If you’re planning to drive in Costa Rica, it’s important to learn about the driving culture. So in this guide I will tell you exactly what it’s like to drive in Costa Rica and give you my local tips to stay safe while driving in Costa Rica as a tourist. Also make sure to read our renting a car in Costa Rica guide and get our Costa Rica car rental discount!
Important Things to Know About Driving in Costa Rica
- Costa Rica drives on the right side of the road (just like USA and Canada).
- Traffic signs are in Spanish and use the same/similar shapes as USA and Canada (like the red octagon for stop).
- Costa Rica uses the metric system so speed limits are in kilometers and gas tanks are in liters.
- The normal speed limit on the highway is 90 Km/h (~55 mph).
- Foreigners can drive in Costa Rica with a valid original driver’s license and their original passport with a valid tourist stamp. Tourists must have their original passport and valid original driver’s license with them when they drive. They can only drive for as long as their tourist visa is valid. Temporary licenses and paper driver license copies are not accepted.
- The legal driving age is 18 in Costa Rica. For car rentals, the minimum age to rent a car will vary depending on the agency. Usually it is 21 – 23 years old.
- Defensive driving is the best way to drive safely in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica Road Signs
All the road signs are in Spanish. They use the same symbols, but it’s always good to familiarize yourself with the Spanish words. Here are the most common signs you’ll see.
- Alto – stop. Is also a red octagon
- Velocidad maxima – maximum speed. Remember they use kilometers so you’ll see KPH
- Ceda el paso – yield. Is also a red and white triangle
- Puente angosto – narrow bridge
- Desvio – detour
- Despacio – slow
- Cruce de monos – monkey crossing (or some other animal, they will put a picture of it)
- Una via – one way
- Carretera en mal estado – road in bad condition
- Puente en mal estado – bridge in bad condition
- No estacionar – no parking
- Curvas peligrosas adelante – dangerous curves ahead
- No hay paso – don’t enter
- No virar en u – no U turns
- Calle sin salida – dead end
- Tarifa liviano – lightweight fare (you will see this at the toll boths)
Driving in Cities vs Rural Areas in Costa Rica
Road conditions will depend on what part of the country you are in. Driving in the city is different than the countryside, below you can see what it is like.
City Roads
You will find that in the Central Valley and bigger cities like San Jose, Heredia, Liberia, Cartago, Puntarenas and Alajuela. Roads are paved, most with painted lines but not all.
Smaller cities and touristic beach towns like San Ramon, Grecia, Turrialba, Zarcero, Jaco, Manuel Antonio, La Fortuna, Tamarindo, Playas del Coco and Puerto Viejo all have paved main roads, though not necessarily any painted lanes.
However, one thing that you will not see too much here are traffic lights and sidewalks once you are out of the capital city of San Jose.
Then in San Jose, there are roundabouts but it can get kind of crazy as everyone goes when they can and there are no painted lines within the roundabout. It’s a bit like a free for all, just go when you can as most people don’t yield or use blinkers. The driving culture is a bit impatient, so don’t freak out if people start honking at you while you are waiting to enter the roundabout. It is better to take your time than try to rush.
You also need to be careful on freeways because roads can end with no warning. Then you’ll have to merge with little space. They have speed bumps here but they don’t always have the reflective lane markers or signs.
Traffic in the City/San Jose
More than 1.5 million Costa Ricans live and work in San Jose, representing almost half of the total population in the country. Therefore the main roads are always packed during rush hour.
One of the best tips for driving in Costa Rica is to avoid driving in the cities during rush hour which is 3-6 PM and 5-8 AM Monday through Friday. But if you have to drive during those times, make sure to be super alert and drive very defensively.
Don’t get road rage because you will get honked at, people will cut you off and drivers won’t yield for you.
City driving is always a bit of a mess with lots of traffic, regardless which capital city you are in the world. However due to the poorer infrastructure and shoddy road conditions, there are some things you need to be extremely aware and careful about when driving in Costa Rica.
Examples
Here are some pictures I took from one of our drives through San Jose so you can get an idea of what it’s like. Most of the drivers (but not all of them) act like the ones in the pictures below. My intention is to not to discourage you to drive but to show you the truth so you are aware of what it’s like.
Sometimes in San Jose, you may need to drive a bit assertive or else you will be waiting forever to turn left or to cross the street. Drivers here are not used to yielding and giving space even if you put your blinker on, so you may need to squeeze yourself in (but do it carefully).
Highways and Freeways
Costa Rica has both highways and freeways but they don’t look exactly quite like the ones in other countries. Many of them have only one lane or 1-2 lanes for a short period of time.
The nicest highway, Interamericana Highway 1 underwent construction a few years ago and now has two lanes in both directions and are very nicely done. Most of the other freeways in Costa Rica have just 1 lane and no shoulders.
Farming areas/rural areas
In rural areas, usually just the main road is paved with marked lines and all other roads are not. Additionally, they don’t usually have sidewalks and are one lane.
The nice thing about driving in rural areas is that you will not find as many cars or as much traffic as San Jose. However, you will find other obstacles such as chickens, cows, kids, bicyclists, motorcycles and people walking on the road.
Since there aren’t really sidewalks, you will need to be careful if there are people walking/biking on the side of the road. As roads are usually narrower and smaller, it is not always possible to give them a full 6 feet of room when passing them. Bike lanes are not common in Costa Rica.
Additionally, in farming areas, be very aware that there may be animals on the side of the road. You may see herds of cows and horses in the middle of the road! In places like Puerto Viejo and Dominical, there may even be sloths crossing the road so be super careful.
Examples
Here are some examples of rural/farm roads and the driving.
Once you leave the GAM (San Jose/Alajuela/Heredia/Cartago), you will find mostly rural and farming road. There will also be less traffic on the intercity roads but it is very common to have traffic on the highways since most of them only have 1 lane.
Be Prepared for Anything and Everything
One of the most important things to know about driving in Costa Rica is to drive defensively and be prepared. Be prepared for unexpected traffic, be prepared for animals crossing the road, be prepared for people walking in the middle at night with no reflexive lights.
Additionally, you need to look up the road conditions in Costa Rica to see which type of car you need. Always research to see if you need a 4×4 or 4wd or a high clearance car for your destinations.
If you want to see what it’s like to drive in Costa Rica, we have made lots of driving videos on our Youtube channel!
Tips for Driving in Costa Rica for the First Time
Here are our personal tips for driving in Costa Rica for first timers.
- Do not EVER drink and drive or do drugs and drive. If you are caught driving under the influence, no insurance will cover this and you will get in big trouble (tickets/jail time/etc.) BE A RESPONSIBLE TOURIST IN ANOTHER COUNTRY!
- There isn’t really a thing as a 4 or 3 way stop. All the stops are normal as in you have to stop and then you can go.
- Lock your doors while driving.
- If you get a flat tire (not covered in insurance), go to a mechanic or gas station to change it. Then drive to your rental car company’s closest office to get a new tire.
- Know that right of way is more like a suggestion in Costa Rica. Many local drivers do not follow it.
- If you are driving in a parking lot and you see a car in front of you backing out, they may not stop even if they see you. Local drivers don’t really give the right of way to the car already driving.
- If you’re on the highway and you’re going to change lanes, your blinker will mean almost nothing to other drivers. Make sure to look 3 times before you do.
- If you are being tailgated, don’t speed up or try to Fast and the Furious the other drive. Tailgating is so normal here. Just let them do their thing and pass you.
- Pedestrians are not used to cars stopping for them when crossing the road. Don’t be scared if you see a pedestrian getting close to your car or if it looks like they are about to walk into your car.
- If you stop to let pedestrians/animals cross the road, be aware of the cars behind you. They might not know that someone is crossing so they could pass you and hit the pedestrian. If you stop or brake suddenly, turn on your emergency lights to signal the driver behind you.
- If you’re at a busy intersection trying to turn left, be very careful. Other drivers may completely ignore you and just try to jam themselves in front without using their blinker or checking. A lot of drivers will jump the line.
Passing
Because many roads have only one lane, you may get stuck behind a semi-trailer truck or a slow car. In these situations, you may need to pass the car ahead of you.
