Getting to costa rica and Getting Around
But first, is it safe?
It is such a bummer to have to start out talking about safety, but so many people are postponing their vacations because of concerns over safety, whether travelling domestically, or internationally. We get it; we travel quite a bit and have modified our habits somewhat to not go certain places, or to change how we travel. We know it sounds self-serving to say this, but we have never felt in any danger while vacationing in Costa Rica, unless it’s been due to a dumb decision on our parts.
The first time we arrived at the airport in Alajuela was in 1992. Travelling with a three-year old daughter, my wife and I were hyper-cautious about our safety and surroundings since we were travelling in an unfamiliar place. When we exited the airport into the throngs of taxi drivers, tour operators, and “helpers”, we were pretty overwhelmed with the chaos. One after another, Costa Rican men would approach us and say “how can I help you"?” or “do you need a taxi?” or “what are you looking for?” and I, foolishly, would brush them off because I questioned their intentions. Finally, in desperation, having not found our intended contact person, I asked for help from one of the men. He quickly escorted us to a different place to wait that was a little less hectic, and asked us to wait. A few minutes later, he showed up with the gentleman we were waiting for. I felt like a total ass for doubting this person’s good intentions. I gave him some dollars (stupid me; I didn’t have colones at that point), and he thanked me profusely and disappeared into the crowd.
That has been our experience universally in Costa Rica. People are nice, they want to help, and they are delighted with a tip of some sort. They are genuinely friendly and polite. Not surprisingly, communication is easier when we’re friendly and polite, too.
Having said that, what safety tips would I have for visitors? Here are a few:
Be very careful driving at night. We would never recommend that someone get a rental car after dark near the airport and head to Dominical. The roads are very dark at night, and the reflectors are sometimes present, but frequently not. The first time you drive in Costa, do so during the day.
Be very careful when you pass other vehicles. The highways are largely two-lane, and the roads have lots of curves which hide oncoming traffic. Don’t take unnecessary chances.
Avoid sketchy areas of San Jose and Jaco after dark. We’ve never been bothered, but we know people who have been. Stay in bright, touristy areas, when in those cities.
Avoid bars and hangouts after, say, 10PM. Again, we haven’t had a problem, but just as with any place where there are crowds of people and alcohol, it can get uncomfortable or worse.
Be really careful of riptides. We have a whole section in this website on Water Safety for a reason. Riptides form quickly and can catch unobservant swimmers. Initially, swim in the ocean where there are salvavidas (lifeguards) and always swim with a buddy.
Getting Here
Airports and Airlines
While there has been the promise of a “southern” airport (Palmar Sur?) for more than 20 years, your only real choice is Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) in Alajuela, a city near San Jose. Yes, there is a second international airport in Liberia (LIR) which serves the northern part of the country, but it’s an additional 2-3 hour drive to get to our villas. Your airline choices are American, United, Frontier, Taca, Alaska, Southwest, Jet Blue, Delta, and a few others. We generally fly Alaska or Delta via Los Angeles, but that’s because we’re in California. From the West Coast, it takes about seven hours in the air, regardless of which route you take. From the East Coast, it can take five hours in the air via Ft. Lauderdale or Miami. Gateway cities, depending on the airline, include Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Washington DC, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami. Click here to see which airlines serve which cities.
Many flights depart from the US around 2:00pm to 5:00pm and arrive around 8:30pm in Costa Rica. Incidentally, Costa Rica is in the Central standard time zone and does not change for daylight savings time, so it is permanently UTC-6 hours. While it’s possible to drive to Dominical after renting a car at night, we don’t recommend it because the roads are not well marked or lit in most cases, and it can be difficult to find your way. (Highway 27 and the improvements to Highway 34 have mitigated this warning somewhat, but we recommend that you wait until your second trip to drive at night from the airport.) Instead, stay at an airport hotel overnight and get an early start the next day. Alternatively, you can take an early flight from Miami or Dallas, and arrive in Costa Rica before noon. Or take the redeye option on Delta from Los Angeles that arrives at 6:00am in SJO.
Alaska Airlines now serves San Jose with a single flight per day out of LA. Interestingly, this takes off around 1:00pm, and lands around 8:00pm, then returns home slightly after midnight. Prices were about $400 to $600 r/t depending on the season.
If staying near the airport, consider the Marriott (extremely nice, about $230 to $300 per room per night) or the Studio Hotel in Santa Ana (about $120, and a tremendous deal). Otherwise, there is a Holiday Inn Express and a Hampton Inn close to the airport ($135 or so) and right next to rental car companies.
What about flying into Quepos?
Yes, this is an option. Quepos (XQP) Airport is about 40 minutes north of Dominical, and there are flights from San Jose (Costa Rica) to Quepos so you can save about 2:20 of driving time. SANSA is the local airline, and they fly small single-engine Cessna turboprop aircraft. The flight takes 30 minutes, and costs about $225 round trip. Costa Rica Green Airways is another airline offering similar service. Note: the airstrip in Quepos is not lit, and the flights only occur in the daylight. The last flight of the day generally departs around 4:00 to 4:30.
