Costa Rica

Tourists are now safer



Exactly 100 new tourism police officers are starting their first day on the job around the country today. New offices opened Monday in Heredia, Dominical, Puntarenas and surrounding towns.

Many of the new officers will be sent to re-enforce existing operations, while others will be sent to open new operations in regions new to the tourism police units. The newly trained officers are part of a program implemented last year aimed at reducing crimes against tourists.

Tourism-related crimes have dropped 26 percent since the implementation last year, according to the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo.

The new officers graduated from La Escuela Nacional de Policía at a ceremony in Pavas Monday morning and many started working the same day, according to Xinia Vasquez, sub-director of the Policía Turística.

Tourism police officers are trained in the basic three-month police course and receive an additional month of intensive training dealing with particular crimes, ethics and other issues relating to tourism.

A portion of the new officers worked previously as policemen, said Vasquez, but most are brand new.

Although they receive specialized instruction in tourism, few of the officers speak other languages. Of the officers who do speak other languages, the main second-language is English. “For example, in San José, there are two or three officers who are not chiefs, who speak English,” said Ms. Vasquez.
“One of the largest problems we seem to have with tourists,” said Ms. Vasquez, “is their excess of trust.” She also mentioned that a number of tourists continue to carry their actual passports on their person, rather than copies, a highly valuable item for thieves and pickpockets.

Last year there were about 124 tourism police, the new officers bring the number up to 224. About half of the new officers will be sent to reinforce existing zones, while the other half will be sent to open operations in new zones.

San José will receive seven more officers bringing the total to 21.

Alajuela will receive six more for a total of 14 officers. Guanacaste will receive the most this year with 25 new officers, bringing their total to 65 officers. Límón will get 15 new officers for 25 in total.

New areas include Heredia, which will receive four new officers, Dominical with 11 officers, and about 20 officers will be sent to protect Manuel Antonio, Cóbano and Puntarenas. La Fortuna will receive 22 officers.

The officers will work different hours depending on the needs of the particular town said Ms. Vasquez. For example, more officers may work night shifts in Guanacaste because of the lively night scene. She also said schedules will change slightly after the busy season, but the number of tourism officers in each town will stay the same throughout the year. The officers will work 12-hour shifts she said.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 11:43 AM  

Self-Guided Costa Rica Retirement Tours



When thinking of retirement in Costa Rica one of the first things that comes to mind is the best way to explore the country. A lot has been written in publications and websites about this subject and some of the information is incorrect.

Those who have a high level of Spanish fluency, who have traveled extensively abroad or visited Costa Rica on numerous occasions will probably have success touring the country on their own. However, they are few and far between.

On the other hand, almost one hundred percent of the participants on my retirement/relocation tours have stated that they could have never explored the country on their own nor made the contacts I provide.

At some point independent travelers will have to drive or take buses which can prove tiresome. There have also been cases where people traveling by bus have had their luggage stolen. Even if you choose to fly, at some point you will a taxi or bus since you won't have ground transportation which can add up to a lot of money.

On top of that most travelers speak little or no Spanish which can increase their anxiety and make them feel helpless when asking directions when lost. Remember NOT all Costa Ricans speak English. Imagine having car troubles or some other emergency in the middle of nowhere and trying to communicate with people. I had one client for a two-day consultation who insisted on renting an automobile and driving as we toured the Central Valley. After our tour he remarked that he saw very little.

Wouldn't it be easier to take a guided retirement/relocation tour than to have to deal with all the situations above? I would think so.

The knowledge and contacts you get from an experienced retirement guide are invaluable. And best of all you can leave all of the headaches like finding lodging, transportation, viewing the inside of homes and looking for a good restaurants to your guide.

By the time time you ad up your valuable time, the monetary and emotional costs of a self-guided tour, a guided retirement tour is a no brainer.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 1:15 PM  

CBS will visit Jaco



Popular weatherman Joey Stevens will make an appearance in Jacó on Friday to greet with businessmen and fans alike.

Stevens is known for his Caribbean weather forecasts that air on CBS television and are aired in both the United States and Latin America.

He will bring his filming crew with him when he arrives in the beach town on Thursday to be shown around the region, giving business owners an opportunity to get some international coverage.

Jacó residents are invited to meet the television personality at Bohio Beachfront Bar on Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., or at Hotel Poseidon Sky Lounge from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Members of the Chamber of Commerce are hoping that the event will help to advertise local events such as the first surf contest of the season, which takes place this weekend, as well as promoting local businesses.

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posted by Costa Rica real estate @ 9:13 AM