How to Drive to Costa
Rica
By Arlin Cuncic
The drive to Costa Rica will be one of the
most beautiful, but also one of the most
challenging trips that you have ever taken.
If you have ever taken an extended road
trip, you know that the road less traveled
is often the most interesting one. In the
words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Do not go
where the path may lead, go instead where
there is no path and leave a trail".
If excitement and the open road are your thing, then a road trip to Costa
Rica might just be in your future.
For many the thought of driving to a foreign
destination, even Mexico, is a daunting one.
You might be wondering can I really drive
all the way to Costa Rica? Isn't it
dangerous? Do I need to learn Spanish? Rest
assured that the trip is not an easy one or
a quick one, but with a little effort and
lots of planning you can pull it off.
First, you should plan to take at least one
month to drive to Costa Rica. Although the
trip can be done in considerably less time
if you drive the shortest distance between
two points and never stay in one place more
than a night, that is not the trip that you
want to take.
Next, make sure you have all the proper
documentation. In travelling from the U.S.A.
to Costa Rica you will pass through Mexico,
Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador (optional),
and Nicaragua. At each border crossing and
throughout your trip, you will need to have
your passports, title for your vehicle,
driver's licenses, and a certificate of
health for any pets you may have with you.
In addition, be sure to have copies of all
of your documentation. Not just in case of
robbery, but also because at each border
crossing you will be asked for photocopies.
If you do not have them at the border
crossings, you will have to find the
photocopy kiosk which may, or may not, be
easy to find.
Next, plan out your route. If scenery is
your thing and winding roads don't make you
carsick, plan to drive straight west through
Mexico and hit the Pacific Coast. From there
you can follow the coastline all the way to
Costa Rica, stopping in such places as
Mazatlan, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta,
Acapulco, and Puerto Escondido in Mexico.
Once in Guatemala, consider jumping over to
the central part of the country to take in
the magnificent sights of the Volcanoes at
Lake Atitlan and the cobbled streets of
Antigua. In El Salvador, make a beeline for
La Libertad, a surfing hot spot with a
laid-back atmosphere.
From there, jump through the west coast of
Honduras (not much to see there) and head to
San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua, a cozy little
coastal town with big development on the
horizon. If you dare, camp the night in one
of the campsites to the north of town.
Finally, as you cross the border from
Nicaragua to Costa Rica, realize that you
have finished an incredibly long but
wondrous journey.
Your Spanish has probably improved at least
a little (be sure to bring a Spanish
dictionary for those moments when charades
just aren't cutting it), and your
appreciation for the little things back home
has probably grown by leaps and bounds.
Although you won't find a Starbucks as you
roll through the border at Peñas Blancas,
there are many more exciting sights awaiting
you. |
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