Once you’re in Quepos, you can book a rental car at the airport, although it’s a tiny airport and you’ll want to book the car well in advance. Alamo, Budget, and Adobe are listed as offering cars there.
The drive to Dominical
Two completely different routes lead from the Juan Santamaria International airport to Dominical. (While we generally call this the “San Jose” airport, it’s actually in Alajuela.) The route in blue is substantially faster, simpler for navigation, and safer. However, the gray route, over the mountains, allows you to see a completely different aspect of the country, since much of the route is above 9,000' in altitude. However, it is less safe, and should be driven by alert drivers with nerves of steel (and good insurance.)
There is a third route that will be recommended by navigation apps. While it’s passable/possible in the dry season, it is predominantly on dirt roads which pass over summit which can be very muddy. The highway is CR 239, and you can see it in yellow on the map above. Only use this route if you want to see a different “side” of Costa Rica, and you have four wheel drive. It also takes substantially longer than the other routes.
Getting Back home
Many return flights to the U.S. depart between 7:00am and 11:00am. While the 9:00am flight seems like it would be too early, you can leave Dominical around 4:00am, drive three hours up the coast and get to the rental car agencies around 7:00am, and still have time to spare at the airport. The sunrise is beautiful as you drive up the coast, and there is little traffic. You might encounter some rush hour traffic as you get close to San Jose. We still think it’s the best option, and we’ve never missed a flight. Plus, you avoid the cost of an airport hotel (and stay in paradise one more night.)
You can get gas before returning your car right off the highway on Radial El Coyol. Take the Radial El Coyol exit, navigate the two traffic circles, and there’s a large gas station on the right hand side of the road. Continue to the airport from there.
We are fans of leaving our rental car at the airport and paying a fee to have the rental car company collect it, especially when the departure time is 'o’dark thirty. Check with your rental agency to see if this is possible. It can save 30 minutes, at least. Rental car companies do open for business very early.
It used to be that you bought an airport departure sticker before leaving, but most if not all airlines have included this $28 fee in your ticket price. Still, find out if this is necessary so you use your time wisely at the airport. If needed, pay the airport tax (located on the far right side of Departures) before getting in line at the airline counters. The line at the "tax counter" was dramatically shorter recently than in previous years, so it may be a thing of the past.
The right vehicle for the trip.
Getting Around
Vehicle Rentals and Recommendations
I think it is safe to say that driving in a country in which you do not reside (I am trying desperately to not say "a foreign country") is intimidating the first time, and possibly every time you do so. There are so many aspects that conspire to make your hands sweat, your heart race, and convince you to take a car with a driver or a bus the next time around. We have rented cars in half a dozen countries, and we don't pretend to be experts, but we do have some advice on renting and driving in Costa Rica.
First, virtually all American car rental companies are represented at the airport. Yes, there are a few that you haven't seen in the U.S., but the normal Budget, Avis, Hertz, National, and so forth are there, So, if you have had good experience with any of those companies, you might feel comfortable continuing to use them.
Second, our default recommendation used to be Toyota Rentacar which, not surprisingly, rented Toyota cars and trucks exclusively. However, they were bought by Hertz, which we imagined would not be a good thing. It turns out, it was a GREAT THING. Same nice people, same great cars, long hours, quick pickups at the Airport, etc. We don’t shop around anymore; we just call Hertz. However, Kayak, Hotwire, and Expedia may allow you to compare competing rent-a-car companies.
TIP: Yes, while searching on the Internet allows you to find ridiculous prices, these inevitably do not include insurance, which can be 60% of your car rental fees. See below!
Third, we think it makes sense to rent medium sized SUVs for most uses. We like the Toyota Rav4, but other models would also work (Hyundai Tucson, Toyota Prado, etc.) Relatively good on gas, rugged for the bad roads, and more likely to be survivable if the yogurt hits the fan. Many, many roads in Costa Rica are dirt and gravel, which turns into mud in the rainy season, and therefore a 4WD vehicle is required to give you access to some remote(r) places. This includes the coastal mountain roads, which are all dirt, and which are very difficult to be navigated by 2WD vehicles after it rains.
Recently, we’ve been renting Toyota Hilux trucks. There are several advantages:
About the same cost as a mid-size SUV.
Diesel, which is available at all gas stations and is more efficient.
30MPG.
Manual 6-speed transmission, which might be too much in Costa Rica’s traffic but it’s really a sweet transmission
Four wheel drive, and a transfer case with low gears, so you can go to some swampy areas and muddy roads.
We’ve also rented a variety of minivans when we’ve arrived with another family. The older Toyota Hiace vans are pretty gutless and don’t ride very well, but the new models are better. Make sure the tires are in good condition: you will need the traction and you don’t want to have to change tires in the mud. Note: many of the newer vans have a diesel engine and a 6 speed manual transmission.
Fourth, comparing prices can be difficult because of insurance costs. There is the mandatory insurance (liability) and then the extra insurance (collision, comprehensive). We've never quite figured out the right answer, but some credit cards like American Express will cover one or more of these insurance costs if you charge the rental on your card. While all the prices seem cheap initially, we find that it ends up costing $65-$90 per day after insurance, taxes, etc. On our most recent rental, the cost for the “Platinum” coverage was about $80 for four days, so prices appear to be negotiable.