However, if you do not feel comfortable passing, do not do it. Only pass when you are comfortable and are 1000% sure the road is clear. If you are going to pass, double check the coast is clear and use your blinkers.
Furthermore, if the car in front of you starts to pass, do not blindly follow them. There may be a car coming in fast from the other direction. Always check that it’s clear before you go.
Also note that before you pass, the car behind you may try to overtake you so check your mirrors before going.
Speed Limits and Speeding
There are speed limit signs but locals don’t really adhere to them, especially outside the city. However, as a tourist, we recommend to follow the speed limits in Costa Rica. If the car behinds you starts to tailgate you, just let them pass.
Police do give speeding tickets and they are super expensive in Costa Rica (can be on average around $300-400 USD a ticket).
What happens if you get a driving ticket in Costa Rica? If you receive a parking ticket, speeding ticket or any time of driving violation ticket, you must pay the ticket to the car rental company you rented your vehicle with. You can do this during your rental or when you return the car. The car rental company will give you a receipt and voucher for proof of payment.
River Crossing
There are some places in Costa Rica where a river crossing may be required in the rainy season. This is more in the rural, off road areas like in the Nicoya Peninsula, Drake Bay and Osa Peninsula. There are some very important things to know about river crossings.
- Water damage to rental cars are not covered under any insurance. Even on official routes like Route 911 Monkey Trail that has two river crossings, insurance will not cover ANY damage caused by water.
- Flash floods can happen in rainy season, particularly September through November.
If the river is too full or you don’t feel comfortable, DO NOT CROSS. Turn around and go onto the main road. It may seem fun but safety should always be your priority. It is NEVER worth that Instagram shot of you driving across a river because there is a possibility of a flash flood, getting stuck or damaging the car.
Driving at Night
Should you drive at night in Costa Rica? You’ll read many blogs saying no, absolutely not. But what if your flights lands at 8 PM and you want to drive to your hotel in the city? Or you want to drive to dinner?
Remember it gets dark by 6 PM everyday in Costa Rica!
At the end of it, you can drive at night in Costa Rica for short distances. However, we do not recommend driving at night during rainy season (May – November), if it is a long route (more than 1 hour), the route is unpaved and requires a 4×4 or if you do not have a GPS. In these situations, it will be safer to book a nearby hotel for the night and leave early the next morning.
We do not recommend to drive long routes at night during both dry and rainy season (more than 1 hour).
Read more Costa Rica safety tips in this post!
Driving From Liberia International Airport at Night
An exception is if you are flying into Liberia International Airport and your first destination is not very far. For example, Playas del Coco is only about a 25 minute drive Liberia Airport and Tamarindo is only 1 hour. Both routes are easy in the sense that it is on a well paved road with good signage going through small towns. You can drive those routes at night using a GPS.
Driving from San Jose International Airport at Night
If you are landing late in San Jose International Airport, you can drive to your hotel in the city. San Jose Airport is actually in Alajuela so from the airport to downtown San Jose, it is around 30 minutes.
However, San Jose traffic is awful so if you don’t want to deal with traffic and city driving, it’s best to book a hotel by the airport and take a taxi/Uber/shuttle to your hotel. You can pick up your rental car the next morning.
Safety tip: something very important to be aware of when driving at night are the pedestrians and bikers. Locals don’t really use reflexive clothing or flashlights and since sidewalks are pretty much non-existent in Costa Rica, they will be walking on the road. Driving slow is the best advice for driving at night in Costa Rica.
What to Do if You Have an Accident Or Get a Ticket
If you have an accident, call 911 if there are injuries and contact your car rental company immediately to report the accident to them. There are also some things you need to be aware of if you get into an accident/incident.
- Some people will try to approach and help you but this MAY be a tourist scam. There have been some cases where people act like they’re helping but instead rob the person. Read more common tourist scams in Costa Rica here.
- The emergency number is 911 and they have an English speaking line.
- You can move your vehicle if there is an agreement between both parties (or vehicle and object), if nobody was injured, one of the drivers accept responsibility or if it is necessary to move for traffic.
If you get a traffic ticket, call your rental car company to let them know. You will have to pay it when you drop the car off and it’s best to give your company a heads up so you can begin the payment process.
If you do not pay your ticket, you may get stopped at the airport and not be allowed to board the plane. They may detain you so pay your ticket!
What to Do if a Police Officer Stops You
In Costa Rica, traffic stops are very common and normal here. Police are allowed to ask anyone: citizens, residents, and tourists to show them their papers which may include your passport, drivers license and tourist visa.
Most of the time, they are actually looking for something specific (drugs, alcohol, etc.) so if everything is OK, they’ll quickly send you on your way.
If a police officer stops you and you don’t speak Spanish, tell them “No hablo Español”. Usually they will want to see your driver’s license and your passport. All the police officers have access to an English line in case they need it. Be respectful and simply answer his questions.
If a police officer tries to bribe you, ask for his name, his car or badge ID, take a picture if possible and you can report him. Police officers are not supposed to bribe tourists.
Below are some more of our local tips for driving in Costa Rica.
Costa Rican Driving “Lights Vocabulary”
If you see cars flashing their lights, they are actually sending a message. As a Costa Rican, this is very normal for us to see. This is what it means if you see a car flashing their lights at you.
There is a cop ahead of you: This is very useful and it might save yourself from a ticket. If you’re on the highway and you see the car coming from the other direction flash their lights twice (one short, one long) it means that a cop is ahead of you.
Thank you: Let’s say that the person in front of you slows down to let you pass, we usually say thank you by turning on the emergency lights for a few seconds (blink 2 or 3 times).
Pass me: I’m not a big fan of this one but just in case you see it you’ll know what’s going on. When you drive on the main highway you’ll see big semi trucks going really slow. Since it’s hard to see, the driver will turn on his left blinker to let you know you can pass him and usually stick his arm out and wave. Like I said I don’t like this one but it’s very common.
There’s an accident or obstacle: Sometimes local drivers will flash their lights if there is an accident or large obstacle blocking the road ahead.
Emergency Lights
Additionally, if you see the car in front of you turn on his emergency lights all of a sudden, slow down. There is probably an obstacle ahead and he had to brake suddenly. It is very common in Costa Rica for drivers to put on their emergency lights. They will put on their emergency lights when stopping in the middle of the road, braking suddenly or just talking to their neighbor.
Parking
In the city, San Jose and the GAM do have official parking lots that are paid and with a guard. I highly recommend to park only in official lots in the city.
If you are outside the GAM, you will notice that a lot of locals park anywhere and everywhere. They’ll park on the side of the road, put on the emergency lights and leave the car running to go to the supermarket and block half the road in the process. This is very common so be careful if you see a parked car with emergency lights. Drive around them carefully.
The traffic police do give parking tickets in the GAM (San Jose/Alajuela/Heredia/Cartago) and it is also normal in Jaco and Quepos.
Try to park on well lit streets and do not ever leave any valuables visible in your car wherever you are in Costa Rica. Always roll up your windows and lock your doors.
You may be approached by a man or woman wearing an orange vest offering to watch your car. They’ll most likely try to charge you for parking in their “area” so you can give them a little tip but do not rely on them to watch your car 100%. Never leave anything valuable visible in your car and always roll up your windows and lock your door.
Directions in Costa Rica
If you are driving in Costa Rica, you will see that addresses are a little different.
Costa Ricans use referral points to get to places. You’ll see addresses like “200 meters west of the bus stop” or “Calle 4” as the address.
This is super common which is why you should use a GPS when driving in Costa Rica. Waze and Google Maps work in Costa Rica.
If you rent a GPS, enter the name of your hotel, restaurant, business, etc. as your destination. Also, you can ask the car rental agent to show you how to use the GPS and help you program your first destination.
Costa Rica erected its first street signs in 2012 but they’re not very helpful to be honest. The signs are really small and on the street corner. Many of the road names are simply “Calle 1” or “Avenida 2” and houses still do not really have a house number.
Tolls
There are a few toll booths leaving San Jose on Route 27 that range from 200-1100 colones. Then there are toll booths for exits on this highway like to Jaco, Atenas, etc.
