Is Alajuela safe? Costa Rica travel risk
Is Alajuela safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Alajuela scores 52/100 on our travel risk index (Elevated). The US State Department rates Costa Rica Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution, updated 2 Apr 2026); the UK has no advice against travel; Canada says: exercise a high degree of caution. GDACS lists 1 minor (green) event within 100 km in the last 14 days. CDC travel health notice: Level 2, Chikungunya in Costa Rica (30 Jul 2026). No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Alajuela scores 52/100 (Elevated). The score combines security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards and current alerts measured for this location and Costa Rica (how it is calculated). The sections below are specific to Alajuela: nearest emergency and transport facilities, local climate normals, 5-year natural hazard history within 100 km.
Driven by: crime and scams (71/100) and natural hazards (71/100).
A score of 52 is higher than the scores of 70% of the 241 countries we cover.
Consult the Costa Rica travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Location & Spatial Data
Positioned at 10.1640° N, 84.2645° W in Alajuela, Alajuela features an altitude of 955 m. The settlement is located 32.7 km SE from San José.
Alajuela
10.1640° N, 84.2645° W
955 m
America/Costa_Rica
44,374
Transit Links & Medical Facilities
Proximate Regional Communities (Costa Rica)
Climate by Month
Hottest: March (26 °C avg high); Wettest: October (391 mm).
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 24° | 25° | 26° | 26° | 25° | 25° | 24° | 24° | 24° | 24° | 23° | 24° |
| Low °C | 17° | 17° | 17° | 18° | 19° | 19° | 19° | 19° | 18° | 18° | 18° | 17° |
| Rain mm | 120 | 82 | 76 | 158 | 290 | 327 | 366 | 363 | 357 | 391 | 317 | 233 |
Normals: San José (32.7 km away).
Natural Hazard Calendar & History
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Volcanoes | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Earthquakes (M5.5+) | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of Alajuela happened in October (4 of 19 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
Significant Earthquakes (USGS M5.5+ within 150 km)
2 major seismic events recorded within 150 km over the past 5 years.
- Largest: M5.9 on 22 Oct 2025 (101 km away) — USGS details
CDC Traveler Health Notices for Costa Rica
- Level 1 - Hepatitis A in Costa Rica (Level 1, 18 Sep 2026)
- Level 2 - Chikungunya in Costa Rica (Level 2, 30 Jul 2026)
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Public Domain).
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Costa Rica travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Costa Rica entry requirements.
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