Worth the half-hour of paperwork. Every time.

We strongly recommend travel insurance for Costa Rica trips. A few things make this part of the world worth covering beyond the usual — flight delays at SJO are common in green season; the Pacuare rafting and canopy zip-lines warrant adventure coverage; and our cancellation policy doesn't refund inside 15 days. A good policy makes you whole when life moves the plan.

What to look for in a policy

• Trip cancellation + interruption covering the full booking amount, with named-perils that include flight cancellations and medical emergencies for any travelling party.
• Medical + evacuation with at least $100,000 medical and $250,000 evacuation. The southern Caribbean coast is two hours from the nearest hospital with full specialty care (San José).
• Adventure-activity coverage for whitewater rafting, surfing, canopy/zip-line, and snorkelling. The default policy on most credit cards excludes all of these.
• Rental-car CDW if you're driving from SJO. Costa Rica's mandatory liability charge is separate from your home insurer's coverage.

Operators guests have recommended

We don't earn commission from any of these — they're suggestions from guests who've actually had to file claims and came back satisfied. Compare and pick what fits your home country and trip length:

• World Nomads — strong adventure-activity coverage out of the box, easy online claims. Most-recommended for back-packers + active travellers.
• Allianz Travel — comprehensive policies with good cancellation coverage. US + EU presence; familiar customer service.
• InsureMyTrip — comparison marketplace if you'd rather pick from a few quotes side by side.