Hooking up     Alan from San Francisco, United States     February 26, 2012

I had a lot of success in meeting boys and hooking up at Club Oh and Bochinche. They will be able to tell right away that your not a local and I think there is something appealing about that. I live in San Francisco and have some street smarts about me so I found it fairly safe to hook up, but I think the advice above is good and you can never be too safe.

I brought by Ipod touch with me so I could get online (wifi at hotel). I didnt try using my cell phone because I didn't want to incur additional charges. I found Grindr, dudesnunde.com, and A4A to be pretty active. I met a lot of great boys online, some that I hooked up with, others just chatted. Since you just cant walk out on to the street and find a gay man, I think online is the best way to discover the gay culture here. I would suggest start looking before you get to Costa Rica and putting your vacation plans on your profile in order to find boys and start chatting. By using these sites I found very few (almost none) in norther Costa Rica and most were either near Manual Antonio or in San Jose. You occasionally find other gay travelers who are in your city and using Grindr, A4A etc.

Overall San Jose (and the rest of the country) for that matter aren't very open to the gay culture. Yes there are a few gay bars/clubs in San Jose, but they dont have a gay neighborhood or even a stretch with your typical gay bookstore coffee shop, etc. The gay culture is still hidden away.

Safety Advice for Hooking up in Costa Rica     Costa Rica Cruiser from San Jose, Costa Rica     October 19, 2009

I don't want this to sound overly alarmist, but there are certain precautions that the inexperienced gay traveler should take when meeting local guys in developing countries.

Costa Ricans are very friendly people and are pretty open about gay life. However, given that it is a poorer country, there is a segment of the population that preys upon foreigners. Keep in mind that the average unskilled working stiff makes about $15-$20 day.

I have lived in Costa Rica for 5 years and over that time I have learned a few things (thankfully not the hard way).

Here are some basic tips to keep you safe.

Do not walk around downtown San Jose at night. Taxis are only a few dollars and are usually available outside the bar you are leaving from. If you are leaving from a bar or sauna and do not see a taxi, have the counter person or doorperson call one for you.

If walking around during the day, refrain from wearing jewelry such as gold chains, watches etc. Also keep displays of using such items as cell phones and ipods to an minimum. You are just sending out messages that you have "goodies".

When going out, keep the amount of cash that you have with you to the just amount you need for that night. You also can leave all ID including passport in your hotel safe. You are required to have a photo-copy of your passport with the entry stamp as well. This is legal ID all over Costa Rica except when you do face-to-face bank transactions and an original copy is required. Try and have photo copies done before you leave, but if you do not, most decent hotels will do it for you.

Keep park cruising to day light hours. If cruising around downtown parks, there are very cheap hotels that you can go to for sex. Latin culture is designed this way as very few people live alone and given that latins are very horny, casual encounters and sex outside of relationships is very common.

If you bring someone back to your hotel room, make sure that he is not expecting money. If he is, negotiate the price and what that includes ahead of time.

Most gay hotels and hotels that are used to guests bringing back local friends make person register at desk with ID. This is a good thing as it is for your protection and other guests. If your new found friend does not have ID, that should be your first sign that he might not be trustworthy. I would stick to taking him to a sex hotel or sauna.

If you do not know the person or do not have reliable references about the persons character, it is not advisable for you to have him stay the night.

Make sure all your valuables in your hotel room are locked up. It is a very good idea that until you know someone not to display signs of wealth such as expensive cash, credit cards, cell phones, computers, etc.

If having sex in venues like sex clubs or parks, be very mindful about things in your pockets such as car keys, cash or wallet.

If you are a victim of crime or threats, my advice would be to call the police. That will usually end things right there. Almost anyone involved in illegal activity does not want to deal with the police. They are counting on that you are too afraid to call.

Unlike other Latin countries I have visited, the police in Costa Rica overall are quite friendly and will try and help. The whole country on a whole is not really homophobic and even though many do not approve of homosexuality, they are not hostile about it.

tips in hooking up     ccwdc from DC     November 18, 2011

Good job on the info about hooking up in Costa Rica.