Driving in Costa Rica--My Two Cents

It seems as if everyone—including me—has been to Costa Rica lately, or is planning to go.  While it’s a special place full of natural wonders (rain and cloud forests, Pacific and Caribbean beaches, volcanoes, wildlife) and the people there are welcoming, driving was a challenge for me.  I thought I’d share some of my thoughts in case any readers out there are trying to decide whether or not to rent a vehicle during their time in Costa Rica.

1.       If you decide you want to explore various parts of the country, which is about the size of West Virginia, you should rent a car. Costa Rican car rental agencies will equip you with a great GPS system for a nominal fee. Pay for it. There are practically NO SIGNS whatsoever indicating streets and highways. While the GPS was a godsend, it pays to look at a road map before you set out so that you have a basic idea of where you are supposed to be going. Our GPS went wacky on us for a half hour and sent us in the opposite direction of our destination. Only because we knew we were supposed to be headed west, not east (and we actually looked at the position of the sun for guidance) did we realize we needed to reboot the little computer. No problems after that.

2.       You cannot estimate driving times, period. Most roads are two-lane and passing is tricky. If you are going through mountains, you will be stuck behind some large, slow-moving vehicles. The speed limit varies, and while many locals admit to going over the limit, the slow-moving trucks will always make for a longer-than-anticipated trip.

3.       Speaking of passing—it can be quite intimidating to pass, but pass you must. I think the couple of gray hairs I came home with are due to passing other vehicles in Costa Rica. I talked to one of our shuttle drivers while there, and he admits that it’s scary to pass on a solid yellow center line, especially going around hairpin turns in the mountains, but that it’s “necessary” in order to keep on any kind of schedule. So other drivers will be passing, even if they aren’t supposed to, sometimes heading blind into traffic. Be aware of this when you can’t see oncoming traffic—a passer may be approaching around the bend.

4.       Some of the roads are terrible. As in, the fillings in your teeth will fall out from the bumps and you may exit the car with actual bruises from being tossed around. These roads cannot be navigated over 5 or 6 miles an hour. Ask someone before you set out what the road conditions might be and if there’s a better—albeit longer—route you can take. This happened when I followed the GPS instructions from the Pacific coast to Monteverde. The road was unbelievably horrible, and locals later told me there’s a bad but not-as-terrible alternate route that was a longer trip. I’d have gladly driven farther and spared myself the jostling around.

5.       Given that many roads are extremely poor, rent the largest vehicle you can afford. Normally, I would never, ever suggest that someone rent anything other than the smallest car to get you, your companions, and your luggage from point A to point B. However, being thrown around in a tiny, low-clearance, economy car was extremely unpleasant. Next trip I’m renting an SUV.

6.       Gas stations are not always easy to find. When your gas gauge gets to a quarter tank, stop at the first gas station you see. Gasoline prices are regulated in Costa Rica, so the price per gallon should be the same everywhere. This does not apply to rental car companies by the way. They can charge whatever they want if you return your car with less than a full tank, so plan on filling up right before you drop the vehicle off.

7.       Consider a combination of renting a vehicle and using transportation services. For example, we had a shuttle (Volcano Shuttle, to be specific) take us to and from the airport but rented a car mid-vacation to go exploring, once we got more comfortable with our surroundings.

8.       Finally, for the most part, Costa Rica is incredibly safe to explore, but property crime is an issue. Don’t leave anything of value, or anything that looks valuable to someone peering in from the outside, in a vehicle, even if it’s locked. A thief will break a window for even a low-value item, so it’s best not to flaunt anything at all. Just clear out the car. And if you have the option, park in a secure, well-lit area.

I thoroughly enjoyed my travels in Costa Rica, and especially loved driving by all the fruit stands on Highway 1, where folks sold watermelons, coconut water, and other delicacies. For a few dollars we were able to pick up fresh smoothie fixin’s not to be had in the states for such a price.

Don't be intimidated by anything I just wrote. After you've spent money on airfare and taken the well-deserved vacation time off from work, it seems silly to avoid exploring this fabulous country because the driving is a challenge. Rent a car when you know you'll want to get out on your own and take advantage of spontaneity. Leave the pros behind the wheel when you simply want to get someplace as quickly as possible.

Arenal Oasis Frog Watching Tour, La Fortuna, Costa Rica

I want to encourage anyone visiting beautiful La Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano region of Costa Rica to sign up for a Jungle Night Walk at the Arenal Oasis. Arenal Oasis is an eco-lodge and wildlife sanctuary—privately run by the Rojas Bonilla family—that offers affordable (20.00 USD) 3-hour walks through the rainforest at night. Tours are run by a trained naturalist, and you’ll see things on these walks that will take your breath away.

