Is Playas del Coco Safe? A Straight Answer

We live and work here, so here is our honest take on crime, safety, and common sense in Coco.

Yes, Playas del Coco is safe for the vast majority of visitors and residents who take normal precautions. The US State Department keeps Costa Rica at Level 2 of 4, most crime in Coco is opportunistic theft rather than violence, and the serious crime that does occur in Guanacaste rarely involves tourists or expats.

We get asked "is Playas del Coco safe?" every single week, by renters, by buyers, and by parents back home checking up on their kids. We live here. We manage 60+ vacation rentals in Coco and Ocotal, and we walk these streets every day, in daylight and after dark. So instead of a glossy brochure answer, here is the straight one, with real numbers behind it.

What does the US travel advisory actually say?

Costa Rica currently sits at Level 2, "Exercise Increased Caution," on the US State Department's four-level scale. Crime is the stated reason. The advisory says petty theft and pickpocketing are the most common crimes affecting US travelers, and that more serious crimes also happen. Its advice is the same advice we give guests on arrival: keep valuables out of sight, do not walk alone in isolated areas at night, and never physically resist a robbery.

Level 2 is the second-lowest tier. It is a "keep your wits about you" rating, not a "do not go" rating. For context, the same advisory system places many popular tourist destinations around the world at Level 2.

What do the crime numbers say about Costa Rica and Guanacaste?

Costa Rica had a hard stretch from 2022 to 2023, driven by drug trafficking disputes in specific port and border areas. The country recorded 873 homicides in 2025 according to OIJ (the judicial police), three fewer than in 2024, holding roughly flat for a third year. That works out to a national rate of about 16.8 per 100,000 people. The violence is heavily concentrated: San Jose, Limon, and Puntarenas together accounted for most of the cases.

Guanacaste recorded 79 homicides in 2025, fifth among the seven provinces. Within the province, OIJ data reported by La Voz de Guanacaste show the problem clusters in the Nicoya and Santa Cruz cantons, which together accounted for 46 percent of the province's homicides over the past five years. Coco sits in a different canton, Carrillo. Just as important: about 71 percent of the province's homicides were score settling between people involved in illegal markets. That is a tragedy for Costa Rica, and we will not minimize it. But it is not random violence aimed at tourists or expats, and it does not describe daily life in Coco.

One more caveat on numbers. Homicide statistics are the most reliable crime data anywhere, because nearly every case gets counted, but they say little about the petty theft that is far more likely to affect you. There is no official theft count for Coco specifically, so for that part of the picture you are relying on people on the ground. That is us, so here is what we actually see.

What kind of crime actually happens in Coco?

Here is the honest picture. Coco is a real working town, not a gated resort bubble, and the crime we actually see is overwhelmingly opportunistic theft. The classic cases:

• Bags, phones, and sandals left on the beach while the owner swims. All beaches in Costa Rica are public, and an unattended backpack is the easiest target in town.
• Items visible inside parked cars. The State Department also warns that thieves sometimes use signal blockers so your key fob never actually locks the car. Check the handle before you walk away.
• Break-ins at homes that sit empty and unwatched for months, especially in green season.
• The occasional phone lifted from a bar table late at night.

The State Department has also noted reported robberies at short-term rental properties nationally, which is exactly why we insist on proper locks, safes, and exterior lighting at the homes we manage. Violent crime against foreigners in Coco is rare. It is not zero, nowhere is, but in our years managing properties here, theft of unattended items is the pattern we deal with, not assaults.

Where and when should you be more careful?

A few honest, local pointers:

• Late nights on the bar strip. Coco has real nightlife. Most trouble late at night involves too many drinks, whoever is involved. Take a taxi home instead of a dark walk.
• Unlit back streets and the beach after dark. The main street and boardwalk stay lively into the evening. Empty, unlit stretches are where you use the same judgment you would anywhere.
• Vacant homes. If you own here but visit part-time, do not leave the house dark and unchecked for months. A property that looks lived-in almost never gets touched.
• ATMs and cash. Use machines inside banks or supermarkets during business hours rather than street ATMs at night, and do not carry more cash than the day needs. Cards are accepted almost everywhere in town.
• Emergencies. Costa Rica uses 911 nationwide, same as the US and Canada. It works, and in our experience the local police respond, especially in the tourist core.

Many of Coco's residential communities, including Las Palmas, Pacifico, and Coco Bay Estates, have gates, guards, or cameras, which is one reason condos in those communities are popular with part-time owners. You can read more about the town itself in our Playas del Coco area guide.

How do we keep owners and guests secure?

Security is a boring, unglamorous part of property management, which is exactly why it works. At the homes we manage, that means solid deadbolts, in-room safes, motion lighting, exterior cameras where owners want them, and regular inspections when a home sits empty. Guests get a plain-language briefing on arrival: lock up, use the safe, take nothing to the beach you cannot afford to lose. None of this is dramatic. It removes the easy opportunities, and opportunity is what nearly all local theft runs on.

So, is Playas del Coco safe for you?

If your standard is zero crime, no beach town on earth qualifies, and we would rather tell you that plainly than sell you a fantasy. If your standard is a town where you can walk to dinner, let your kids play on the beach, and sleep well behind a locked door, Coco clears it comfortably, and thousands of expats living here agree. It is one reason people keep choosing this town over flashier ones, something we cover in what makes Playas del Coco different and our guide to living in El Coco. And if you want the full picture before committing to Costa Rica, warts and all, read our 10 reasons to reconsider moving here. We wrote it for the same reason we wrote this post: trust beats hype.

Thinking about renting or buying in Coco and want a street-level read on a specific neighborhood? Browse our current listings or ask us directly. We will tell you what we would tell a friend.

Ready to see what is on the market? Explore our homes, condos and lots in Playas del Coco, every one walked in person by our team.

Frequently asked questions

Is Playas del Coco safe for tourists?

Yes. Costa Rica holds a Level 2 US travel advisory, the second-lowest tier, and most crime affecting visitors in Coco is opportunistic theft of unattended items. Keep valuables off the beach and out of parked cars, take taxis late at night, and you are very unlikely to have any problem. The nationwide emergency number is 911.

Is it safe to walk around Playas del Coco at night?

In the town core, generally yes. The main street and boardwalk stay busy and lit into the evening, and plenty of residents walk to dinner. Late at night, skip dark back streets and the empty beach, and take one of the town's inexpensive taxis instead. That is the same judgment you would apply in any small tourist town.

What is the most common crime in Playas del Coco?

Opportunistic theft. Bags left on the beach, phones on bar tables, valuables visible in parked cars, and break-ins at homes left empty for months. Violent crime in Guanacaste is concentrated in other cantons and, per OIJ data, about 71 percent of it is score settling within illegal markets, not random attacks on visitors or residents.

Cover photo: Koen Swiers, Pexels · Photo: MongeNajera, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons