02/08/2026
As a tourist and visitor to Costa Rica what are you NOT allowed to take home? This is a common questions and here is a great article with answers:
"The list is broader than most people expect. Shells, snail shells, coral, sand dollars, starfish, beach sand, small stones, feathers, bones, plants, seeds and orchids all fall under it. So do finished products — jewelry, ornaments and carvings — made from animal parts. If it came from a living thing and you did not buy it from a licensed source with the paperwork to prove it, assume it is not yours to take."
Costa Rica's new What You Carry campaign warns travelers that shells, coral, plants and wildlife products can trigger criminal investigations.
