Costa Rica Commits to Safe Tourism with Tourist Police

Tourism is big business in Costa Rica. Over the past 25 years, tourism has been the fastest growing economic sector in the country. Keeping tourists safe and informed while visiting Costa Rica is a vital commitment by the country’s government and national tourism organizations.


Costa Rican authorities have recently agreed to invest 350 million Colones (approximately $700,000 USD) to strengthen the country’s Tourist Police Force. The Ministry of Public Security and the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) renewed their cooperation agreement for five years, which aims to further equip the Tourist Police with more resources and training.
Costa Rica established its Tourist Police Force in January 2007. Currently, there are 350 officers guarding the safety of both national and international visitors to the country’s top destinations, according to official information from Costa Rica’s Police Force.


The Tourist Police Force focuses on preventing and fighting crimes in Costa Rica’s main tourism destinations, and also on providing tourists with information about safety measures, general information, and offering them assistance during their visit. Wearing uniforms of black pants, and white shirts with the words “Policia Turistica” (Tourist Police) on the back, Tourist Police officers work in Costa Rica’s main international airports – Juan Santamaria in the San Jose metropolitan area and Daniel Oduber in Liberia – along with main tourism destination points around the country.
In 2010, tourism contributed 5.5% of Costa Rica’s GDP and 21.2% of foreign exchange generated by all exports, according to official statistics from the Costa Rican Tourism Board. The tiny Central American nation hit a historical record of 2.2 million foreign visitors in 2011, and logged 1.7 million tourists in 2012.


According to Mario Zamora, Costa Rica’s Minister of Public Security, the existence of the Tourist Police helped contribute to a decrease of more than 40% of all reported crimes, mostly robberies and thefts, against tourists between 2006 and 2010. Zamora said that the new contribution to the Tourist Police Force reaffirms the country’s commitment to the safety of its tourists, whether they are nationals or foreigners. “A safe country is an attractive country that generates investment and development, and from the Chinchilla-Miranda administration we are seriously committed to the safety of Costa Ricans and foreigners,” said Zamora.

"This strategic alliance has been of vital importance for the country, since as part of these agreements, the Ministry of Public Security has increased the amount of Tourist Police to ensure that they are distributed in the most important tourist areas of the national territory, ensuring a safe environment for domestic and foreign tourists,” stated Costa Rica’s Minister of Tourism, Allan Flores.



Flores said the primary areas of concentration for the Tourist Police are Monteverde, La Fortuna/Volcano Arenal, and the Caribbean.  The Tourist Police Force will receive 2 new 4x4 vehicles, 4 off-road motorcycles, an ATV, 30 radios, 790 uniforms and 10 training programs.
The Costa Rican Tourism Board and the Ministry of Public Security plan to continue tourism security training for the Tourist Police through courses, seminars and visits by international experts. Since 2007, the British Embassy in Costa Rica has been supporting the Tourist Police with an English language training program.
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By Shannon Farley

7-night “Birds and Monkeys”

Just outside San Jose, Costa Rica is one of my favorite cloud forests. Drive an hour-and-a-half out of the Capital-metropolitan area and you’re in another world – a world of rolling green hills, black and white and brown dairy cows, rich rust red earth, plants with giant leaves, dripping ferns and shifting mist. It reminds me of England, with a decidedly tropical twist.

These are Costa Rica’s Central Highlands and the 2,000-acre Los Angeles Private Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, one of the country’s most accessible cloud forest reserves just above the city of San Ramon. Known for generations as the “City of the Poets,” San Ramon features a temperate spring-like climate and rich soil that has yielded generations of family-run coffee, sugar cane and dairy farms. The beautiful mountain community and its surrounding farm villages have mostly preserved their rural way of life, and it gives visitors a glimpse into “yesteryear” Costa Rica.
Tucked into this verdant greenness, halfway along the drive from San Jose to the Arenal Volcano, is Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel and Spa. The 75-acre boutique hotel is surrounded by the Los Angeles Private Biological Reserve, and you can see Arenal Volcano on clear days from the hotel’s terraces.

At an elevation of about 3,600 feet (1,100 m), Villa Blanca and the private cloud forest reserve are home to widely diverse plants and trees, birds and other wildlife. Walk the trails and you may run across darting jeweled hummingbirds, bright turquoise-tailed Motmots, emerald and crimson Trogons, or even the fabulous jade, turquoise and ruby Resplendent Quetzals. The haunting call of black howler monkeys echoes through the forest and mist. Cute raccoon-like coatis, ringed tails held high, come right up on the hotel’s lawns.

