in Costa Rica, all of which have wedding photographers and crew. In other words, you aren’t walking into some scary mecca of crime. (For as much as I loved Ecuador, I’ll never forget running into a sign on the side of a building that said: TOURISTS BEWARE: DO NOT ENTER: HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF ROBBERY.)

That said, there’s always a caveat, isn’t there? Always a caveat! And in this case, the caveat is:

Bring your camera, but keep it on you. Don’t leave it in your car unattended.

The same goes for your laptop and iPhone and anything else. The most common form of theft in Costa Rica is car theft, so while they likely won’t rip it off your neck, they might jimmy your car door to take it out of the backseat. So bring it, but keep it on you.

The other caveat is if you’re walking around downtown San José. That’s a slightly different story than the beach towns, and you should take extra precautions. While I’ve never had anything personally happen to me, crime is always greater in big cities, and San José is no exception. Here, I wouldn’t just keep a camera on me: I’d also keep it concealed unless I’m using it. In other words, don’t walk around with your camera flung over your shoulder: keep it inside a camera bag, or around your neck but underneath your shirt. You never know, just in case! (That said, you’ll be totally fine if you’re in a suburb like Escazú or Santa Ana.)

There is one place where I wouldn’t recommend carrying a camera at all, and that’s in Limón, on the Caribbean side. But I wouldn’t necessarily recommend going to visit Limón, either, so it’s likely not on your travel itinerary.

Overall, however, you’ll be fine with your camera in Costa Rica. It’s one of the best places in the world to take pictures—especially once you see these sunsets. An iPhone just can’t do it justice. :)