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Birding Trip to Costa Rica- Driving Dos and Dont’s

Driving in Costa Rica. Should you do it? What’s it like? What about taking the bus? How about road issues and birding by car?

If you are thinking about driving in Costa Rica, wondering if you should take the wheel or let a local do the driving, this post is for you. If you don’t plan on driving but are still curious about what the driving is like in Costa Rica, this post is also for you.

I’ve written about this topic on other occasions, here’s my latest take on various aspects of driving in the land of quetzals, toucans, and visiting sloth watchers.

Driving Expectations in Costa Rica

Thinking of driving in Costa Rica? Not sure if you should drive yourself or go with shuttles? Those are good considerations, after all, driving in Costa Rica might not be the same as home.

In short, it’s not but it’s also not extremely different from driving in Canada, the USA, or Europe. In general, it’s not as relaxed, streets can get pretty crowded, and there’s a fairly high percentage of bad drivers. If that sounds like home, you’re all set!

Based on driving in Costa Rica for several years and in all conditions, here’s the deal. Expect similar driving rules but also expect people to break many of them on a daily basis. The rule breaking isn’t constant but it does happen enough to expect people to do it.

For example, here’s some of what I saw during the past week, and is typical:

-Vehicles stopped on the side of a busy road and partly blocking a lane because they are picking someone up or going to the bank or doing some other thing that’s more important to them than causing traffic jams and unsafe conditions.

-Occasional cars rushing into traffic to turn left without really checking.

-Cars rushing to cut in front of you because you left space between you and the car in front so you don’t smash into it (I also see such fender benders every day), in slow or fast traffic.

-Driving too slow with sudden inexplicable stops and driving too fast, even by schools.

-People passing in dangerous situations, especially on highways.

-Likely drunk driving, especially when bars close, and constant cell phone use while driving.

-Driving through red lights and maybe not quite stopping at stop signs. This doesn’t happen very often but often enough to be very careful!

Now these might be things you also see at home, if so, then you already know how to drive in Costa Rica. If not, just drive carefully and defensively and you’ll be alright.

Traffic Police

Costa Rica actually has a lot of driving rules but there’s not enough enforcement. Traffic police are the only police that really give tickets and we just don’t have enough.

Typically, traffic police in Costa Rica wait on the side of the road with a speed camera. They might also wait in spots where people illegally overtake over cars and mostly watch for cars that do not have their registration and inspection stickers up to date.

They also do occasional stops to check for a license. If you see a traffic officer step in your lane and wave to you to pull over, that’s what they are doing. Pull over and see what they want. They rarely stop rental cars but, if you are speeding well over the limit or illegally passing, yeah, they’ll stop you and give a hefty fine.

Be extra careful to slow down in spots where it drops to 60 ks per hour even if other cars are flying by!

Motorcycles

Dirt bikes, speed bikes, and even weekend Harleys, you’ll probably see them all. Motorcyles, especially dirt bikes, are common in Costa Rica. Cheaper than cars, faster and easier to get through traffic, you might want one too!

They are also supposed to follow the same rules as cars but they never do and that’s not really enforced (except maybe speeding and official things like having a license). Motorcycles are why you can’t just watch the road in front of you. I keep an eye on the mirrors, always watch what’s coming from behind; it’s very common for motorcycles to zip between cars and fly past you on both sides.

Turning left? Changing lanes? Make sure some motorcycle isn’t flying into view. Oh yeah, they do drive dangerously, and yes, there are many fatal motorcycle accidents. On weekends, you might also see youngsters doing wheelies on busy roads. Don’t be surprised!

Cyclists

Cycling has become very popular in Costa Rica. Many climb volcanoes, their feats are indeed impressive!

You’ll see lots on the weekends, and they’ll slow down traffic. Few Costa Rica roads have shoulders, there’s not a lot of room but that doesn’t stop cyclists. Just be patient and don’t expect them to move out of the way, even if they are taking up an entire lane. You’ll eventually get a chance to safely pass them.

Road Conditions, Four Wheel Drive?

What about the roads? I’m happy to say that most roads in Costa Rica are great! Some still have holes and lots of bumps but it’s nothing like 20 or even 15 years ago.

Most major roads are pretty darn good. You can still run into massive pot holes, you still gotta watch out for them but major roads are pretty good. Other, secondary roads vary but the ones with gravel are alright. However, many little used tracks are definitely not alright.

You can explore but play it by ear. If the track has slippery clay mud, turn around! Just because a road is on a map doesn’t mean you can use it. Go downhill on slippery mud and you might get stuck down there, might slide right off the road.

There’s also the issue of crossing streams. Just use common sense- if that stream looks too deep, don’t do it!

So what about four-wheel drive? Do you need it? Not if you are only travelling between birding lodges (as long as their entrance road doesn’t require four wheel drive!). However, if you want to explore other places and visit exciting places like Pocosol, El Copal, and Laguna del Lagarto, yes, to be sure, get the four-wheel drive.