You can pay these tolls in cash or credit card. They also accept both USD and CRC (local currency). However, we recommend to use Costa Rican currency since they do not use a very good exchange rate but if you have to use USD, you can pay in 1, 5, 10 and 20s bills. They will give you your change back in Costa Rican colones. If you pay with credit card, they will charge in local currency and use the poor exchange rate.
You will know when tolls are coming up because there will be a sign for “Peaje” and there will be a sign with a list of prices. You just need to pay the automobile price for a car which is the first line (Automóviles liviano). However if you have are driving a 12 seater van like the Hyundai H1 or Staria, they will charge you the category up. Do NOT go in the lane that has the sign “Quick Pass” as that is for cars that have the toll pass. Check the photo below for how to cross the toll booths in Costa Rica.
If you need local currency, you can exchange like $5 or $10 USD at the airport to get some Costa Rican colones to use for the tolls. Then exchange larger amounts at the bank later.
Gas
Gas stations are full service in Costa Rica – you do not need to pump your own gas. Regular and super gasoline and diesel are available at every gas station, which are 24 hours.
When you pull up, tell the attendant you want lleno de regular por favor (or diesel) to fill up your tank completely. You can read our full guide to getting gas in Costa Rica.
Conclusion
If you want to see Costa Rica and explore as much as you can, driving in Costa Rica is the best way to get around. In my opinion, renting a car is the best option since you’ll save time and have more freedom. We hope our tips for driving in Costa Rica helps relieve any fears or reservations you have and now you know what to expect! Don’t forget to get our Costa Rica car rental discount and extra benefits!
Have as much fun as you can in Costa Rica and I hope these tips for driving in Costa Rica were helpful. When it comes down to driving in Costa Rica, the most important thing is to drive defensively, don’t drink or do drugs and drive and stay alert.
More Helpful Costa Rica Posts!
Booking your hotels in Costa Rica
Why you should get travel insurance for your Costa Rica trip
What to know for first time visitors to Costa Rica
Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Click the link to get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List so you know what essential items to bring.
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica.
- Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica. Get 10% off your Airalo eSIM package with our promo code “mytanfeet”
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals for tours and hotels. Save more money with our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
Mark Donley says
My experience driving in San Jose…
“Highway Hell in Costa Rica.”
Cartago to San Jose
26 kilometers (16 miles)
I’ve driven in congested crazy city traffic throughout the world. New York, Chicago, Rome Italy, Cuenca Ecuador, Bangkok Thailand, Saigon Vietnam, Delhi India, Bogota Colombia, Guangdong and Beijing China being some of the most notable for bad traffic.
However, San Jose Costa Rica was the absolute worst and most dangerous traffic congestion I have ever encountered. Politicians have completely failed to plan for growth without investment in roadway infrastructure improvements and the result is near total gridlock.
The bumper-to-bumper traffic begins in Cartago where the only routes thru the city are a maze of congested two-lane city streets with many tractor trailers and large trucks also trying to wend their way thru these city streets. There is no by-pass available. The streets in Cartago and San Jose have not changed since the fifties although the population has increased dramatically. Numerous intersections lack signage and traffic lights. It is complete chaos.
The ONLY way to get thru an intersection is to aggressively nudge your way in. Creeping up to within inches of passing cars until you have finally narrowed the lane enough to prevent someone getting thru – then repeat the process with the next lane of traffic. Repeat at EVERY intersection or stop sign — for hours!
“Costa Rica recorded a sharp rise in traffic accidents and roadway deaths in 2023. First responders attended over 500,000 incidents last year, averaging one per minute nationwide, according to the Costa Rica Red Cross who reported 1,731 on-site fatalities in 2023.” source: The Tico Times – 01/06/2024
We had a wonderful trip to Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. However, the 16-mile trip from Cartago to downtown San Jose took over 3 nerve wracking hours (each way for a total of six hours not including the actual drive to the coast). While battling this nightmare traffic I vowed that I would NEVER do this again.
With this knowledge I would fly a puddle jumper (Sansa Airlines operates a fleet of Cessna Grand Caravans) from San Jose to Limon for a little more than 100 bucks.
Your blog is a great source of info… thanks so much!!
Todd R. says
Your blog has been an amazing help and source of confidence as I prepare for my upcoming trip to Costa Rica. Thank you for all that you do! I do have a few remaining questions:
– Even though Google Maps claims that the drive from Liberia to Monteverde is only 2.25 hours, I trust your estimate of 3.5 hours more than them. Will adding 50% to any time estimate I get from Google Maps give me a more accurate estimate of driving times? For reference, my itinerary has me going Liberia to Monteverde to Tenorio National Park to Rincon de la Vieja National Park to Samara and then back to Liberia to fly home. 🙁
– In response to a previous comment, you suggested the person check the road conditions the day before driving a route. On what websites / apps can I do that for Costa Rican roads?
– On another post from several years ago (I think), you discouraged a commenter from diving Route 160 along the Guanacaste coast. Is that advice still valid?
Again, thank you for this amazing resource.
–
Sammi says
Usually for our estimated driving times, we will try to give an idea of how it would be with stops or some traffic but this is an estimate, also tourists tend to drive a lot slower than they think, because of how the driving is here (lots of trucks you get stuck behind and it’s difficult to pass, lots of curvy narrow roads, etc.). Anything can change or happen to increase or decrease driving times.
You can check with your hosts to see how conditions have been or check the local news outlets, for English, Tico Times. Route 160 depends on what time of year you are going and what kind of car you have. If you do not have a 4wd in rainy season, we do not recommend it.
Arthur S says
Hello-I am traveling with a group of friends in CR on motorcycles. In other countries we have visited they have a motorcycle bypass lane where motor cycles can pass the toll in a special lane without paying a fee. I was wondering if motorcycles have to pay a toll and is there a similar bypass lane?
Sammi says
Motorcycles do have to pay a toll.
r says
Hi, we are driving from Liberia airport to Coco from Dec 19-25 and staying at a hotel. We were also planning to go to Tamarindo for a day. Would it be safe to drive, especially at night? I don’t want to hit any potholes. Also, are there any tolls along those routes? Thank you
Sammi says
No tolls and it’s a fairly straightforward route from Coco-Tamarindo taking the route through Filadelfia. Don’t go through Route 911 along the coast as it goes through a river crossing and that road is quite curvy and narrow with no lights once you leave Potrero.
Emily says
Are right turns on red lights legally permitted (assuming there is no sign stating otherwise, clear to go, etc)? I’ve read differing answers on this.
Sammi says
Yes it is allowed as long as there aren’t any signs that say right turn not allowed
Julie says
Tolls- Are there any tolls between Liberia and places on West Coast of CR? Tamarindo, Ostional, Planet Hollywood, etc?
Sammi says
No tolls are only out of the Central Valley
Melanie Barron says
Hello! Quick question: we plan on driving from SJO to La Fortuna and then La Fortuna to Tamarindo. We would then drive from Tamarindo back to SJO. This would all be done with a rental car. How long would all these drives take? We will be there for 2 weeks.
Sammi says
Hi, you can check our articles:
driving San Jose to Arenal
Driving Guanacaste to Arenal
Driving from San Jose to Tamarindo and vice versa
Arslane says
Holà ! First of all thank you for all the informations on your blog, it was very helpful during the planning of our trip to beautiful Costa Rica!
So we are landing this Saturday, we are going to drive and are a bit concerned about the traffic officers, because we came across some bad stories when doing our research. Is is true that they are not entitled to ask for the hard copy of your passport and that they have to consider a photocopy? If they ask for money, how can we ask them to give us the ticket in order to not handle the cash to them? Thank you!
Sammi says
If you are driving, you have to have the actual hard copy of your passport (original, no copies) with you as well as your original drivers license. Sometimes there are traffic stops where officers will stop and ask you for your documents without cause, in Costa RIca they can do this and they can always stop rental cars if they want. If they try to bribe you, I have heard some people will take a picture of the officer and their badge if they can get it and tell them they will report them, but to be honest, you don’t want to get a traffic ticket as they are super super expensive in Costa Rica…which is why a lot of tourists will just give the officer money anyways. It’s not a good thing but that’s kinda how it is here unfortunately.