Villa Blanca was named in the top 10 of Best Hotels in Central America by the 2013 Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice Awards.  The hotel features private accommodations in 35 casitas, each with picturesque views of the tropical cloud forest.  On the main hilltop is the Hacienda House, with the Reception, fireplace lounge area and restaurants.
 The stunningly gorgeous Mariana Wedding Chapel sits pristine white among colorful gardens. The chapel was the 50th anniversary-wedding gift from former Costa Rica President Rodrigo Carazo to his wife, First Lady Estrella Zeledon de Carazo; the two were the original owners of Villa Blanca. Built in 1997 in traditional Spanish colonial style, the chapel’s unique ceiling is artistically decorated with 840 hand-painted ceramic tiles depicting the history of Spanish colonial settlers.

 You can visit Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel on Costa Rica Special Deals’ exciting combination vacation deal in Costa Rica to visit the cloud forest and the coast. Costa Rica Special Deals offers a 7-night “Birds and Monkeys” package to two locations in Costa Rica’s cloud forest, staying 2 nights at Villa Blanca Hotel in San Ramon, and 2 nights at Savegre Mountain Hotel in San Gerardo de Dota in the Talamanca Mountains southeast of San Jose. Then, experience the unparalleled beauty of the famous Manuel Antonio National Park and beaches on the Central Pacific Coast, with 2 nights at Hotel San Bada. Manuel Antonio is home to 3 species of monkeys and a host of other wildlife. One night’s stay in San Jose at the beginning of your trip, and a week’s car rental is included in your Costa Rica hot deal.

Costa Rica Special Deals arranges great vacation deals in Costa Rica. The Costa Rica-based travel service professionally assist you to choose hotels, tours, transportation, local flights, car rentals and other services for your vacation to Costa Rica. Costa Rica Special Deals always offers the most competitive Costa Rica hot deals.

Beach Party Town Jaco Lights Up Costa Rica Vacations

The fun-loving beach town of Jacó lights up as “beach party central” on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast. Just an hour from the San Jose metropolitan area on the Route 27 and Costanera Sur highways, Jacó is one of the country’s most developed beach towns.

 

Jacó spreads out in front of a low green mountain range along an azure horseshoe bay and features hotels, funky restaurants, souvenir and surf shops, bars, discos, casinos, and a wide beach. Just before Jacó is Playa Herradura, home to the renowned Los Sueños Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort with its world-class Los Sueños Marina and 18-hole championship golf course. Just after Jacó is Playa Hermosa, famous with surfers all over the world for its big breaks and site of frequent national and international surf competitions.



The fun-loving, happy-go-lucky beach town of Jacó stretches along both sides of a main street that parallels the beach. For a social scene, Jacó is hard to beat. Dining options are vast and varied with everything from Costa Rican rice and beans to sushi to Argentinean steaks. Restaurant recommendations include gourmet dining at Lemon Zest, Jacó Taco for Tex-Mex, Tsunami Sushi, the Wok for Asian cuisine, Hotel Poseidon’s restaurant for fresh fish, El Pelicano in Playa Herradura for fresh fish, and the Hook-Up Bar in the Los Sueños Marina Village for socializing and great bar food. See more restaurant reviews at the Jaco Beach Insider.



For fun nightlife entertainment, check out the Jazz Casino at Hotel Amapola and also Morgan’s Cove Resort & Casino, down at the southern end of Jacó. My friend Eliot who writes for Frommer’s Travel Guides likes the beachfront bar Ganesha Lounge, which he says has a laid-back Ibiza-like club vibe, while bar Le Loft, on the main street and near the center of town, seeks to attract a more sophisticated and chic clubbing crowd. Just wander down Jaco’s main street on any given night and you’ll be sure to find a fun party, live music – both low-key and lively, and plenty of entertaining “people watching” opportunities.

Jacó is filled with fun daytime activities too! Check out the Vista Los Sueños Canopy Tour, the Pacific Aerial Tram and Canopy, paragliding, bungee jumping, horseback riding on the beach, golf at the Los Sueños Marriott Resort, and of course surf lessons with Del Mar Surf Camp.

Take advantage of Costa Rica Special Deals’ exciting vacation deal in Costa Rica to visit Jacó Beach. Costa Rica Special Deals offers a 7-night Beach Combination package to Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast, staying 3 nights at the Canciones del Mar Boutique Hotel in Jacó and 4 nights at the San Bada Beach Resort in Manuel Antonio, right next to the entrance of the famous Manuel Antonio National Park. A week’s car rental is included in your Costa Rica hot deal.

Costa Rica Special Deals arranges great vacation deals in Costa Rica. The Costa Rica-based travel service professionally assist you to choose hotels, tours, transportation, local flights, car rentals and other services for your vacation to Costa Rica. Costa Rica Special Deals always offers the most competitive Costa Rica hot deals.
By Shannon Farley