Crime in the Arenal, La Fortuna and San Carlos area is not as prevalent as in some of the beach locations profiled in other sections of this chapter. Organized crime hasn’t arrived up there, though you do come across petty thievery. Also, Scott Robinson, a real estate broker at Arenal Lake Realty says that ostentatious shows of wealth might grab the attention of a thief and make you a target for a break-in, at any time of the day or night.

In sum, Arenal suffers more or less from the same problems as the rest of the country: poor funding for police and a broken judicial system. In Arenal, at the time of research there wasn’t even enough money for a police station. The police operated out of a room in the post office and had only a few colones allocated for gas, making it difficult for them to patrol their beats.

Residents of the area are understandably reluctant to put up bars on their windows as a form of security, as it obscures the lake view. Living in a gated community is not an option at the moment, because there aren’t any. The best you can do is install an alarm system, employ a full-time security guard, and get to know your neighbors.