Hiding the goodies while in Costa Rica
Going to the beach can be one of the best things to do, not only on vacation but also if living here. The beach can be a great place to make family memories, get a great workout or surf in, or just have a relaxing day to yourself. Whatever your reason for going, it’s gonna be good. But before you go rushing to the beach you need to know a few things.
Costa Rica beaches can be dangerous
For starters, as much as I hate to admit it, the beach can be a dangerous place. Not only because of sharks and other wildlife/nature threats but also because of people. The biggest problem, in my opinion, is thieves. I have had things stolen from myself and heard tons of story’s from friends about their items getting stolen too.
Sadly, this problem is not really something you can fix. I mean, you can’t really control everyone’s actions at all times. But what you can do is take precautions while on the beach to not get your items stolen. The number one thing you can do is just not bring anything except what you are going to carry on you. For example, I only bring my keys surfboard and shorts when I go surfing most times. This makes it so all my belongings are on me and I don’t need to constantly be checking the beach to see if my bag or something had been taken.
Only carry what you need
With that being said I do know that you can’t always carry all the items you are going need. So surely there are other ways to fend off getting your belongings stolen. I personally have no problem fitting all my beach gear in a bag. This makes it easy to carry and even easier to try to hide and keep from getting my items stolen.
Find A Good Spot
The first step is just trying to find a place to hide the bag. When trying to find a place to hide your bags look for an area that DOES have people around. You might think you want the opposite but I guarantee you that you don’t. You want people around for the fact that there will be a lot more eyes on your stuff. Versus, if it’s in a secluded area then what’s stopping someone from just picking it up and taking it?
Now, this doesn’t mean you should just drop your bag in a crowded area then you’re good to go. You do want it more off to the side where it is not in direct plain sight. Try to find a place that is a happy medium.
See It From The Water
The last thing I would recommend keeping in mind while hiding the bag is that you want to be able to see it from in the water. This will make it so if your surfing or just hanging with friends you will always be able to spot it and know if it has been taken or not.
Side note…. I do realize that finding a place that meets all the criteria I just mentioned is very hard. I mean, a place that is around people that isn’t noticeable except to you is rare. That’s why I just try to keep these pointers in mind while finding my hiding spot.
Lock It In Your Car
Please keep in mind that there are other ways in addition to what I have mentioned so far. There is the simple option to bring a car and use it as a safe place for your stuff. This will require that you find parking, which at most beaches in the Guanacaste area can be very tricky depending on the season.
Lock It Up
A couple of alternate options are to lock your items up. You can get a bag that is built to keep items safer than a typical bag. Bags like the LocTote are designed tuff so you can’t cut the bag open and also includes a lock to keep the bag closed and attached to something that is mounted in place. You can purchase them through this CTC affiliate link: LocTote.
Master Lock Personal Safe
For smaller items, you can use a locking container like the Master Lock Personal Safe. These containers are perfect for small items like keys and sunglasses. They have a cable that can be wrapped around an anchor point like a tree or pole preventing them from walking off. These containers can be purchased through this CTC affiliate link: Master Lock Personal Safe.
Beach days can create some great memories and fun adventures. Try using a few of our tips to keep your time at the beach a safe and stress-free experience. You don’t want to spoil your vacation with police reports or trying to get a new identification from the embassy. Just know that no matter what your ways are for keeping your stuff safe at the beach you will have a much better experience if you avoid theft. After all, you are on the beach so Pura Vida right.
