The mayor of Garabito made a proposal to open the beaches during certain hours starting October 15th.

In an effort to stimulate economic growth in coastal areas by boosting tourism, the decision was made to eliminate time restrictions on Costa Rican beaches.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a time restriction for visiting the beaches of our country, which decreased as the months passed; however, many tourists were unable to fully enjoy their visit to this destination due to the time restrictions, despite not having a significant impact on the number of infected people.

Due to this situation, the Minister of Tourism, Gustavo Segura, confirmed the extension of beach opening hours as follows: Monday to Friday the hours will be from 5 am to 10 pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 5 am to 8 pm

The mayor of the Garabito canton, Mr. Tobías Murillo, submitted a request to reopen the beaches, arguing that extended hours were necessary and that the impact of COVID-19 infections on the beaches has been minimal. The request was submitted to the Government of the Republic, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Tourism, the National Emergency Chamber, and other relevant entities.

“With this reopening, what we are seeking is a boost to the economic growth of the coastal areas that have been greatly affected by the lack of tourism; the reopening was already necessary,” said the mayor of the Garabito canton, Tobías Murillo.

Murillo also mentioned to Surfing Republica that he hopes the blockades will end so as not to hinder visitors and to be able to move forward with tourism in the different coastal areas.

Following this request, the mayors of the coastal areas held a meeting with the Minister of Tourism and other entities in charge of the restriction to carry out a risk assessment, which resulted in the extension of the restrictive hours.

The opening of beaches will take place while strictly respecting all health and distancing protocols provided by the Ministry of Health.

It has also been confirmed that in the coming weeks there will be handwashing stations on beaches and in urban areas, and more informational signage will be posted regarding the hygiene measures that must be followed.

Written by: Enrique Hernández

General Management: Marco Montero