How Lesbian Friendly is Costa Rica

What We Want to Know

When we’re travelling to a new destination as a lesbian couple, there are a few things we take into consideration to figure out how lesbian friendly it is. We like to know what the LGBTQ+ laws are in that country, as well as what the social climate is. In some places the laws and the feelings of the local people don’t necessarily match. We also like to know if there are any “gaybourhoods” or areas that are especially lesbian friendly. This blog series is meant to inform other lesbian travellers about different destinations around the world, and help empower them to travel more openly when it is safe to do so. We will be sharing our experiences in each country as well as our recommendations, but as always we encourage everyone to do their own research. We can only speak to our own experiences, and everyone has a different comfort level when it comes to being out and open while travelling. The travel destinations that an LGBTQ+ person chooses, and the way in which they travel is a very personal decision, and we encourage everyone to only do what feels right to them.

Keep reading to find out how lesbian friendly Costa Rica is!

LGBTQ+ Laws

Costa Rica has made great strides in recent years in regards to their LGBTQ+ laws. In 2018 the president actually issued an apology to the community for the past persecution and discrimination that they faced. Same sex sexual relations are legal, there is discrimination protection in place, and the country is currently working towards marriage equality. In 2018, the Costa Rican supreme court ruled in favour of lifting the ban on same sex marriage, and legislators have 18 months to legalize it. LGBTQ+ individuals can legally adopt as individuals, but not yet as couples, and there isn’t family planning available for same sex couples. Overall, Costa Rica is quite progressive and inclusive, especially in comparison to other countries in Central America. 

Social Climate

Costa Rica has made a lot of progress in the past few decades when it comes to their acceptance of LGBTQ+ people. While the laws are finally starting to include and support the community, the public opinion may be taking more time to follow suit. Costa Ricans tend to be socially conservative due to the large influence of the Catholic Church, and the feelings and traditions that are deeply rooted in their country’s culture. More recently, with politicians showing support for LGBTQ+ rights, hopefully the feelings of the general population are continuing to progress and change. All that being said, Costa Rica is considered to be one of the more LGBTQ+ friendly travel destinations in Central America, and does cater toward gay and lesbian travellers.

Gaybourhoods

Costa Rica is a fairly small country, and there are LGBTQ+ friendly area scatted all over the country. Manuel Antonio is meant to be a specifically gay destination, but it is geared mostly toward gay men. Tamarindo is a lovely beach town that also caters toward LGBTQ+ travellers. There are boutique hotels scattered all over the country that advertise themselves as being LGBTQ+ friendly, and there is gay nightlife scene in the capital city of San Jose. The LGBTQ+ scene in Costa Rica is certainly growing! 

Our Experience

We spent 4 weeks in Costa Rica, and had a really wonderful experience. As always we were out and open, and showed affection in public whenever we felt safe doing so. We travelled to various parts of the country (San Jose, Jaco, Manuel Antonio, La Fortuna, Monteverde, and Tamarindo) and felt safe everywhere we went. We stayed in both Airbnb accommodations and hotels, and we were treated kindly by hotel staff when bookings rooms with single beds. We mentioned to the locals that we were a married couple, and we were met with acceptance and hospitality. One local Costa Rican explained the feelings toward LGBTQ+ people as being quite accepting of gay men and more feminine lesbian women, but suggested that most people aren’t entirely accepting of the whole community. We think that there is certainly more room for progress when it comes to the feelings of the Costa Rican people, but things are certainly headed in the right direction. Costa Rica is a beautiful country, and we definitely recommend it as a lesbian friendly destination in Central America.

Have you been to to Costa Rica? Share your experience in the comments below!

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