Is Uvita, Costa Rica Safe?

Bodhi Surf + Yoga is based in the heart of the beautiful Bahia Ballena community, adjacent to the town of Uvita.

The community opened up its welcoming arms to us nearly two decades ago, and continues to do the same for our guests every single week.

One of the co-founders and lead surf instructor, Travis Bays, has been here since 2005 — about 17 years. This is before there was even internet in the town!

So it’s fair to say that, collectively, we’ve seen Uvita and the surrounding areas become what they are now. If ever you come down here, be sure to ask Travis about life here in the early 2000s. It’s actually quite funny!

Working alongside this community and welcoming guests here for so long now, we feel that we’re more than able to speak on Uvita’s safety.

Considering traveling to Uvita, Costa Rica?

We understand that safety isn’t just about crime and personal safety, and that there are a lot of safety factors to consider when looking to book a vacation somewhere.

At Bodhi Surf + Yoga, our goal is to be honest and authentic spokespeople for our little community. We do want you to be able to come down here to Uvita, Costa Rica and have an unforgettable time engaging with our community.

However, we want to also be honest and transparent about the realities of our community, as well as some of the growing pains it is currently facing.

The aim of this blog is to give you the up-to-date information as we know it. We hope that it will ease your stress and give you an idea of how safe our home is. Most importantly, that it empowers you and gives you the resources to have a safe trip here!

There is very little crime here in Uvita, Costa Rica

First thing’s first. No, Uvita is not classified as a dangerous place.

Does this mean that no crime ever happens and that you should wonder around neglecting all common sense? Also no.

Although the crime rates here in Uvita are very low, just like anywhere in the world — it does happen. “There are always a few bad apples,” as Travis would put it.

Here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga we’re all about transparency. The town is currently undergoing a growth phase. More development, tourism, and a larger influx of people do lead to increased crime rates.

The main form of crime in our area is petty theft. This usually occurs at beaches or waterfalls.

Why? Because this is where people leave their valuables unattended on the sand or rocks while they go in the water. This makes for an easy target. One of those bad apples may be wandering up and down the beach looking for this exact scenario.

This isn’t as common at the Marino Ballena National Park where we do our surf lessons, but more so at Uvita’s surrounding beaches such as Playa Hermosa and Dominicalito.

In fact, we’ve never had anything stolen during a surf lesson at the national park.

• This is most likely due to:
• Having guards on duty
• Being a less crowded beach
• Recommending that our guests not bring valuables down to the beach

Again, we want to reiterate in full transparency that this by no means implies that petty theft does not, or can not, occur at the national park.

Caring for our town’s safety and security

Here in Uvita, safety is everyone’s top priority – locals and tourists alike.

We have our very own safety and security committee in town, which Travis is also a part of!

This committee meets up to discuss current issues going on within the town, how they’re affecting people, how visitors can be safe here, etc. More importantly, to find and put into action wide-reaching solutions to alleviate these problems (and their underlying causes).

For example, there is currently a fundraiser going on to provide ATVs for the park’s guards to be able to better patrol the beach.

Safety is in all of our interests.

In fact, it’s because of our cherished community that visitors can come here and have such a positive experience. Ticos in general are extremely welcoming and helpful people.

But our community here in Bahia Ballena is special. Maybe it’s because we’re a small town, so everyone really watches out for one another. We’re all one (not so big) family!

Costa Rica is one of the cleanest countries in Latin America

There are some countries that us travel-driven folk go to, knowing quite well that we may end up getting sick, especially here in Central America.

Costa Rica is not one of those countries.

I remember when I first came here on vacation in 2015 without knowing much about Costa Rica – I had already mentally prepared myself to get sick.

I just assumed that, coming to a Central American country, it was bound to happen. But I can remember being pleasantly surprised by the overall cleanliness of the water, food, and restaurants.

Costa Rica is one of few places in the world where it’s safe to drink the tap water! Throughout the majority of the country, but especially here in Uvita, the water is all treated and filtered.

How are we so lucky to have such clean water in Costa Rica?

We have what are called ASADAs — which are made up of non-profit, community organizations that administer water and sewage, in line with national laws.

This means that pretty much anywhere you go — hotels, restaurants, bus stations — the water from the taps is potable.

We always recommend that our guests bring reusable bottles along with them, because here in Uvita there are so many places to refill your water bottles for free!

That beats paying for plastic, single-use water bottles any day, right?

Here in Bahia, even our local kids playground has a water refill station connected to an ASADA-operated water supply.

Cleaner water equals cleaner food

Having such clean water in our town also equates to fewer food-borne illnesses!

Which takes us onto one of our favorite topics… food! Here in Uvita, we have some exceptionally delicious restaurants and cafes which maintain a high level of cleanliness.

So food poisoning, salmonella, and other food-borne illnesses are extremely uncommon.

The same goes for our beautifully kept lodge here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga! We have a team of cleaners and gardeners who take so much care in what they do. Our guests are often wowed by how well maintained the lodge is!

Don’t even get us started about the food here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga! We hate to brag, but we do genuinely have the best chef in Costa Rica, who goes by the name of Fanny. If you’ve spent time with us here before, you know that this is no exaggeration.

Fanny’s food is always so nutritious, clean for the body, and filling. Her cuisine pairs perfectly with a week (or two!) of our surf and yoga camps.

Are there chances of natural disasters?

Costa Rica is not known for natural disasters.

Try to think back, when was the last time you heard of a big earthquake or hurricane hitting?

However, we’re still a Central American country standing on the Caribbean tectonic plate, so there definitely is some tectonic movement. There are actually mini earthquakes that occur every day!

But generally, these are absolutely nothing to worry about. Costa Rica hasn’t had an earthquake that’s been considered ‘major’ in over 10 years.