Fatima says
Hi, thank you for all the helpful info! We haven’t seen any speed cameras. Do they issue tickets this way in addition to the police speed trackers?
Sammi says
No there aren’t speed cameras, you can only get speeding tickets if they pull you over
Milu says
Hi there, thank you so much for your blog! You provide such great info! ❤️ My husband and I heading to Costa Rica from June 30th through July 8th. We were considering driving, but I’m getting really anxious about the roads and the potential rain…
Do you know if the rain is really bad during that time?
We are planning to land in San José, then head to La Fortuna (3 nights), then to Monteverde (1 night), then to Manuel Antonio (3 nights), then back to San José to depart. Do you know if the roads for these locations are easy to drive / not concerning? Or
should we plan to skip any of the 3 areas? Or perhaps even consider private transportation for all?
Your advice is super appreciated. Thank you so much!
Sammi says
Hi Milu, we are now in rainy season, it is not recommended to drive long routes at night. It’s better to wait until morning in daylight to drive as normally it’s still dry/cloudy in mornings and starts raining in the afternoons
Lynda Beck says
Thanks so much for your very detailed blog. 6 of us are headed to CR in a week and all of this has been so helpful.
Alexis says
Thanks for the tips! I’m currently planning my partner and I’s trip to Costa Rica. He was born & raised in CR but this is my first time! My question: Is driving in San Jose at night dangerous? We will only have the first day to explore San Jose and he is from Curridabat so we wanted to see that area but our hotel is closer to the airport, about 30 min away. By the time we get groceries and cash when we land, it will be about 5 pm. Is that too late to travel out to Curridabat? Or would you recommend waking up early the next morning and doing a little exploring. We would be leaving to go to La Fortuna on Day 2 so all of our belongings will be in the rental car if we did the exploring that morning. He hasn’t been back to CR in almost 5 years so he isn’t sure what has changed since/what to expect!
Sammi says
You can go to Curridabat at that time but 5 PM is right at rush hour so it may take you awhile to get there despite not being that far away. There’s not really too much in Curridabat, just a typical city neighborhood but there are some nice restaurants and there’s a mall
Christina says
Amazingly useful blog, thanks so much!
Hoping you can help us, we accidentally drove through a quick pass lane on Route 1 toll road coming out of San Jose towards San Ramon. There didn’t seem to be a cash booth open and we slightly panicked. Just wondering if / how we can follow to pay the toll so we don’t end up with a ticket? Is this something to be worried about?
Sammi says
I believe they send the ticket to the car rental agency and you’ll pay it when you return the car, make sure to also mention it to the agent so they can check the record for the license plate. I would also recommend to call your car rental agency to notify them
Paul W says
Thanks for all your tips! My wife & I just returned from our first trip to CR and your website prepared us for all the eventualities, especially driving across the country (we picked up from Adobe in San José and drove to La Fortuna, Guachipelin, and Tamarindo).
The only thing no research really prepared us for, though, was the ever-changing speed limits, on every road from PanAmerican Hwy 1 down to the smaller state highways. Not wanting to speed, we always tried to stick close to the posted limit, but that was difficult as it changed just about every kilometer! From 80 kph to 60 to 40 to 90 to 80 to 25 (school zone) to 60, *very* frequently.
On top of that, it seemed we were the only drivers actually sticking close to these limits, as everyone seemed to just constantly go about 80-90 on Highway 1, and 60-70 on the other roads (unless there was a hazard), while we were constantly changing our speed. Still, we figured keeping to the limits was the best way to avoid any issues.
Rick Bergstrom says
Hi, and thanks for such an informative blog!
Just a quick question…is it allowed to use a dashcam while driving in Costa Rica?
Thanks
Sammi says
Yes if you have one you can install it in your car but rental companies do not provide dashcams
Kate says
Thank you for this fantastically detailed post! I came specifically looking to understand if I could pay card at the toll booths but I learned so much more to help me drive in Costa Rica! Thanks again
Steph says
Thank you so much for such a detailed blog post! This has been incredibly helpful. My partner and I are about to go to Costa Rica for the first time in two weeks. I understand that it is rainy/green season, and we plan on renting a car. We’re flying in from LIR and will be visiting La Fortuna and Tamarindo (with plans to drive to Playa Conchal, Avellanas, Flamingo).
Do you recommend that we get a 4WD since it is rainy season?
Also, when we stay in Tamarindo, we will be staying in Playa Langosta (which I know is a little bit outside of the main strip/restaurants in Tamarindo). If we want to get dinner at night, will it be safe to drive into the main strip of Tamarindo even if it is raining?
Thanks so much!
Sammi says
Hi Steph, yes I would definitely rent a 4wd or at least a car with higher clearnace especially for Avellanas the road going there is now a lot worse due to all the rains this year so far and it’ll help if you plan to explore more.
You can drive from Langosta to Tamarindo if its raining normally but if we are having a huge storm or wave, sometimes one section of that road flood but that only if we’re under a storm/depression/wave
Allen says
Hi thank you for all this information. I have been waiting for my new drivers license so have been driving in my home country with my expired license plus a piece of paper that confirms that my license has been extended. Would this be considered a valid license in Costa Rica? Ley 9078 just says a valid license.
Also as a backup I got an international drivers permit which was issued because my license is valid with this piece of paper. However if a rental agency will not accept this temporary license do you think they’d accept an international drivers permit notwithstanding you need to show your license +IDP?
Any other thoughts on how I can get a rental. Our country just doesn’t issue licenses on the spot and we use pieces of paper to extend our license until a new one comes in the mail.
Thank you
Sammi says
Hi Allen, you need a valid drivers license – Costa Rica does not accept temporary copies, paper copies, etc. It has to be the actual original license.
The international license can be accepted depending on the car rental agency
Lena says
Hey there,
A bit worried about the police and bribe thing – does it happen often if you drive correctly?
Thanks so much!
Sammi says
It is not that common but it does happen…more in very touristy areas like Tamarindo and Manuel Antonio
Janet says
Fantastic blog. Thank you!!
6 of us, two SUVs, are arriving in SJO at 12:30pm Saturday and driving to a Jaco Beach/Esterillo Estates Airbnb. How long will it take us to get to our house? Is there a grocery store brand we can look for on route?
Thank you for all your great information!
Sammi says
On Google Maps, SJO to Jaco is around 1.5 hours, a little more to Esterillos.
There are lots of supermarkets in by the airport
Karen says
Hello,
We’re arriving at 20:30 to San Jose airport and our accommodation is not too far – in Pilas, Alajuela. Would you say this is okay to drive at night after arrival?
Thanks,
Karen
Sammi says
Yes the city is fine to drive at night, I’d use a GPS or navigation to help you get to where you need to go
Russell Harley says
Hi
What is the best route from Liberia airport to Santa Elena/Monteverde. I understand Highway 606 has now been paved so is it best to take Highway 1 all the way down to the 606 and then turn.
Thanks
Russell
Sammi says
Route 145 is closer from Liberia but you can take either
Ann Marie Mathews says
Hello! Thank you so much for all the information on your Blog! We are planning on arriving Sunday, Dec 20th at 1:20 pm at Liberia (fingers crossed there will be no Covid issues before that time!). Right now we are looking to rent a car and drive to our lodging in La Fortuna. I’ve read that by the time we go through customs, take a shuttle to the car rental, and get on the road it will be close to 6:30 and dark by the time we arrive, in addition to the curving roads as we near darkness. Do you think we should revisit our plans and stay somewhere in between that night?
Sammi says
Hi Ann, hopefully the immigration/customs won’t take too long and you can pass through and get your car in about one hour. You could still make the drive, it does get dark by 6 PM everyday but if you get on the road by around 230 PM or so, it’s 3 hours to La Fortuna driving (with no stops) so you’ll get there right around dark. You will need to use a GPS and just know that it may still rain over that in that area during this time of year.