I decided to do the Night Walk on my last night in Fortuna, and it was a perfect way to end a fabulous vacation. Our guide, Inti, was not only knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the area, but his enthusiasm for interpreting and sharing his knowledge was infectious. We saw toads, lizards, insects (large praying mantis, walking sticks, leaf-cutter ants, etc.), snakes, spiders, a sleeping toucan, and the glorious red-legged tree frogs, all in their natural environment. While we walked the easy-to-navigate (flat) trails, with water and flashlights provided, we saw more than 26 new species we had not seen in the two weeks spent in the country. Although we saw no mammals, Inti pointed out the rooting sounds of a nearby armadillo on the ground, and the sound of dropping fruit signaled to him that a mammal was foraging around above us in the canopy. And Inti also showed us a roost in large tropical leaves that tent bats had recently used for daytime sleeping.

In addition to animals seen in the wild, Arenal Oasis has display cases that feature other species held captive. Looking at hairy tarantulas and poisonous pit vipers, behind the safety of glass, at night, was eerie and exciting.

When I do return to La Fortuna, I hope to be able to spend a night or two at the Arenal Oasis eco-lodge. I believe there are 7 cabins there, and a small restaurant on-site. For me, access to the property and its wild nature would be a huge draw. (We also saw three bird species we had not seen before the afternoon we went on the tour, before the sun went down.)

In hiking the rainforest, most tourists do not venture out at night, when the jungle comes most alive. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience a nature hike like this. Having someone tell us what species made the various calls and noises we heard out there in the dark was a thrill, as was the opportunity to see colorful tree frogs straddling branches a few feet away from our face.  We’ll be back.

Find out more:

www.arenaloasis.com

Ziplining the Rain Forest in Costa Rica

Finally back in cold, dry Colorado after two weeks spent exploring some of Costa Rica. PURA VIDA! Thanks to all the wonderful people, the "ticos," who made my adventures there so enjoyable. I've never visited any foreign country with happier, friendlier locals than those I met in San Jose, La Fortuna, and Monteverde. Mucho gusto, mi amigos.

That said, I have to comment on my experience ziplining in Arenal National Park. This gorgeous setting--a tropical rainforest near the Arenal Volcano--is spectacular. I began getting to know the forest, however, in the worst way possible (my opinion)--ziplining over the canopy. When I reserved spots on a 1 PM tour with SKY trek (thru Desafio Adventures), I was terribly excited. I love speed, and rollercoasters, and all kinds of amusements like this. I am not afraid of heights. I thought it would be the perfect fit for me. But it wasn't. Standing on the first platform before my first cable, I was outright terrifed. Looking down over the tops of jungle trees that are well over 150 feet high is intense. Letting go and trusting the harness and clips holding me to the cable, so that I could fly over the treetops was not easy. In hindsight, I am glad I met the challenge, but while I was zipping along (at about 50 mph) I kept thinking "this is a fabulous view--but I am going too fast to appreciate it!"

After zipping, in the days that followed, I ended up hiking within the forest and above it again on hanging suspension bridges, and I wish I had done that first. Not that things would have been less terrifying, but for a first taste of the rainforest, for a biologist like me, the zipline was too fast, too removed, and more suited to an andrenaline-junkie.

It seemed that many of the touristos in both Arenal and Monteverde, especially the younger ones, were there just for the zipline and the rappelling. Not that it's bad. But part of me was asking myself, with no small measure of guilt, "would we let people zipline through one of our national parks?"

The guys at Desafio (one of many tour-booking groups in La Fortuna and Monteverde) cannot be beat. They arranged the zip tour for me through the park concessionaire. They also helped me find other, quieter adventures to enable me to explore the forest with trained guides to point out native species of plants, birds, bats, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. But for me, the zipline shoud've been booked for the end of my stay, as big "whoo-hoo" send-off to an intoxicating landscape before heading home.

Happy Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year--the Year of the Dragon! Many of my peers are dragons, so I know the personality well. In China, and much of the Asian world, the lunar new year represents a pilgrimage home to family, and represents the planet's largest annual human migration. Sort of a combo of the American Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, the Chinese New Year is by far the most important holiday in the East. Welcome all newborn dragons this year, and best wishes for a happy celebration to my Chinese friends.

Click here to learn more about my dragon painting