Costa Rica - just how safe is the water??

Can we safely drink tap water?

No, you can't - at least I never would.

Eat at small town restaurants?

Give them a good looking over. As long as they appear clean (as far as you can see) then I would go ahead, but proceed with the same caution you should use anywhere in the developing world (see below)...

What are sensible precautions & what are paranoias that will detract unnecessarily from our enjoyment of the trip?

Assume that all water, everywhere (including the capital, the only big city), is contaminated, unless it is from a sealed bottle that you see opened (ideally that you receive sealed, and you open yourself). That is the only source of water that can really be trusted. No ice in your drinks. Brush your teeth with bottled water. When you shower, be very careful not to allow a drop of water to enter your mouth, nose, touch your lips then get licked, etc.

As for food, this is the mantra to follow: Boil it, peel it, or forget it. Sadly, this means fresh, uncooked veggies - like a salad - are verboten. I know, I know...but you asked.

Scrutinize any place you are going to eat for basic sanitation, food handling, cleanliness. If it doesn't pass those tests, move on.

Honestly, it's not easy to do this for any length of time. It's hard. Really hard. Temptation is everywhere. That doesn't make it any less necessary. Getting sick while traveling is no fun.

The powerful feds put this out so it should answer all your questions
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/CostaRica.html

While you must do what you are most comfortable with, I will tell you my experience when visiting Costa Rica two years ago. We did only drink bottled water but brushed our teeth with tap water and we did eat salads. Most of our meals were either at the hotels or restaurants that were near the hotels. Two adults and 2 children and no one got sick. We did, however have antibiotics with us just in case. Enjoy your trip, it is a beautiful country.

Three years ago we drank and eat everything without any concerned and survived with no problems. David, have you ever been to C Rica??? What value is a reference that doesn't answer the question? I could find no reference to water in the state department notice. I have never seen a notice that said that CR water was unsafe.

My daughter and her boy friend lived in Costa Rica and owned a restaurant in Flamingo beach , they made many delicious salads ! And we are there everyday ! Never got sick in two weeks , nor did she in almost two years !

She’s actually back there right now visiting friends .

Definitely bring good mosquito repellent ( we swear by Muskol lotion - or Deep Woods off .

A lot of your questions answers will depend on WHERE you are going . It’s not a third world country , there are many resorts that serve perfectly fine salads and fruits . We also used tap water to brush our teeth etc - but we stayed in two nice resorts , one in Flamingo ( now it’s been rebranded Margaritaville but when we stayed there it was just called the Flamingo Beach resort ) and a resort on Tamarindo Beach ( can’t recall name but if interested I can look it up )

We didn’t get any shots to visit - but we were still covered by Dukoral we had taken a few months before for a visit to Mexico

Where exactly are you going to be ?

It has been quite a few years now, but I did get Hepatitis A in Costa Rica and that was with using precautions. We were far out in the country doing a medical mission, not where tourists would go. I think stories like, " I went there and I never got sick" or "I went there and I got sick" don't really mean much in the scope of things.

I would suggest bottled water and caution. There is no harm from being careful about what you eat and how it is prepared anywhere in the world.

Why yes, in fact I have been to Coast Rica, a couple of times. And elsewhere in Central America a bunch more times. And many, many other places in the developing world many, many times. Not my first rodeo.

I am quite careful with water safety, food safety, health safety when traveling. I'm willing to forgo some risky behaviors in order to avoid getting sick.

Hey, I've heard of people having unprotected sex with more than a few professional sex workers in exotic locations, all without catching anything nasty. Doesn't mean I'd recommend doing that.

Costa Rica's a great place. That doesn't mean you should drink the tap water there. If you do, I wish you luck.

Our tour guide told us not to drink the water and to avoid fruits that you can’t peel, and uncooked vegetables. We traveled all over the country.
I assumed he knew what he was talking about.
One person on the tour did get sick with a GI illness.
He brushed his teeth with tap water the first few days. His wife did not.

I would trust David's advice. I know he is a knowledgeable and experienced traveler and his opinion is worth listening to.

