On the books, Costa Rica is tolerant of homosexuality and has laws to protect gays from discrimination; despite being a Roman Catholic nation, homosexual intercourse is legal. There is a general tolerance among educated urbanites. Still, Costa Rica remains a machismo society, and 1999 witnessed violent anti-gay demonstrations. There is less tolerance of lesbians.
The destinations most welcoming of gays and lesbians are San José [1] and Manuel Antonio [2].
Useful resources include the International Gay and Lesbian Association (tel. 212/620-7310 or 800/421-1220, www.gaycenter.org [3]) and the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (tel. 954/630-1637, www.iglta.org [4]).
One of the best resources is www.gaycostarica.com [5]. Gente 10 (www.gente10.com [6]) is a gay magazine published in Costa Rica.
Colours Destinations (tel. 954/241-7472 or 866/517-4390, www.colours.net [7]) offers tours to Costa Rica.
Odysseus: The International Gay Travel Planner lists worldwide hotels and tours and publishes travel guides for gays and lesbians.
In Costa Rica, try Gay Travel Costa Rica (tel. 506/8844-9876, www.costaricagaytraveler.com [8]) and Gaytours Costa Rica (tel. 506/8305-8044, www.gaytourscr.com [9]).
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/costa-rica/san-jose
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/costa-rica/central-pacific/quepos-and-manuel-antonio/manuel-antonio
[3] http://www.gaycenter.org
[4] http://www.iglta.org
[5] http://www.gaycostarica.com
[6] http://www.gente10.com
[7] http://www.colours.net
[8] http://www.costaricagaytraveler.com
[9] http://www.gaytourscr.com