If you don’t feel comfortable with that, since the road does get really curvy with no lights around the Lake and it could rain or just in case there is a delay, you could stay a night in Liberia and then leave early the next morning to La Fortuna so you won’t be in a rush. You can also enjoy the drive more because it is very pretty and you can take your time to have a nice breakfast and everything.
Kari Petersen says
Thank you for a great blog with a lot of useful information!
We will be travelling from San Jose to Puerto Viejo, and we have a stop at Paquare River. Do we need 4WD or can we manage with a “normal” car? I saw you wrote that for travelling to Puerto Viejo we do not need 4DW, but since it seems that the area around Paquare River might be a bit more rural, I thought I would ask.
Sammi says
I’m not sure which part of the river you’re stopping at but I would guess you need a 4wd because that area is quite rural.
Sammi says
Those routes are all on paved roads (highways for most of it), but they are very long drives.
Iain says
Hi, thanks for the great information!! I’m travelling in early October and want to drive from San Jose airport to Tamarindo. Then from Tamarindo to la Pavona. I keep reading it isn’t safe but I’ve checked out the routes and they seem like main roads. Could you please offer me some advice? Thanks iain
James Strother says
I really want to thank you for all of the great information! We just returned from a week in CR and had a great time! So much of it was due to being informed about little things like purchasing gas. We rented from Adobe and they were great to work with. The free cooler came in handy too!
My wife and I spent a lot of time reading your blog and looking at your site and I cannot tell you how useful it was to us!
Again, thank you so much!
Sammi says
Thank you for your feedback and glad you had a great time in Costa Rica 🙂 Glad the blog was helpful!
Heather says
Hi, Sam & Yeison!
I love your website! It is full of lots of good information! I know you are probably busy, but I thought you might know the answer to a couple of driving related questions I haven’t really gotten a straight answer about. We are moving to CR as soon as our house sells, and we have three teenagers aged 15, 16, & 17. I read that you have to be 18 to get a driver’s licenses in CR. However, if you have a driver’s license in another county, you can drive on it while your tourist visa is good (90 days). Do you know if they will be able to drive in CR using their US licenses while they are under the age of 18? Also, can you drive a moped without having a motorcycle license? If so, is there a minimum age?
Thanks so much!
Heather
Sammi says
Hi Heather, the driving age in Costa Rica is 18 so if they’re under, they cannot drive. Additionally, if you are renting a car, normally the minimum age is 21-23 (changes depending on the agency). You can ride a moped in CR but for 50cc and above, you need a motorcycle license.
Sammi says
Hi Joannie, I would recommend a high car for your destinations. You can see the types of 4×4 and high cars to rent in CR here and check out our car rental discount here: Costa Rica car rental discount
Joannie Venne says
Hi thank you for this article it was really helpful. We will drive around la Fortuna area, we would like to go to Volcan Tenorio and Reserve cano negro, do you think that we need a 4×4 ? Also after that we’ll go to La Virgen and then come back to Alajuela for the airport. Is the road 126 extreme to drive ? Thank you in advance
glenda belnap says
We just returned from 9 days in Costa Rica. We rented a car in San Jose and drove to La Fortuna, Monteverde and Tamarindo and then to Liberia to fly out. We had no problems anywhere. After reading all the blogs, both this one and others, I was so worried about renting a car. The roads aren’t good, but they aren’t risky or dangerous or anything. Just be smart and go slow and everything will be fine.
MaxM says
Awesome Blog. We have a 8-day tour booked in January but may arrive in San Jose a day earlier (cheaper flights). Is it renting a car to visit nearby attractions (since we will use the tour to visit the farther places)?
Sammi says
Hi Max, definitely! Depending on where you are going because you can taxi/Uber around San Jose downtown and the nearby cities but if you want to go to like Poas or Irazu, Grecia, Vara blanca or some places that are like an hour out of San Jose, then I’d recommend renting a car. You can also take day tours but a car will have a lot more freedom. But for nearby attractions like right in the city, taxi/uber is the best way to get around.
Eric Anderson says
Hello,
Can you tell me if i need to change sim cards , or will my phone work well with Verizon in CR?
Thank You
Sammi says
You will need to check with Verizon to see if your phone is unlocked and can take a sim card.
Viktor says
Hi.
I have 2 questions based on this article.
1. How do you make sure that the officer that stops you is a real officer ? Is there something to look for ?
2. If there are no real addresses in Costa Rica, what do you put in your GPS ? I don’t think there are options in GPS for just a “descriptive” address. 🙂
Thank you.
Sammi says
Hi Viktor, the police officers wear a badge that says “Fuerza Publica” embroidered in yellow on the pocket. They also sometimes wear bulletproof vests that say FUERZA. You may also see GAO or OIJ which are the special forces but the general police force is called Fuera Publica.
For GPS, you can type in the name of where you’re going so you can put in your hotel name, national park, waterfall or adventure park.
Viktor says
Thank you very much, Sammi.
I am just trying to absorb all I can from your website before our trip in 2 weeks. Also, thank you for the discount we’ve got from Adobe car rental. We already booked an SUV through your site. August 1st can’t come soon enough. 🙂
Sammi says
Hi Viktor, you’re very welcome. Glad the blog has been helpful and we hope you have a wonderful time in Costa Rica!
yeison says
Hi Kathy!
Thank you for your message,
For distances and times the most accurate way to calculate times is by checking Google Maps, use the “directions” and they will give you an estimate in real time, I always give myself an extra hour just in case of any traffic or bathroom stops. For restaurants you are going to visit more than half of the country so the list will be huge but I recommend you to try our “Sodas” (local restaurants) you will find lots of local food.
If you want to check rates and availability for car rentals you can check our partnership in the link to our Costa Rica car rental discount
Thank you again for reading our blog and have a nice Sunday
Kathy says
Hello Yeison and Samantha,
Thank you for your great advice. We are a couple in our early 60’s traveling to CR for the first time.
Regarding the driving in Costa Rica, do we need a 4-Wheel Drive? How may approximate hours should we plan for each journey? Our plans are:
January 2018
Drive Liberia Airport to Playa Carillo – stay one week
Drive Playa Carillo to Monteverde – stay 3 days
Drive Monteverde to Arenal – stay few days
Drive Arenal to Tamarindo – stay few days (wanted to end with beach time)
Drive Tamarindo back to Liberia Airport
Any restaurants we shouldn’t miss in these areas? We enjoy local tasty restaurants at home. We avoid chain restaurants in the U.S.
Thanks!
yeison says
Hello Cathy,
Thank you for reading our blog!
You will be able to go to all the paces you are planning to go with a sedan, BUT you will have to drive very carefully and slow in some areas like going to Rio celeste in Bijagua or in monteverde. If you can afford at least a 4×2 SUV it will be better and you will be more comfortable. Here is a link from our rent a car deal if you want to check rates.
Costa Rica car rental discount
Please let us know if you have any questions
Cathy D says
Hi:
We will be traveling the early party of Dec, and driving from Liberia to Playa fr Cocos, on to Tamarindo, then a stay in Puerto Huma for a day, and then on to Monteverde. We want to wrap up our trip to a day or so at Ricon de Viejas. We would love to sneak a peak at the other two volcanos if time allows for a drive up to Bijuagua ( Route 6) before Ricon.
We have rented a Toyota Corolla is that sufficient for these roads?
Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Griff! We will be more than happy to answer your questions but we need to know what airport you’re arriving at, can you please email us your Adobe confirmation number. Thanks!
griff says
Hi Yeison,
We (my wife and I, and 2 kids) are arriving in CR June 15th at 1:30pm and renting a 4×4 car through Adobe (with your MTF discount). We will then drive to Santa Teresa via ferry at Puntarenas.
1- If we land at 1:30pm and get our car, what time do you think we would arrive at the ferry terminal at Puntarenas? (traffic,etc.)
2- In your opinion, how long will the trip time be? (arrival in S Teresa)
3- our kids are 11 and 6, do they both need booster seats? (by CR law)
Im quite used to foreign driving (Bali, Philippines), and dont think I’d find it too unlike driving in CR.
Thanks!