Why take a chance? The consequences of a bad experience are a ruined vacation. I hate plastic bottles of water but in some places it is the prudent choice.

We do not buy bottled water in Europe, or Japan, and in Patagonia we felt safe drinking from the streams. But if it we were to go to Central America, we will observe the same rules I learned for Mexico, as a child growing up in California: no tap water, no ice, no salads or raw vegetables.

I think David’s advice is spot on. I have not travelled to Costa Rica, but have been to many other developing countries. I follow the same mantra: peel it, boil it or forget it. And I drink only bottled water (INCLUDING for brushing teeth - what’s the point of making that an exception?) No ice - which I miss terribly! Staying in an upscale hotel is no guarantee. They use whatever tap water is available in their community and you really don’t know what they’re doing in the kitchen. A reasonably clean restaurant is fine - just be sure to stick with freshly-made hot foods, peeled fruits and vegetables.

It’s just not worth it to me to get sick on a trip, so I do what I can to avoid it. Taking along antibiotics is a good idea, but keep in mind that they won’t cure everything. For instance, antibiotics will do nothing for any number of parasites such as giardia. I had the misfortune of picking up one of these parasites on a trip and it took me about six weeks (yes, weeks) and some very expensive medicine before I felt normal again. Not your average stomach upset.

You might want to consult with a travel clinic in your area. These clinics are up-to-date on specific recommendations for a country, immunizations and so on. They will give you better advice than you will receive from a travel discussion board or probably from your regular doctor.

None of these precautions really “detract from my enjoyment of the trip.” As a matter of fact, knowing that I am doing what I can to stay healthy helps me relax and enjoy the trip more!

I would agree on drinking either bottled or purified water, with of course a preference for more ecologically friendly purified water into a reusable water bottle that you brought from home. I haven't been to Costa Rica, but in other countries in Latin America I have noticed families and hotels using either large plastic bottles of water (less waste) or ceramic filter systems (even better). Grayl bottles are also a good bet. It's a good compromise to make healthy choices that don't create as much plastic waste.

I admit to being much more loosey-goosey when it comes to the "food rules" in spite of having what I'd consider a weak stomach. Some of this might come from typically staying places with local families or for longer periods of time. But I've eaten a lot of salad and unpeeled fruits and veggies in places where you get the advice not to. Have I sometimes had digestive issues? Sure, here and there, but I've also had that happen in places where you don't get those warnings.

Overall, I think we can all benefit from a calmer attitude with this - like you said, you don't want something that distracts unnecessarily from your enjoyment! You'll have your major vaccinations, so that's already a comfort. Everyone can choose the level of caution that makes them comfortable without being paranoid. Avoiding tap water is a good idea. If you want to avoid salad / unpeeled things, go for it, it won't hurt, but no need to panic over an offending tomato or lettuce leaf if one should appear. If a restaurant seems well-frequented by families in particular, why not go for it. If you have some mild digestive problems at some point, it's not necessarily a disaster - often it might just be a day of feeling a little off. You can be prepared in advance.

I'd maybe also consider how to react if something isn't to plan (ice in a drink, etc.). I've definitely been in some restaurants and places where it's clear that tourists are asking about things or not eating things in a way that has come across as them thinking it's not "clean" (asking in a borderline angry way about the ice, to have something taken back, etc.) and I can imagine that could feel disrespectful to people who live and eat there all the time.

Enjoy! I hope you will have an excellent trip!

Thanks to all! I was inclined to go with bottled water, but would have been pleasantly surprised if the consensus was "no need". I will miss raw fruits/veggies in restaurants, but it's not worth the risk I guess. We do have a travel water filter that I will take as well.

https://www.globotreks.com/destinations/costa-rica/5-things-to-know-costa-rica/

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/costa-rica/health

https://mytanfeet.com/costa-rica-travel-tips/safe-to-drink-tap-water-in-costa-rica/

https://www.globehunters.ca/blog/safe-tap-water.htm

https://www.quora.com/Is-tap-water-in-Costa-Rica-safe-to-drink

I am not a camper, but I know that companies like REI distinguish between Filters and Purifiers.