Unfortunately, both Puerto Viejo and Cahuita have bad reputations, when it comes to petty theft and other drug-related crime. Long-term expatriates of the area say that luckily, so far, their area doesn’t yet have a problem with armed robbery. To prevent it from becoming a problem in the future, the community has been working hard to implement crime prevention measures.

As is the case with the rest of Costa Rica, the state doesn’t have the means or the wherewithal to deal successfully with crime. The judicial system, meanwhile, is more or less broken – it’s under-funded and barely functions. Worst of all, it takes so long to process any criminal complaints that it doesn’t do temporary visitors any good at all, meaning that thieves know they will probably get away with their crime.

The drug problem in the area is partly due to Colombian drug trafficking that passes along the coast. When being followed, the drug runners often dump their cargo. Drugs being much more lucrative than fish, they’re often picked up by fishermen and find their way onto the market in Puerto Viejo and the area for the consumption of tourists and locals. Whether the drug problem in this part of Costa Rica is worse than on the Pacific is impossible to quantify. However, it’s important to understand that there is a problem, though one that, as an expatriate, probably won’t affect you unless you want it to.

The government has a security checkpoint between Puerto Viejo and Limón, and on your way from Cahuita to Limón you will likely be stopped and asked for ID. Be sure to have your passport, a copy of your passport (with stamped page), or your residency card. At the checkpoint, they’re mainly looking for suspicious behavior related to drug trafficking and illegal immigration, and gringos often just get waved through without a document check.

Though most of the crime in the area is petty theft, there have been reports of rape as well. The local chamber of commerce and tourism have been working hard to improve the security problem and reduce crime through a variety of measures. The chamber has managed to add an extra investigative policeman, put an end to the biannual replacements of judges, and replace prosecutors who weren’t doing their jobs properly. They also now have a judge and prosecutor based in Puerto Viejo on weekends, instead of 15 kilometer away in the district capital of Bribri. That opens the court system to tourists and locals who become victims of crime on weekends, when the local investigative police offices are closed. Puerto Viejo has also hired a number of security guards to patrol the neighborhood.

Despite the crime problems, expatriates and locals don’t have bars on their windows, perhaps one indication that the perception of crime is worse than the day-to-do reality. Most expatriates appear to live here permanently, meaning absentee break-ins aren’t as much of a concern. Still, security guards and alarm systems aren’t bad ideas. Above all, in this area, neighbors depend on each other to stay safe.