TIP: if you like the idea of dealing with Hertz, email them with your dates and vehicle preferences. Let them know that you want a competitive price AND you want it to include all necessary insurance. I have found that they are very competitive if you write and reserve in advance. sales@toyotarent.com.
Fifth, our place is about 150km (90 miles) away, so buying the notorious fuel option can be a good idea. Fuel is expensive, so you don't want to return the car with half a tank. On a recent trip, we were upgraded to a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (large, but relatively simple SUV) with a diesel engine. We opted for the pre-paid fuel and drove our entire five day trip on a single tank of fuel. There was 1/8 tank left when we returned to the airport. Your mileage may vary. We generally fly out early in the morning, so we leave the car at the airport (by prior arrangement). So, not having to get gas is a big plus.
Finally, consider the extra cost option of picking the car up at the airport. We’ve done this a couple of times, and it’s so much easier. There is still paperwork to fill out, but starting from the airport puts you incrementally closer to your destination in most cases. And ask if you can leave the car at the airport when you depart. There is generally a reasonable charge for this drop-off service.
Driving Customs
Hey, it's pretty much like the U.S. but there are a few differences. We have seen very few examples of aggressive driving, as in road rage or purposefully dangerous driving, but we do see a lot of drivers taking chances. This shows up as passing cars and trucks in low-visibility locations, or taking corners too fast and too close to the center line, and so forth. This boils down to the old Driver's Training admonition: Drive Defensively or what the Navy teaches as forehandedness. Assume that the other driver is going to take his half out of the middle. Presume that there are people crossing in the dark up ahead. Don't rely on blinkers or tail lights or following the speed limit.
Four specific things that you should be aware of:
Many, many multilane roads narrow from two lanes to one, and a small sign will say "Ceda el Paso". The distance over which you can merge is ridiculously short, and you’ll be merging from the slow lane to the fast lane. You really don't have any rights at this point so don't meekly merge into faster traffic. Come to a stop if you have to. This calls for advance planning, and getting into the left lane sooner (or staying in the fast lane.) Don't wait until you see the signs or the converging lines on the road.
Some two-lane highways will switch to four lanes at major intersections with on- and off-ramps. Trucks and slow vehicles will not pull into the slow lanes, and it's infuriating if you're used to "slower traffic merge right". In this case, however, it seems entirely OK to pass on the right and keep moving. Don't ever expect a slow vehicle to pull over to let you pass.
Many Tico drivers drive extremely slowly and will not, under any circumstances, pull over the let you by. You must pass them and, since they are driving 20 miles per hour, it is not difficult. But your high beams, horn, and gestures won't do a damned thing. It's both sweet and infuriating. Don't fight it: pass when safe on the right or left.
The speed limits seem almost quaint on some sections of highway. We find ourselves traveling at 20kph faster than the posted speeds, and then getting passed by someone going 20kph faster than us. There are policemen on major routes, and they will pull you over, but generally we find it possible to exceed the posted speeds without a problem.
Note: there are a LOT of primary schools in Costa Rica (good for them!) painted blue and white. They are generally along the highways. Inevitably the area will be marked with 25KPH speed limit signs. Be ready to slow down when you see indications of a primary school.Finally, the roads are reasonably good between the airport and our place, but at night they are very dark and lack lines on the road (except at Jaco which is lit up like a Christmas tree by comparison.) You need to use your high beams to see any appreciable distance down the road. You're going to have to dim them like you do in Canada and the U.S., but this will happen every 15 seconds. It's more akin to driving in a cave than driving in the open air. You can do it, but you'll only find lit roadways in cities and at some intersections.
OK, I promised four points, but here’s a bonus point: since your lights and wipers are vital for good nighttime driving visibility, verify that they are OK before leaving the car rental place. When we returned our Hilux we found that one of the headlights was burned out. That explained a lot (blinking lights from other drivers) and it made it dangerously hard to see. Wipers get a lot of use, so make sure that they do a reasonable job of wiping before you leave.
Discover Dominical, Costa Rica
This site is intended to provide information for visitors who would like to stay (or are already staying) at our villas in Dominical, Puntarenas, Costa Rica, or for anyone traveling to that area. Our property management company is YouGetHere, which is a wonderful resource when planning a trip to the South Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Please feel free to visit our listing on YouGetHere where you can rent one villa, or two, or all three. Ideal for family reunions, yoga retreats, weddings, or getting the band back together. Since there are three identical homes, Caballitos del Mar allows up to 25 guests to be accommodated. The villas are one km south of Dominical, right on a semi-private beach, and owned by the Hutchings and Hawley families.
We hope you enjoy the site. Comments are welcome. You can contact me, Chuck Hawley, at hawley.chuck@gmail.com.
The Villas
There are lots of lovely places to stay in Costa Rica, yet very few are on the beach, and have direct access to the ocean. When we found a piece of property nestled in the forest but very close to the beach, we bought it despite the many complications of owning* property in the “Maritime Zone.” Regardless, we’re delighted we did because the proximity to the beach is vital to making full use of the beauty of Costa Rica
