Emergencies in Tamarindo

Good to Know

• 911 is free to call, works for police, fire, and medical emergencies together, and bilingual (Spanish-English) operators are generally available — it's the single number worth memorizing.
• If you speak some Spanish and want to skip the general dispatcher, 118 goes straight to the fire department and 128 goes straight to the Red Cross ambulance service.
• Response times can be slower in rural or coastal areas like Tamarindo than in San José, so give clear location details immediately when you call.
• For any theft or crime, get an official police report with a case number — it's needed for insurance claims and can matter for airline rebooking fee waivers.
• The SOSAFE app is tied into Tamarindo's local ADIT community security network and can be a useful supplementary tool, but always call 911 first for genuine emergencies.
• There is no full hospital in Tamarindo itself — for anything beyond basic stabilization (major trauma, fractures needing surgery, cardiac events), you will be transferred to Liberia, roughly 45 minutes to over an hour away depending on traffic and which facility.
• Private hospitals in Liberia (CIMA, San Rafael Arcángel, Metropolitano) generally want payment or proof of insurance before treating non-emergency cases, while the public Hospital Enrique Baltodano Briceño treats emergencies regardless of insurance or nationality.
• For a genuine life-threatening emergency, call 911 for a Red Cross ambulance; response and transport times in the Tamarindo area can be significant, so if you can safely arrange private ground or air transport to a private hospital faster, that's often the better option.
• Carrying travel insurance with medical evacuation coverage is strongly recommended given the distance to full-service hospitals.