Is Jacó safe? Costa Rica travel risk
Is Jacó safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Jacó 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.
Jacó 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 Jacó: 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 (72/100).
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.
Local Geographic Profile
Jacó belongs to Puntarenas (Costa Rica), centered at coordinates 9.6200° N, 84.6044° W (10 m above sea level). Distance to San José is 67.2 km towards the ENE.
Puntarenas
9.6200° N, 84.6044° W
10 m
America/Costa_Rica
11,685
Emergency & Transport Infrastructure
Surrounding Localities in Costa Rica
Climate by Month
Hottest: March (32 °C avg high); Wettest: October (484 mm).
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 30° | 31° | 32° | 32° | 29° | 28° | 28° | 28° | 28° | 27° | 28° | 29° |
| Low °C | 23° | 23° | 24° | 24° | 24° | 24° | 24° | 24° | 24° | 23° | 23° | 23° |
| Rain mm | 11 | 10 | 23 | 70 | 333 | 450 | 366 | 402 | 479 | 484 | 197 | 30 |
Normals: Puntarenas (46 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 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Volcanoes | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Earthquakes (M5.5+) | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of Jacó happened in October (4 of 18 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
Significant Earthquakes (USGS M5.5+ within 150 km)
3 major seismic events recorded within 150 km over the past 5 years.
- Largest: M5.9 on 22 Oct 2025 (57 km away) — USGS details
- Most recent: M5.5 on 18 Nov 2025 (109 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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