Costa Rica is driving me crazy!
Driving in COSTA RICA is quite an adventure, however once you become familiar
with the idiosyncrasies of Costa Rican drivers and the way things work here, you shouldn’t have too much of a problem. When discussing this issue with Omar, the friendly receptionist at the front desk of Hotel Bougainvillea, he confided to me with a big grin on his face, that if you can drive in Costa Rica, you can drive anywhere in the world. After all, he proudly said “Ticos are some of the craziest drivers in the world.” Furthermore he pointed out to me that automobile accidents are the leading cause of death in Costa Rica. I nodded and told him, I read that somewhere in a travel book
If you plan to drive an automobile in Costa Rica, there are a couple of observations and tips that I would like to share with you. Having driven a car in Costa Rica on four of my eight trips here, I am definitely speaking from experience. In my opinion, driving around Costa Rica is still the best way to see the country!
- Bad Roads
- Stop Signs
..In general roads in Costa Rica are not in very good shape; on secondary roads in particular, be prepared to encouter potholes (in Spanish, huecos) of every imaginable size and shape. Curiously enough while driving from Siquerres to Turrialba on Highway 10, I saw road signs warning that the road was in bad shape “Carratera en mal estado”, but much to my surprise there were only a few minor potholes. Yesterday while driving on a secondary road from Guayabo National Monument to the town of Turrialba; over a 7-8 miles stretch, I stopped counting huecos at 50!
..In the urban area, you’ll see stop signs posted at most intersections. Alto means stop in Spanish. For most Tico drivers, a stop sign doesn’t necessarily mean stop. Some will slow down as they drive through a stop sign, looking both ways to make sure the coast is clear before proceeding through the intersection, while the typically more reckless driver will go right through the stop sign as if it doesn’t even exist. Apparently this is a unique Costa Rica custom. I have seen only a handful of drivers come to a full stop – they were mostly ladies and tourists. When questioning the representative of the Toyota Car Rental Company about this custom, he confirmed to me that this is how most people drive in Costa Rica including himself. Apparently the traffic cops in Costa Rica don’t enforce the law with respect to stopping at stop signs and issue citations to drivers only if they are directly responsible for an automobile accident. Pura Vida!
In my next post, I will discuss signage, finding addresses and where to park your car.
When renting a car in COSTA RICA, by all means take the full insurance coverage - most car rental companies will usually offer you at least two coverage plans. Better spend a little bit more for full coverage and be safe rather than sorry
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