Marie-Eve Ward says
Hello! So I’m not planning on getting a tourist visa because I don’t need one to enter the country but the car company will need one?
yeison says
Hello Marie
If you don’t need a tourist visa to get in the country the rent a car company will not ask you for one.
Greg says
Great blog. We are traveling to Costa Rica in a week. What are the driving conditions to Uvita?
Sammi says
The road to Uvita (Costanera Sur) is very well paved. But the roads around Uvita are not, so if your hotel is up in the mountains or you want to visit some waterfalls, a 4×4 is usually required. Uvita town is paved.
Sid says
Hello,
Can you please tell me about the driving conditions from Arenal to Monteverde in March. I have rented a SUV but not a 4WD. Will be strictly driving during day.
Thanks for this great info.
Sammi says
The road is bumpy but you can make it with a SUV especially since March is dry season. Views are beautiful so we recommend going slow and enjoying the drive.
Lisa M says
Hi there! Thank you for your very helpful blog post. People have been making us really nervous about our plans to rent a car during our visit. We planned to drive from San Jose to the Tabacon Resort in Arenal, then a few days later from there to Tamarindo and finally a few days later from Tamarindo all the way to Manuel Antonio. We know they’re long journeys, but that’s OK with us- we’re more concerned about road conditions. We plan to do all of our driving during the day, but besides that will the roads be OK??
Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Lisa, those routes are all on well paved roads. The road from San Jose to ARenal is pretty curvy though so go slow and take anti-nausea medicine if you get car sick. Tamarindo to Manuel Antonio is a pretty straightforward route, all on good roads.
Jennifer Fletcher says
Hi ! Love your blog ! So informative! Please help ! We are arriving in Costa Rica at the Liberia airport on Dec 16 . We are renting a car and staying in Tamarindo for 3 days . Do you thing we will be able to drive to our excursions at “get lost Costa Rica “ without problems ? We rented a 4X4 suv bc we are a family of 5 . After that , we will have a drive to our next rental in Arenal . Any suggestions or insight on that drive ? Thanks in advance!
Jennifer
Sammi says
Hi Jennifer, I am not sure where Get lost Costa Rica is but you can contact them for directions or check on Waze (The gps app) to see where their office is. Regarding the drive from Tamarindo to Arenal, I wrote a post with pictures and videos so you can see what the route is like here: Driving Guanacaste to Arenal
Bruno says
Hey there. Thanks for the info!
We’re visiting Costa Rica in 15 days. Our plan is to rent a car from SJO airport then go to Jacó… from there to Tamarindo… and from there Arenal… and back to SJO. That will take around 17 days (5 days jaco, 7 tamarindo, 3 arenal, something like that).
Questions:
1. From SJO to Jacó should be easy to drive from what I read here in the comments right? I ask because we arrive at 5pm or so at SJO. So ’till we get our car and go on our way, we might drive during night time. But from what I read this road should be fine.
2. How is the road from tamarindo to arenal? Too bad? Can I do with a regular sedan or even a smaller car like a Yaris? What do you recommend?
3. Do you recommend any sim card brand with 3g? I wanna buy one as soon as I land so I can use my GPS/Waze as you recommend here.
Thanks! Keep up the good work 🙂
Sammi says
All of those routes are on well paved, main roads. There is no need for a 4×4 and you can even rent a compact car. The only reason I’d recommend a 4×4 of SUV is if you plan to drive to the mountains outside of Jaco (there are waterfalls up there but the road is very steep so requires a 4×4). You can also take a waterfall tour if you want to visit the mountains.
The road from Tamarindo to Arenal is fine, it is on a well paved main road as well.
We recommend Kolbi (the green frog) for sim cards as it is the oldest Costa Rican telecommmunications company and we find that we get the most coverage with it. There are other ones like Movistar that has slightly faster Internet, but it has less coverage.
Bob says
Thanks for the great insight on our visit. We are flying into San Jose and staying at apartotel La Sabana, we want to rent a car from that location in San Jose, is there a rental office close to there? then we are driving to Jaco for a few days then on to La Fortuna, is that a bad drive ? are there issues I should be aware of? I will be in a 4WD rental. Thanks for any details you can give us !!
Sammi says
Hi Bob, you can put the location as your Aparthotel La Sabana in the comments and Adobe can deliver your car there. Jaco to Fortuna is a long drive but the road is well paved and a main road and you will be fine in a 4wd.
Jason says
This is great information! Thank you!
My question – we will be going from San Jose to La Fortuna then from La Fortuna down to Manuel Antonio and then traveling back to San Jose. How are the roads between these locations? Do I need anything other than a typical sedan?
Also, we may try to spend more time in Manuel Antonio and head back around 4 pm in the evening to San Jose… this would require some travel in the dark… I have read that is not advised. What are your thoughts? Should I avoid driving at night at all costs?
Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Jason, you can drive to those destinations with a sedan, they are touristic destinations so the road is well paved and a major road. There are some unpaved roads like the road to the Arenal National Park but nothing bad. Manuel Antonio has well paved roads.
Manuel Antonio to San Jose is around 2 hours and that’s an easy road to drive. But once you get to San Jose, I highly recommend using Waze because you’re going to get there right at rush hour and traffic in San Jose is plain awful. Waze is a GPS app that works very well in Costa Rica and can take you to backroads of San Jose to avoid the traffic.
yeison says
Hello Lily,
Thanks for reading our blog!
Playa agujas is close to Jacó, and yes it might take you around 1 hour from the airport driving, in regards to the activities there are so many things that you can do around playa agujas. Here are our top 10 things to do in Jaco: Things to do in Jaco
We hope you enjoy your trip 🙂
Lily Voss says
Hi Yeison and Sammi,
First off, thank you for all this helpful information! Your blog is awesome and so informative.
My friends and I are planning to go to Costa Rica at the end of February and are staying at Playa Agujas. On google maps it says the distance from there to SJO is about an hour, would you say that is correct?
Our other friend is not getting in till a day after us, and we want to pick him up from the airport but he isn’t getting in till late. Would you be able to suggest any outdoor activities we can do that are in the SJO vicinity so that we are able to just pick him up on our way back to Playa Agujas that day?
Thank you for your help!!
Xenia says
Hi Yeison and Sammi!
Thank you so much for your advices, the info is really very helpful! My friend and I are going to CR in 4 weeks and we are planing a trip from Manuel Antonio to Carate, Corcovado. I’ve read that the road there is really bad, so I was wondering if you know something about this route…I will rent 4*4 SUV, is it doable? And what’s the best time to go and not to be stuck in traffic?google maps shows that to drive 250 km will take 5 hours 30 minutes…so that seems alarming to me.
Any help is much appreciated!:)
Sammi says
Hi guys, the road to Carate is pretty awful. We just drove it a few months ago in rainy season and the potholes were enormous. We actually have a short clip of us driving the road in this Youtube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVKig1Z5v5I&list=PLLislGl2lGontqiGCoRMwrlZ1g3HrVBA2&index=10 Just be super careful when you’re driving that road because there are a couple of rivers and river damage is not covered by insurance.
There isn’t any traffic on that route so no worries about that but it is a crazy long drive and it will probably take you even longer because you have to go super slow once you leave Puerto Jimenez. If you guys can, I would recommend breaking it up and staying a night in Ojochal or something because you’ll be driving all day. Or just leave super early in the morning so you don’t need to drive at night.
Ksenia says
Sammi,
Thank you so much for the advice! I checked your video, it’svery helpful!
Sammi says
You’re welcome!
John Herring says
Hello Yeison and Sammi,
Extremely helpful article on driving tips and very insightful blog. I’m looking at driving from Juan Santamaria International Airport to Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs, Provincia de Alajuela in early Feb We land around 1:00PM so it shouldn’t be dark when we drive to the hotel. Any insights or warnings? Roads and signs fairly easy to follow? Looks like renting a 4×4 is the recommendation. Thanks for any insights! John
Sammi says
Hi John, the drive from SJO to Arenal is a beautiful route, just make sure to go slow once you get out of the city because the road gets windy at one point. The signage is alright but if you do have a working smart phone, GPS is always helpful, particularly the Waze app. The road is well paved so you don’t technically need a 4×4 and the roads around Arenal are mostly well paved or they are just gravel and not that bad.