When Not to Drive in Costa Rica and other Safety Issues

Are there times when you shouldn’t drive in Costa Rica? Not necessarily, but I don’t recommend doing much night driving, especially in the mountains. Night driving in Costa Rica is not fun because most roads have poor or no lighting, it’s harder to see pot holes and other odd things to avoid, and people with dark clothing and bikes sans reflectors are regular.

Lanes and reflectors on the edge of the road are also poor or non-existent. When combined with mountain fog, those factors in particular can make for particularly terrifying driving conditions.

As for other safety issues, never leave anything of value in an unattended car, and don’t leave binos or other valuable things in a vehicle even in a guarded parking lot. Unattended cars are frequent targets, guarded parking areas less so but it can still happen, why take the chance?

Is Birding in Costa Rica by Car Possible?

It sure is! There’s a lot of places with good roadside habitat and I bird this way on a regular basis. I have seen everything from quetzals to hawk-eagles and antbirds.

To have a better chance at forest interior species like tinamous and quail-doves, it’s important to include trail birding too but you can certainly see a lot while road birding in Costa Rica.

However, you can’t really stop on busy roads, most lack shoulders anyways. I stop on other roads but still stop where occasional vehicles can get by and no matter how remote the road may seem to be, I always bird within sight of it.

Renting a Vehicle in Costa Rica, Shuttles, or Buses

Rent a vehicle and you get that wonderful freedom of the road. I usually work with Vamos Rent a Car but lots of folks have had good experiences with other companies too.

Know that prices go up quite a bit with optional insurance but I always feel better getting the full coverage.

Shuttles are nice and comfortable. They aren’t cheap but it’s a nice, relaxed way to get from one place to another. Of course, this limits movement but if you only plan on birding on hotel or ecolodge grounds, you’ll be alright.

Buses also go just about everywhere and they are the cheapest way to get around but, they’ll eat up a lot of your precious birding time.

Pumping Gas

It’s all full service in Costa Rica. Nope, no pumping your own gas, you have to wait for the attendant and tell them how much you want. To fill the car, say, “Lleno porfavor”. You’ll also have a choice of two or three types of gas with “super” costing the most. Speaking of cost, gas is pretty expensive in Costa Rica and runs around $5 a gallon.

Distances aren’t huge but it is costly.

The attendant can also wash the windows, check tire pressure, etc..

The Electric Car Situation in Costa Rica

Electric vehicles are becoming more and more popular in Costa Rica! I like it, we’ve got way too much air pollution in the Central Valley and, as a species, we need to stop burning fossil fuels now.

So far, electric cars are also feasible in Costa Rica because the distances aren’t that far. Driving uphill and using necessary air conditioning eats up the charge but the distances are still close enough. There are also an increasing number of charging stations although some require special cards only acquired through bureaucratic processes, and some don’t work.

However, to meet the demand, it looks like there will be more charging station services available.

Wondering where to drive and go birding in Costa Rica? Support this blog by purchasing my 900 plus page ebook, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica“. I hope to see you here!

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biodiversity Birding Costa Rica Introduction preparing for your trip

How to Avoid Traffic when Birding in Costa Rica

Costa Rica= 100% Natural! Costa Rica, land of endless forests! Costa Rica, a natural paradise! Anyone who has planned a trip to Costa Rica has probably seen these and other slogans designed to market the country to visitors from abroad. Once you get here, if you keep an open mind, you will note that while those marketing banners do have a fair grain of truth, they also omit a good degree of reality.

Beautiful scenery but pastures aren't a natural part of the Costa Rican landscape. Just about every pasture in Costa Rica used to host far more diverse tropical forests.

Pocosol is a good place to experience nearly "endless" forests (and high quality birding).

Just as with nearly every other country on this planet, Costa Rica has seen its fair share of human-made changes, many of them not being very conducive to the continued existence of biodiverse ecosystems. Yes, the country has preserved quite a bit of its already limited territory and laws are on the books to try and protect biodiversity but the forests are far from endless, wetlands have been drained, and too many crops are doused with chemicals (challenges to sustainable living commonly shared by many countries on Earth in this over-populated, naturally disconnected segment of human history). Another sign of the times is traffic.

Waiting in a long line of cars during road work in Guanacaste.

Unfortunately, Costa Rica has reached the point where the number of cars, buses, trucks, and motorcycles overwhelm the roads of some parts of the country on a daily basis. Long gone are the days of the pleasant morning drive to work. As with other densely populated places, the norm nowadays involves sharing the byways with a massive train of vehicles that clogs the arteries in both directions like amalgamations of steel, plastic, and vulcanized rubber cholesterol. Throw in a fender bender, a washed-out bridge, or a small landslide now and then and you go from gridlock to gridsuper-glued. Ok, so before you cancel that car rental, don’t panic! There are ways to avoid the traffic on a birdwatching trip to Costa Rica and here are some suggestions:

  • Leave early (as in pre-dawn early): Even if you happen to be staying in the heart of San Jose (which is of course also the center of car chaos), you will be out of town in a jiffy if you leave the hotel by 5 or 5:30 AM. Depart before then and it’s even nicer but wait until 6 and it will take a while to get out of town.

