Linda Wellendorf asked 7 years ago
My friends and I are planning to rent a condo in Jaco for two weeks the end of January, 2019. Is is truly safe to walk from the beachfront condo into the town of Jaco or would we need to rely on taxis or a rental car. Also, I am allergic to red ants (fire ants) and carry an epi-pen. Just curious if there is a proliferation of red ants in the country and/or in the beach area? I would assume I would need to dress protectively if we venture into the mountains or rainforest. Your thoughts?
Jenn and Matt Staff answered 7 years ago
Hi Linda,
Walking along the beach during the day is fine but after dark you may want to stay on the roads/sidewalks or take a taxi or car. Late at night we usually recommend taking a taxi/car, no matter what town.
For the ants, there are definitely a lot of ants in Costa Rica of many different species. We haven’t run into any red fire ants exactly but there are some very small black ones that have a similar bite that is very painful and irritating. It could possibly cause the same type of reaction, not sure? These ants bother us the most at the beach where someone has left food or sometimes in the yard where they have a small nest in the ground. If you are cautious out on the trail and at the beach (just make sure you aren’t standing/sitting on a nest) you should be able to avoid them. Hope these tips help and you have a good trip!