GLD INDEXGLD COUNTRY SCORE
The national picture for LGBTQ+ travel.
YOUR DESTINATION IN THE INDEX
Among destinations covered by this index with current publishable scores. Based on unrounded scores; equal values share a rank. As of 2026-09-27. How rankings work →
YOUR DESTINATION, IN CONTEXT
Costa Rica has a published GLD Country Score of 80/100, in the High range.
Costa Rica combines marriage equality and a favourable national framework with a tourism economy centred on nature, beaches and small communities. San José has the deepest LGBTQ+ network, while coastal and eco-tourism experiences depend heavily on individual providers.
PLACES TO STAY
Independent selections with sourced hotel information and LGBTQ+ travel context.
BEYOND THE NATIONAL SCORE
Source-based overview · external sources consulted 2026-09-29. GLD score dates are shown separately.
Volcanoes, cloud forests and two coastlines create long transfers despite the country’s compact size. Rain, road conditions and protected-area access should be considered when building a multi-region itinerary.
Sources: Visit Costa Rica — official tourism websiteGaylidays currently connects 12 scored cities to the national picture. San José, Manuel Antonio, Monteverde are the three highest-scoring cities currently covered. Recorded city scores range from 71/100 in Desamparados to 81/100 in San José, a 10-point spread that shows why local context still matters.
Source: GLD country and city scoring records. Interpretation of the recorded assessment, not a new score calculation.San José supports Pride, venues and organisations, and selected Pacific destinations have visible international tourism. Elsewhere, inclusion may rely more on the policies and culture of a specific lodge or operator.
Sources: Visit Costa Rica — official tourism websiteDistances look short, but mountain roads, weather and local transfers can make journeys much longer than expected.
Sources: Visit Costa Rica — official tourism websiteSan José has the strongest year-round community, with additional provider-level visibility in selected tourism regions.
Sources: Visit Costa Rica — official tourism websiteHOW TO READ THIS SCORE
The country score combines legal rights, social acceptance, rule of law and travel comfort. City guides add the local perspective to this national foundation.
BEHIND THIS SCORE
The source-based overview above adds national and city-level context. These are the recorded score components; the editorial research has not recalculated them.
Components have different weights and may be subject to methodology caps; this is not a simple average.
ILGA World and Equaldex used for legal evidence; Equaldex Public Opinion Index used directly for social score; World Bank WGI Rule of Law percentile rank used directly; GOV.UK, Visit Costa Rica and IGLTA used for travel comfort review.
Synced from GLD Index on 27 Sept 2026. The sync date is not an evidence verification date.
No. Use the GLD Index alongside current official travel advice and local information. Conditions and personal experiences vary.
This score is read from GLD Index’s data portal, using only current published or partner-ready records. Score last updated: 20 May 2026. Public display levels use the existing four-band scale; the underlying methodology category is tracked separately.