Well, we’re a month into 2021 and to be honest, it’s not looking much different than 2020. Things were starting to look up for a while, but with COVID raging here in the United States, not to mention the new variants floating around, it’s anybody’s guess when things will return to normal.
Costa Rica had opened her borders to the world and it looked pretty good for a bit. I think a lot of people traveled down to test the waters. I know I did in November. My time spent in Cartago was pretty normal and had plenty of COVID restrictions in place. What was really out of the ordinary was coming back. I’ve never come out of Costa Rica on a half-empty plane.
Now that the United States has implemented mandatory COVID testing upon returning and a quarantine on top of that, I foresee more empty seats. As a matter of fact, it’s already happening. A lot of flights have been cancelled because there’s simply not enough people to fill them. Plus, Canada has now prohibited outward travel, so there will be less people.
If you have upcoming tickets for the next couple of months, should you go? Should you wait until you’re vaccinated? Here are several tips for traveling to Costa Rica in 2021.
You Still Need Health Insurance
If you’re planning on flying off into the sunset no matter what, remember that Costa Rica still requires health insurance and the Health Pass, whether you’re vaccinated or not. I used the Sagicor and found it very easy to sign up. You can sign up and pay for this health insurance any time prior to your trip. After you pay, it will give you a number that you need for your Health Pass which is the online epidemiological form.
When you fill out the Health Pass, keep in mind you need to fill it out within 48 hours of leaving or it will not take your info. There’s no tricking it! I noticed a few glitches doing it on Google Chrome, but finally got it to work when I switched to Microsoft Edge. No word on Safari. Once you get your QR code, keep it handy. You might want to take a screenshot, too. I was asked for this in Albany, NY and in Newark, but oddly not in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica does not require you to get a negative COVID test to enter, but you’ll need one if you’re returning to the States.
You’ll Require COVID Testing To Return
Now that you need to be tested for COVID within 72 hours of returning to the US, you’ll need to find a place in Costa Rica to do your testing. If you’re staying at a resort, they might have implemented testing before you get there. If not, you will need to visit either a hospital or a clinic. Do a search of the area you’re staying in before you leave so that when you arrive in Costa Rica, you can make an appointment. For those staying only a week or so, you’ll need to make that appointment quickly. If there’s an option to contact them online, you might want to try that, too.
Here is a list of some of the places currently doing testing.
I stay in Cartago, which is off the beaten path for most tourists. I will be going to Clinica de Los Angeles and there are also two laboratories in nearby Tres Rios that do testing.
You may also need to fill out a declaration from your airline stating that you’ve gotten a negative COVID test. I know that Delta is requiring this “attestation form”. It needs to be printed out and signed on paper.
You May Have To Quarantine When You Return to USA
If you’re traveling to and from the USA, remember that you will need to quarantine upon return for at least ten days. This is the deal breaker for a lot of travelers. It’s just too difficult to schedule that extra time away from work to actually do the quarantine.
However, where there’s a will there’s a way. Maybe instead of two weeks, you can find a way to do one week, or a week and a half. Go back on a Wednesday and use the weekend as part of your quarantine.
If worst comes to worst, airlines are being really good about canceling and giving you an e-credit. There’s nothing wrong with putting it off until a later date.
No Lines, No Waiting
If you decide to roll with all the things you have to do to make this journey, one benefit is you’ll find a lot of “no lines, no waiting” situations. All the touristy things are open, so you’ll get to see a lot of things you always wanted to see without the crowds.
Beaches were closing at 2:30pm, but now they’ve extended that to 6:00pm which is just about the time it gets dark in Costa Rica, so that works out pretty well.
National parks are operating at 50% capacity, so be sure to plan early, but you won’t have to worry about crowds.
If you like the bar scene, bars are operating at 25% capacity.
Costa Rica also had vehicular restrictions, but these do NOT apply to rental vehicles, so you’re good to go.
Costa Rica Is Safe
Another great reason to not cancel your trip to Costa Rica is that they desperately need the business. Costa Rica depends greatly on tourist dollars and the pandemic has hit them hard. It will definitely be years before things begin to resemble normal again.
Of course, you need to know that you’re safe when you travel and Costa Rica has risen to the occasion. You’ll find that all excursions have very strict rules about mask wearing and the use of sanitizers. Many stores and supermarkets require temperatures before entering. They also have wash stations and hand sanitizing stations, or even a person spraying your hands as you enter a business. They’ve done WAY more than we have in the USA, if you ask me.
As long as you follow the rules—and please do, this isn’t a game—then you’ll be fine.
Feeling Guilty About Travel
One of the reasons that people are wrestling with travel, even if they’re healthy, is the tremendous guilt they feel about doing so. I went to Costa Rica last Thanksgiving, and had booked my trip in October when things were really starting to look up. As Thanksgiving approached, we got bombarded by all the warnings about holiday travel and the surge that would follow. In a nutshell, I felt like a heel.
Up until now, I’d done everything I was supposed to do. I wear a mask, I socially distance, wash my hands and stay home (with the exception of the occasional Target run, that is). So traveling for me was HUGE. But I really wanted to get there, so I went. And I was impressed by all the precautions that Costa Rica had in place.
You might feel different. If you feel guilty about traveling, there’s not one thing wrong with that. I would definitely cancel and reschedule until at least after you get vaccinated.
I have to say, during my entire trip, there wasn’t one time when I felt like I was in danger. And that’s the main thing, so whatever decision you make for yourself about travel, make sure you feel comfortable with it.