so im heading to costa rica for like 3 weeks and obviously bringing the mini 3. ive done some reading and it seems like you need to register with DGAC and get a permit before flying which is kind of annoying but whatever. anyone actually done this process recently? some posts i found were from 2021 and im not sure if the rules changed.

also curious about national parks — i already know most of them are gonna be a no but like are there areas near the parks where you can still get decent shots without actually being inside the boundary? planning to hit arenal and manuel antonio mostly.

went last year with my air 2s and honestly the permit thing wasnt as bad as i expected, the DGAC website is a bit clunky but i got approved in like a week and a half. just make sure your insurance docs are in order because they do ask for that. national parks are basically all off limits but i got some really solid shots from the road outside arenal, theres a stretch where you can see the volcano pretty clearly and nobody bothered me at all. just be smart about where you launch from and dont fly over people.

not costa rica specifically but i brought my drone to panama last year and the rules were kind of similar in terms of the registration headache. one thing i'd say is just download the airspace maps before you leave because data can be spotty in some areas and you dont want to be guessing when youre out in the field. also customs can be weird about drones depending on who you get at the border so keep your paperwork accessible not buried in your bag