Travel Insurance for Costa Rica: Do You Need It?
Lost you camera on the beach? Luckily, you bought travel insurance for Costa Rica!
No credits, no refunds, no substitutions.
That’s the standard line in travel – and one that, unfortunately, mostly applies to Costa Rica. As with airfare, event tickets, prepaid hotel reservations, and other travel-related expenses, most, if not all of your Costa Rica vacation reservations are non-refundable.
So, in a word – yes, you should absolutely purchase travel insurance for Costa Rica.
What Is Travel Insurance for Costa Rica?
Travel insurance, sometimes called trip insurance, is a simple-but-comprehensive insurance policy that provides financial protection before, during and after your vacation. (Note: Don’t confuse travel insurance with travel health insurance; they’re two very different things!)
Knock wood, but if something were to happen – illness, travel delays, inclement weather, etc. – to interrupt, disrupt, or influence your trip, your travel insurance covers your losses. Standard benefits extend to recouping trip expenses and covering medical emergencies, lost luggage, and other unexpected events.
So, why do we recommend travel insurance for Costa Rica trips? Well, back to that bit about nonrefundable prepayments…
Remember: Reservations are Prepaid
Most, perhaps all of your reservations – your Tamarindo vacation rental, activities, equipment rentals, airport transportation, rental car, etc. – will be fully prepaid, before you arrive.
And that means, if you miss your flight, or get sick, or fill-in-the-blank, you won’t receive refunds for missed reservations: unslept nights at your vacation rental, airport shuttles not caught, surfboards not surfed, ziplines not zipped – all those much-awaited activities and fun, missed due to snow that grounds your flight, or a last-minute bout of strep throat, or a missed connection at the airport.
