Walking in Costa Rica
Many people everyday walking around on the streets. Although they are primarily locals. Walking around in San Jose of the countryside of Costa Rica is great exercise. It also saves people lots of money and headaches if traveling short distances. In fact, during rush hour you are guaranteed to move faster walking than the cars stuck in traffic.
Walking is very different here in Costa Rica. For one, the sidewalks well sometimes they exist and then suddenly they do not, or they transfer to the other side of the street. Sometimes the sidewalks have large drop offs or big step ups. Occasionally there are no sidewalks at all and if there are they may be in poor condition.
Pedestrians in Costa Rica do not have the right of way in Costa Rica so make sure to look both ways before crossing. Also, even if the light for pedestrains is green, take a second look that all drivers are paying attention and they are not going to hit anyone.
On any given walk, one will also notice lots of random stray dogs walking around. Normally, they are quite harmless and do not even pay attention to people walking around. If one is females and decides to go on a walk alone expected to hear whistles and screams from men in many of the cars and trucks passing by. Do not be surprised to get honked at, whistled at, or cat called in the streets regardless of how bad, unattractive, or conservatively dressed one tries to look, it's a cultural thing.
If planning on walking in the center of San Jose just keep an extra eye on personal belongings, try not to carry around anything that holds any real or emotional value, and try not to be too conspicuous with clothing or jewelry. When heading to San Jose, dress down, one does not want to be flashy and draw attention. Pick pocketing is very common in San Jose. At night, it is not a good idea to walk around alone in San Jose or any other place for that matter.