As Holy Week draws near, Costa Rican authorities have launched a national surveillance and safety operation to manage the expected surge in tourism, the Ministry of Public Security announced.

This year, Holy Week runs from April 13 to 20, when many residents travel to beaches, rural towns, and tourist destinations across the country. Officials expect the holiday to bring an economic boost, particularly to rural and coastal regions.

The Costa Rican government has issued a decree allowing most public-sector employees in non-essential services to take vacations in April from 11 to 20.

To ensure public safety, security agencies will ramp up patrols by land, air, and sea. More than 7,000 officers will be deployed, including over 200 traffic police officers.

Participating organizations include the National Police, Red Cross, Firefighters, Traffic Police, Judicial Investigation Organization, Park Rangers, Migration Police, National Emergency Commission, Fiscal Control Police, Prison Police, Drug Control Police, Coast Guard, and Air Surveillance Police.

The operation will focus on popular tourist areas such as volcanoes, beaches, rivers, camping zones, shopping malls, airports, and border crossings. High-traffic locations on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, as well as in the countryside, are among the key areas receiving increased patrols.

On the Pacific side, areas under surveillance include Quepos, Manuel Antonio, Jacó, and Herradura in Puntarenas Province; Tamarindo, Flamingo, and Nosara in Guanacaste Province; and La Fortuna and San Carlos in Alajuela Province.

On the Caribbean coast, police will cover beaches in Limón Province, including Puerto Viejo, Manzanillo, and Cocles. Southern San José Province destinations like Pérez Zeledón will also be patrolled.

“We are increasing our presence in these locations with more officers while continuing round-the-clock coverage across the rest of the country,” officials said.

Increased tourism often leads to a rise in traffic violations and accidents, authorities noted. Drunk driving, speeding, and other risky behaviors are of particular concern.

To mitigate road risks, surveillance will be heightened on principal routes connecting San José to coastal regions. These include Route 32 (San José – Limón), the northern Inter-American Highway (San José – Guanacaste), and Route 27 (San José – Puntarenas).

Officers will monitor busy areas such as highways, bus terminals, tourist hotspots, and commercial centers. They will be on the lookout for violations such as driving under the influence, excessive speeding, reckless overtaking, illegal U-turns, driving on sidewalks, operating vehicles without a valid license, and transporting children without proper safety equipment among others.

From January to February of this year, more than 200 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence, authorities reported.

In 2024, police have identified over 1,700 cases of drunk driving, according to Traffic Police.

Authorities are urging the public to follow traffic laws and drive responsibly. Citizens can report reckless driving or other safety concerns by dialing the national emergency number, 9-1-1.

The Ministry of Public Security (MSP) is the government agency responsible for maintaining public order, ensuring citizen security, forming police units, and coordinating anti-crime initiatives.