Utilities Apps in Costa Rica

Save 9-1-1 as Costa Rica's single emergency number for police, ambulance and fire. The official Emergencias 9-1-1 CR app adds calls, chat, a panic button and geolocation, which can be valuable where an address is difficult to describe or speaking is unsafe. Register and test it before relying on it. Current store reviews report verification-code failures, so the app must remain a supplement to an ordinary 9-1-1 call, not a replacement. The official tourism site says a local line is not required to call 9-1-1. Keep the accommodation address, insurer, embassy or consulate, rental company and emergency contacts offline, and share an itinerary with someone outside the trip. For weather, use the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional's regional forecast. For floods, landslides, volcanic activity and national emergencies, follow the Comisión Nacional de Emergencias and SINAC rather than a generic weather icon. Alerts and park closures can be local even when the national forecast looks calm. Rip currents are the tourism authority's leading beach warning. Ask about conditions, obey flags and lifeguards, avoid swimming alone or near river mouths, and do not enter rough water simply because other people are present. If caught in a rip current, conserve energy, signal for help and move parallel to shore rather than fighting directly against it. Theft from unattended vehicles and beaches is another recurring risk. Do not leave bags visible or hidden in a parked vehicle, and keep passports, cards and phones with you. In a roadside emergency, move only if safe and call the rental company or 9-1-1.