Short answer. Costa Rica has no blast or fallout shelters. Its public shelters are albergues temporales: temporary evacuation shelters opened by the municipal emergency committees, which the CNE equips and coordinates 123. No national count is published. The CNE family plan tells households to find out where a shelter will be set up in their community 1.
What kind of shelters exist in Costa Rica?
| Point | Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Blast or fallout shelters | none |
| Type of public shelter | temporary evacuation shelters (albergues temporales) 3 |
| Who opens them | municipal emergency committees, with CNE support 23 |
| National number | not published |
| Legal basis | Ley 8488, art. 15 4 |
| Management guide | CNE guide for running temporary shelters 3 |
An albergue houses people who have been evacuated; the CNE supplies blankets, food and mattresses for it 4. It is a temporary evacuation shelter, not a protective shelter against blast or fallout 3.
Who equips and runs the albergues?
Under article 15 of Ley 8488, the CNE can, without a formal emergency declaration, deliver blankets, food and mattresses and the materials needed to "habilitar albergues" (set up shelters) 4. The CNE has also published a Guía para el manejo de albergues temporales, a tool for emergency committees to run these facilities 3.
How do I find my nearest albergue?
There is no national public list or map. Ask your Municipal Emergency Committee (Comité Municipal de Emergencias, run through the municipality) or your community emergency committee 2. Then write the location into your family plan. The CNE family plan's checklist asks: "¿Ubico en mi comunidad el sitio donde se establecerá un albergue?" (Do I know the place in my community where a shelter will be set up?) 1.
For the general question of when to stay and when to leave, see /guides/shelter-or-evacuate. For what to bring when you leave, see the kit.
What protects me if there is no protective shelter?
Costa Rica publishes no guidance on sheltering from blast or fallout. General principles, with their own sources, are explained in our guides: /guides/protection-factor, /guides/fallout-7-10-rule and /guides/chemical-shelter-in-place. For the rules on a private shelter, see build a shelter.
Frequently asked questions
Are there bomb shelters in Costa Rica?
No. Costa Rica's public shelters are temporary evacuation shelters, not protective shelters 34.
How many albergues are there?
The CNE publishes no national count. Shelters are set up locally when needed 23.
Who decides to open an albergue?
The municipal emergency committees open them; the CNE equips and coordinates them 234.
Sources
- Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias (CNE) — Guía para la Elaboración del Plan Familiar de Gestión del Riesgo (Plan Familiar de Gestión de Riesgo) — https://moravia.go.cr/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/plan-familiar-17-19-CM.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20; CNE 2019 edition hosted by the Municipality of Moravia)
- Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias (CNE) — Preguntas frecuentes — https://www.cne.go.cr/contactenos/preguntas_frecuentes.aspx (accessed 2026-10-20; read via Web Archive capture of 19 June 2024)
- Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias (CNE) — Guía Para el Manejo de Albergues Temporales — https://www.cne.go.cr/preparativos_respuestas/documentos/albergues.aspx (accessed 2026-10-20; read via Web Archive capture of 20 May 2024, guide PDF "GUIA ALBERGUES FINAL 19-11-2019")
- Asamblea Legislativa de Costa Rica (texto SINALEVI) — Ley Nacional de Emergencias y Prevención del Riesgo N° 8488 — https://www.teatronacional.go.cr/transparency/files/703_ley8488_leynacionaldeemergenciasyprevencindelriesgo.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
Turn this into action
Your plan for Costa Rica, worked out for your household.
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Sources
- Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias (CNE) · Guía para la Elaboración del Plan Familiar de Gestión del Riesgo (Plan Familiar de Gestión de Riesgo) checked 2026-10-20
- Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias (CNE) · Preguntas frecuentes checked 2026-10-20
- Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias (CNE) · Guía Para el Manejo de Albergues Temporales checked 2026-10-20
- Asamblea Legislativa de Costa Rica (texto SINALEVI) · Ley Nacional de Emergencias y Prevención del Riesgo N° 8488 checked 2026-10-20