Sunny says
Hi Yeison,
I’m planning for a day trip from Playa Panama to Selvatura Park. Can I do it as a day trip? I’m planning to start early in the morning i.e. around 5 AM and plan to arrive by 8 or 8:30 AM and on return, plan to start at 3 PM and hope to be back by 6:30 or 7 PM. I do not prefer to drive in dark so was wondering if I should start before 3 PM? BTW, I have booked a 4×4 rental from your website.
Also, Is there any website that offers discounts to Selvatura Park?
Thanks,
Sunny
yeison says
Hello Sunny,
Yes you can do it, actually many companies offer this tour from Playas del Coco. The departure and return times you have planed are great most of the companies depart and return at that time. Unfortunately we do not have any discount for selvatura at the moment we are working on it for this 2017. Thanks for reading our blog and have a nice trip.
yeison says
Hello Bob!
I have been on all those places and you might need at least a mid size SUV 4×2, we are in the dry season now so we are not having heavy rains like we do during the rainy season. If you go to Monteverde there is a 15-20 km section where a mid size SUV is recommended, it is a gravel road. Don’t take wrong you can still go with a sedan (many locals drive using a sedan on those roads) but I will have to go very slow and very careful. We have an agreement with a local car rental company if you want to check our rates: Costa Rica car rental discount I hope you enjoy your vacations and let us know if you have any questions.
Bob Turner says
Hi Yeison and Sammi:
Great blog with lots of detailed advice.
My wife and I will be flying into Liberia and plan to taxi to Hotel Las Espuelas and have a rental car company deliver a car to that hotel the next morning.
We will then drive through Bagaces to La Anita Rain Forest Ranch, from there to Playa Grande, then to Cabina Los Tucanes near Fortuna, possibly to Monteverde, and drop the car at the Liberia airport 16 days after we arrive in Costa Rica.
My reading leads me to believe that we should rent a small 4×4 for the two of us to do this driving.
Does this seem reasonable? What suggestions do you have for us?
Thanks again for the great blog
Bob
Clare says
What a great detailed blog! We were planning on doing the 3.5 hour tour at Proyecto Asis at 1 pm and then driving to Playa Conchal so we will be leaving there around 4:30 pm. Will we be okay driving that route at night?
yeison says
Hi Clare, Thanks for reading our blog!
I will say that it might take you from 4 to 5 hours, and if you find traffic or any big truck on the way it could be more. The closest route is by the Arenal Lake and in some section of this road you will not find any lights if you are thinking driving at night. My best advise to you will be to spend a night in the area and to not do both ways in one day, I will not do it.
Roy says
Thank you for your very helpful blog. My wife and I will be visiting Costa Rica in January. One leg of our tour will be from Tortuguero by boat and coach to Guapiles to collect our 4×4 vehicle to then drive to Fortuna on the same day. It looks a long way on the map and I do not want to drive at night. Is it possible to do the journey in one day in daylight?
Sammi says
Hi Roy, we actually met a couple who did that exact itinerary when we were in Tortuguero. Unfortunately, it’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to make the drive during the day. The tide determines when you leave Tortuguero. We left at 9 AM and got to the bus station at La Pavona around 10:30 AM. Then the drive to Guapiles was awful due to traffic, we didn’t get there until after lunch. Then you will have to drive through San Jose which unfortunately you arrive right around rush hour. Once you leave San Jose, it’s about a 3.5 hour drive to La Fortuna and the route is pretty windy and curvy. I highly recommend getting a GPS and if you don’t want to drive at night, stay the night in San Jose and leave early for La FOrtuna the next day. I don’t think the couple got to La Fortuna until around 8 or 9 PM.
Rob says
Hola – Great info here – Thanks!
This November 25, a Friday, how long should it take to get from Tortuguero to SJO?
Is a rental vehicle quite safe parked at La Pavona, and are the boats fairly easygoing on the luggage weight allowance?
Sammi says
Hi Rob, we just came back from Tortuguero and are in San JOse right now. Driving took us around 5 hours because we ran into some horrible traffic but during non rush hour, it’s around 3.5 hours. It’s quite safe to park your car at the boat launch, just make sure not to leave valuables and lock in and the parking lot is gated. You can bring as much luggage as you want, we brought 2 backpacks, 1 large duffel and 3 carry ons (we had to bring all our camera equipment) and they didn’t care at all since it’s a fairly big boat and they move hundreds of people every day. Have fun!
Sammi says
Hi Sarah! Take the route that goes through the Taiwan Friendship bridge, it is faster than going onto the InterAmericana highway 1 to Playa Grande. It’s a very nice paved road but there are some sections where it is only one lane which gets slow if you get stuck behind trucks but it’s a completely paved road and the bridge is very nice to see. From Grande to Ostional, just go down south, from Grande go towards Tamarindo and then keep going down south towards Samara. There is just one road down. We also have a Costa Rica car rental discount to help you save money. Check it out here: Costa Rica car rental discount
Sarah says
Hello and thank you for your blog! We are renting an SUV for our trip next week and will be driving from San Jose to Playa Grande. What is he best route to get there (best road conditions)? We also plan to drive from Playa Grande to Ostional, what route would you recommend for that trip? Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Debbie, yes just make sure to take an official taxi (red) or orange for airport ones. You can read more taxi tips here Costa Rica taxi tips
Debbie says
Hi,
I am meeting up with some friends in Costa rica but arrive on a different flight. I did not want to wait at the airport and wanted to go to the hotel. My hotel is 45 min from the airport. Are the cabs safe for a young woman to ride in alone? Thanks much
Tina says
Hi there! I’m going to Costa Rica in a few weeks and were arriving in SJO at 6pm. We are then supposed to take our rental car and drive 4 hours west to guanacaste to our hotel. Do you think we should stay the night in San Jose and avoid driving at night in the dark? Or are the roads around there easy enough to navigate when we are going 4 hours to the west coast? I don’t want to be lost out in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night…thanks in advance!!
yeison says
Hi Tina,
To be honest driving here is a little bit different than driving in the USA/Canada, taking in consideration that you might be tired after the flight and that this is your first time driving here I would recommend you to spend the night around the airport. Some sections of the road do not have lights and you might find those big container trucks so if you have the chance it will be better to spend the night and leave the next day. Have a nice trip and thanks for reading the blog
Chad says
Hello. Is a visa required to drive in Costa Rica if you have a license and a passport? Will be there for a week only.
Thanks
Chad
Sammi says
Hi Chad, depending on your country’s passport, you don’t need a visa. You just need a valid passport and valid license, and you need to be at least 23 years of age.
Sammi says
Hi Sam, the drive from San Jose to Guanacaste is around 4 hours (depending on where your hotel is, it could be even longer). You can drive it, it’s just a long drive but the main road for that route is in good shape. I do recommend a GPS but if you have Tmobile or an unlocked phone, you can get a pre-paid sim card for cheap at the airport and use WAZE (better than Google Maps). As for rainy season, here is our rainy season packing post so you come prepared: Rainy season packing list Costa Rica
You can read more about the weather in CR here:Costa Rica weather
Sam says
Hello! Your blog is awesome and very helpful. We are a family of 4 (2 kids – 9 and 11) visiting CR during 3rd week of November. We arrive in San Jose airport at 3:30pm and planning to drive to our hotel in Guanacaste by midsize SUV. Is it safe to drive say around 5pm? Do we need car seats for kids? I hear it’s rainy season in November. Should we take any other precautions? Thank you!
bill says
we are travelling from SJO to Punta Leona resort with a rental car. what is the travel time and is a sedan the correct vehicle?
Thanks,
yeison says
Hi Bill! a sedan is OK and from the San Jose airport it might take you maybe 1 to 1.5 hours depends of traffic, I recommend you to use an App call WAZE it works very well here
yeison says
Hi Jose!
Most of our readers (Aprox 95%) have had great experiences driving in Costa Rica and to be honest I see dozens of American drivers every day driving rented cars.