In the case of major tectonic movement out on our Pacific coast, here in Uvita we do have a tsunami evacuation route!

Don’t let this scare you – it’s not because Costa Rica has a history of tsunamis. It’s just a safety precaution that our town took the initiative to implement. We also have a local emergency committee in Uvita.

A proactive approach by our community

Actually – Uvita has just completed a three year long process to become tsunami certified!

The Tsunami Ready Certification is an international recognition from UNESCO and the International Oceanography Commission that rewards preparation and prevention work to minimize the loss of life in the event of a tsunami.

We also tend not to get much trouble in terms of hurricanes. And the reason why is fascinating!

Ever heard of the Coriolis force? It’s a force that appears due to the Earth’s rotation on its axis. As a result of this force, hurricanes are formed! Coriolis is at its strongest at Earth’s poles, and it’s weakest at the equator – which Costa Rica is located very close to.

We do however get a significant amount of rain throughout the year — approximately 24 feet annually.

I personally love the rain – I find that there’s something so beautiful about the rain in the tropics and it cools the air down so much.

But when there is heavy rainfall, there are a few safety habits that we like to emphasize to our guests here in Uvita, Costa Rica.

Mainly we just tend to recommend that you err on the side of caution when visiting waterfalls, like our local Uvita Waterfall.

This is just because with high levels of rainfall, there is a lot more water being poured into the rivers and freshwater systems. This makes water flows, pressures, and currents stronger!

Uvita has you covered in case of emergencies!

Here in Uvita, we have a number of high quality medical facilities and services.

Uvita Urgent Care is just a short five minute drive from us here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga, and is excellent for any emergency help for problems or injuries.

Because we take so much care during our surf lessons and have your safety as our top priority, we hardly ever require such attention.

But just like any sport – anything can happen!

Again, in full transparency, although it happens very rarely, we do sometimes see the odd surf-related injury.

But the majority of the time, if our guests ever need anything health-related, our pharmacies are very well equipped.

We’re located near a few pharmacies – one of which just at the end of our road!

Our guests sometimes head to the local pharmacies for things like:

• Pain killers
• Electrolytes
• Vitamin supplements
• Creams
• Other over-the-counter medications

The pharmacies are more a convenience for remedying dehydration or stomach bugs.

Traveling through Costa Rica, but especially here in Uvita, the chance of contracting viruses and diseases such as Zika and Dengue fever are extremely low.

This is also attributed to the country’s cleanliness!

It isn’t impossible however – sometimes, although very rarely, there are outbreaks of Dengue. This is managed by our local healthcare ministry with prevention campaigns.

Malaria, however, is non-existent here in Costa Rica.

You also don’t need any vaccinations to enter Costa Rica – that’s always a good sign!

What to watch out for in Uvita, Costa Rica

Like we said – aside from keeping your wits about you, there aren’t really any clear-cut threats to your health here in Uvita, Costa Rica.

If you’re looking at coming down here to surf and have done some research about the area, you may have read that nearby Dominical is one of the the top five locations in Costa Rica for drowning.

Again, we don’t want to scare you off, but for us it’s imperative that to be completely honest.

Check out our blog about what the dangers of surfing are, but also how to stay safe while surfing.

Drowning is extremely uncommon (almost unheard of!) at the Marino Ballena National Park where we do our surf lessons.

This is because:

• There are lifeguards on duty
• Alcohol is not permitted
• The park rangers do regular patrols
• The national park’s conditions are much more suited to beginner surfers

The Marino Ballena National Park really is the ideal location for newbie surfers!

This all has to do with wave size, ocean currents, and local bathymetry (the ocean’s depth). Oh, and of course choosing a surf school that prioritizes your safety.

The beach and its conditions are also ideal if you’re a more intermediate surfer looking to develop your surfing style.

Other things to take note of in Uvita, Costa Rica

Another thing that we recommend our guests be watchful for are stray dogs.

The dogs that happily wonder the streets around town are well looked after and tend to just roam around for fun.

They are nothing to worry about! They’re very much used to human interaction and are just as much members of this community as we are.

It’s more when our guests explore the outer parts of the community that we tend to recommend being careful of the dogs.

For example, when hiking La Union for its spectacular view of the Whale’s Tail, we recommend carrying a stick or rock. There are a few small dogs up there that have bitten people before.

Bodhi Surf + Yoga educates and empowers you to have a safe visit to Uvita, Costa Rica

We understand that by educating you and teaching you how to be safe here, you’re bound to feel more comfortable and have a better time!

Aside from writing blogs, my main role at Bodhi Surf + Yoga is within guest support.

I make it my absolute priority to help all guests feel safe and comfortable. Not only here at the Bodhi Surf + Yoga lodge, but in our community.

So how do we as a team do this?

• We’re completely transparent with our guests – if there’s something they should be cautious of, we educate them on it
• We let guests know when they should lock their doors, how to lock/unlock our gate that gets closed every night
• We recommend leaving valuables behind for surf lessons – this helps cultivate good habits for when you’re traveling in other locations that are less safe!

Upon arrival, I take the guests on the “Bodhi tour” – which allows you to see our entire property. I indicate the various points of interest, giving you an idea of what’s where.

We believe that this makes guests feel safer and more welcome! After all, this is your home for a week (or two!)

We give you the foundation to be independent travelers

We send guests our blogs on the amenities that we have here in Uvita, as well as restaurant recommendations. This way when exploring our local community they can look out for Bodhi-trusted places!

On Sunday morning our guests go on a community walking tour with a local guide. This also encourages safety, giving you an idea of what’s around and you get the chance to mingle with some of the locals.

We hope this blog answers your questions regarding the safety here in Uvita, Costa Rica.

We’d be thrilled to have you down here to join us for a one or two week surf and yoga camp, and to experience our magical community!