San Jose at rush hour is like any other main city there will be traffic but once you are out everything is normal. Also if you speak Spanish you will not have any problem asking locals for directions, Costa Ricans are super nice and they are always willing to help tourist.
Regarding your question renting a car it is definitely the best way to get around for two reasons 1- Way more cheaper than shuttles 2- Public transportation is not that good outside the San jose area, so for example if you are planning to take a public bus in Manuel Antonio or Tamarindo you might be spending valuable hours just waiting. Even our selves when our car is broken we always rent a car to enjoy our trips.
A sedan will be ok to go to most of places in Costa Rica but if you can get a Mid size SUV it will be better, just in case if it rains or a road closes and you need to take a “detour” and of course you will be more comfortable, but like a said sedans are ok we went every where when we had one.
We have the best rates on car rentals with some great benefits if you want to take a look: Costa Rica car rental discount
Enjoy your trip!
Joseppo says
I am traveling to Costa Rica in late July for 10 days with two kids. I’ve read another blog which said driving in Costa Rica is hectic and renting a car can be difficult. I am used to bad drivers and hectic driving in the states. We landing in San Jose then planning to stay at a hotel in Manuel Antonio and then maybe heading to Tamarindo area beaches. Do you recommend renting a car as the best way to get around? I’m planning on renting a small sedan and might also go visit one of the National Parks. Or should I just get around in buses? I have seen shuttle bus prices from San Jose to Manuel Antonio and they seemed expensive at $150 each way which made renting a car seemed not so bad. thanks. I also speak fluent Spanish so language will not be an issue. If I do not rent a car, can you please suggest a cheap and safe way to get to Manuel Antonio from San Jose and then to Tamrindo? Taxi?
Joseppo
Dennis says
Myself and my girlfriend have just arrived in Costa Rica and are about to have our rental 4×4 dropped off to begin two weeks of traveling all around this beautiful country.
I figured I should have a quick read up on the perils of driving here before we set off and found your blog. I can’t emphasise enough how useful it was, really simply laid out, informative and to the point.
A massive help ! Thanks again, we’re setting off from San Jose to Cahuita now !!
Den.
Sammi says
Hi Dennis, glad the post was helpful and hope you guys have a great time in CR!
Crissy says
You forgot to mention how scary the roads are in the mountains! Lots of clouds/fog… no guard rails or street lights. . Sheer cliff drop offs… and everyone is passing you and driving super fast!!!!
yeison says
Sometimes with bad weather it’s not fun to drive, when that happen to me I always drive very slow.
Sammi says
We wrote about Mal Pais up to Guanacaste in this post: Costa Rica car rental tips but to the Riu Resort, the road is very bumpy and it’d definitely be more comfortable in at least something bigger than a small sedan. As for Liberia to Arenal, we wrote all about the roads in this post: Driving Guanacaste to Arenal
Don’t forget to check out our car rental discount and extra benefits here: Costa Rica car rental discount
Dustin says
I will be traveling from Liberia to arenal then from arenal to mal pais then from mal pais up to gaunacaste riu resort. Do you know what the roads are like? We are going to rent a car and get gps. Think it would be a pretty simple drive?
Stefanie says
Hi,
I have heard some scary tips about driving at night, especially in a rental that can be a target. I will be arriving at 7:15 pm at Liberia then traveling to Tabacon Grand hotel in Arenal. Should I be nervous for safety about violent crimes? Also, should I be worried that I might drive off a cliff since the roads aren’t well lit?
Thanks
yeison says
Hello Stefanie! To be honest I have never heard anything about a tourist being follow on my 15+ years working on tourism here in Costa Rica, I have seen a very few car accidents and most of the time the tourist was under the influence. My personal recommendation would be to stay close to the airport and spend the night in San Jose if it is possible, not because is dangerous to drive at night is because the drive can take from 3 to 4 hours and you are not get used to drive in Costa Rica, with daylight is easier and you can enjoy the view :). Enjoy your vacations!
David Goguen says
Hello Yeison,
We are coming to CR next month. We will be renting a 4×4 SUV. We will be driving from San Jose Airport to Siquirres area to go white water rafting on the Pacuare River. From there, we will drive up to La Fortuna area. Google maps is saying to take Rt. 32 to Rt. 4. Is that the best way to get there? How are the roads? Are they paved?
Thanks,
David
yeison says
Hi! The roads are paved and that is one of the best ways to get there.
Sarah Carpenter says
Hi both,
Thank you for your amazing blog. I can’t wait to visit Costa Rica in December this year! I have a quick question it would be great if you could answer.
We are going to Poas for our first night and then onto Arenal the next day. The quickest route on google maps shows going on the 126 and 140 roads, but I have read an earthquake destroyed some of these roads a few years ago and can’t find any up to date information as to if that way is now okay to drive. We will have a ‘Mitsubishi Lancer or similar’ car hire. Will it be okay to go that way or is it better to go the longer (distance wise) way on the 146 and 141?
Will that car be okay for getting around Costa Rica as we will be doing quite a bit of driving? SanJose airport, Poas, Arenal, Playa Conchal, Monteverde and back to San Jose airport.
Any help or tips on this would be greatly appreciated.
Many Thanks
yeison says
Hello Sarah,
Sorry for the late reply. In regards to to your questions the road that can take you from Poas to La Fortuna (city where the Arenal Volcano is) is ok now, and you have some other options as well. Now if you are going to Monteverde I highly recommend you to get a SUV or a higher car some sections going to Monteverde are pure gravel and you will be safer getting a SUV a 4×4 Hyundai Tucson will be perfect.
Have travels and let us know if you need any help
Melissa says
Thanks for the quick reply! We are renting a mini SUV with 4WD. I figured we would need it during the rainy season.
Melissa says
Hello! I am planning a trip to Costa Rica and your blog has been very helpful. We are renting a car when we get there and I was wondering if you could tell me what I should budget for gas? We are driving from Liberia, to Arenal then to Manuel Antonio and back to Liberia. A lot of kms! After reading up about gas prices all of this driving is starting to scare me….
yeison says
Hi Melissa! Give you an estimate is very hard it will all depend on what kind of car are you renting (Size,Engine,Model). But to give you an idea of How much we spend, every time we drive from Guanacaste to San José my car (Diesel engine) spends like $20 and the distance is around 270 Kilometers. It all depends on the car if you are looking to rent a car we have some exclusive benefits for our readers.
Melissa says
Thanks for the quick response! We have already reserved a mini suv with 4WD. Not sure what type of engine it has. We figured we would need something with 4WD for the rainy season. Do you think we would be able to do this drive with a more economical car?
yeison says
Hi Melissa, I have seeing people going every where with a sedan but personally I would rather prefer to use a 4×4 all the time just in case they are more secure and they have a stronger engine. If I would’ve be you I would email your rent a car company I just ask them how much they think you will spend on gas, they should know their cars performance very well.
I hope you enjoy Costa Rica 🙂
yeison says
Hi Ethan!
Thanks for checking out our blog 🙂 In regards to your question I think you will not need a 4×4 it will be up to you and I don’t know how many people are traveling with you. so I will say a sedan will work perfectly for you. The only section when you need a 4×4 is between Monteverde and San Jose there is a section that is no paved but still I have seen many sedan going there too.
I don’t which rent a car company are you using so I can’t tell you the closest office, we always recommend a local rent a car company that works great and 99% of our readers are super happy with there service and rates and sometimes if it possible for them they deliver the car at your current location at not extra cost,.
Ethan says
We are coming from Monteverde to Alajuela to rent a car then drive to Atenas, Grecia, Sarchi, Volcan Poas and Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo. Do we need a 4×4 for those places in early July? The only reason we are going to Alajuela first is to get a car then go straight to Atenas. Is there a better place to pick up a rental?
amy says
hahahaha! The orange arrows are hilarious and also kind of sad since the pictures are true 🙂
Sammi says
Haha yeah it is!
Lauren says
Great tips! Do you have advice on biking around San Jose?
yeison says
Hi Lauren !
Honestly I will not recommend you at all to ride your bike in San Jose Downtown or around the city, but every weekend they have recreational bike rides in some towns close to San Jose.
I love biking and I never go to San Jose downtown on my bike.