    Leaving early will also help you see more birds like this Prevost's Ground Sparrow.
  • Come back late: If you are coming back to the San Jose area, you might want to consider doing a bit of owling and having dinner outside of the city. That way, in addition to hopefully seeing an owl or two, you can head back to the hotel around 8 without having to deal with the afternoon rush hour.

    You might see a Bare-shanked Screech Owl- a fairly common regional endemic.
  • Rush hour: Of course, knowing when most people are migrating to and from home is key to avoiding traffic. The morning rush hour goes from around 6 to 8 and the worst of the afternoon madness happens between 4 and 6.
  • Routes and places to avoid: Fortunately, daily problems with traffic are mostly restricted to the Central Valley. You can expect unpleasant issues if driving during rush hour anywhere from San Ramon on east to Cartago. Other routes that have their fair share of slow-going vehicles and traffic are the highway between San Jose and Limon (at least you can watch for birds as you Sunday drive through Braulio Carrillo National Park), the Pan-American highway between Puntarenas and Liberia (due to road work and when collisions shut down the road), and the new Caldera-San Jose highway on Sundays (on Sundays, take the old road up to San Ramon instead).
  • Bird areas with little traffic: Since more birds live where there are less people, most good birding sites are naturally bereft of bottlenecks and heavy traffic. One of several wonderful birding routes that comes to mind is the road between San Ramon and La Fortuna. The low level of traffic and fantastic birding at places like Lands in Love, the Manuel Brenes Road, Finca Luna Nueva, the Cocora Hummingbird Garden, and the San Luis Canopy make this area one of my favorite places to bird in the country.

    You might see a Three-wattled Bellbird around there.

Follow these suggestions to save time and sanity when birding in Costa Rica!

You might also want to check out some driving tips for Costa Rica.

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Birding Costa Rica Introduction preparing for your trip

Some Tips for Driving when Birding in Costa Rica

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to drive in Costa Rica? What it looks like to drive along mountain roads on your way to seriously exciting birding sites like Cerro de la Muerte, Irazu Volcano, and Braulio Carrillo National Park? Well, if you live and drive in North America or Europe, it’s not going to be like home. It’s different but if you know how to drive defensively or in heavy, urban traffic it’s not so different that you can’t do it.

Renting a vehicle in Costa Rica has its ups and downs. The obvious benefit is that you can go birding in a lot more places at optimal times. Want to leave San Jose at 3 am to look for Unspotted Saw-whet Owl on Irazu? Want to survey the high elevations of the entire Providencia Road? How about exploring unbirded foothill forests near Dominical or checking out Palo Verde? You can do all of this and more with a rental car. It brings you a certain degree of freedom and comfort that public transportation will never provide.

This all comes at a cost though and it’s not just money that I’m referring to. Much of the driving isn’t quite so relaxing as cruising around Main Street back at home or calmly speeding down a well-lit four lane highway with wide shoulders. To give you an idea of what to expect when driving in Costa Rica, read and heed the following tips and advice:

  • Central Valley traffic: You may have noticed that I often refer to this part of Costa Rica as being “over-urbanized”. I say this so frequently to give visitors a heads up about the greater San Jose area. Costa Rica’s small size and mountainous topography don’t allow for much elbow room in the Central Valley. This is where at least half of everyone in Costa Rica resides and the result is a veritable labyrinth of asphalt and concrete. If you need to drive through the San Jose area, Heredia, or Alajuela, do so before 5 am or get ready to spend a lot of your precious birding time in traffic. You might see some flocks of Crimson-fronted Parakeets fly over or perched on the buildings but won’t see much more than common, widespread species.
  • Navigation: Forget about a map, rent that GPS. You can eventually find your way with a street map but since signs are commonly absent or misleading, it’s easiest to just follow what the GPS device says. Outside of urban areas, it’s pretty easy to get to your destination but if you need to drive through any cities in the Central Valley, a GPS is invaluable.
  • Signs (or the absence of): Don’t expect to see big signs like home. There are some, but it’s pretty common to see one sign with an arrow pointing to your destination and then nothing further at forks in the road. There are also signs that are downright misleading (like some entrance and exit signs for highways) so once again, rent that GPS and do what it says. On a side note, the brown signs that point to national parks are pretty accurate.
  • Potholes: Costa Rica has seen dramatic improvements in terms of pothole frequency but the heavy rains always give birth to more. They can turn up just about anywhere so your best bet is to always watch out for them. This is what us locals do and we just swerve to avoid them or slow down to carefully cross any craters we are confronted with.
  • Pedestrians: Sidewalks are an anomaly in much of Costa Rica but this doesn’t keep people at home. No, they just walk on the roadway. This leaves little room for cars and people so don’t be surprised to see everyone from kids to the elderly just walking along the road as if cars didn’t exist.
  • Night driving: If you thought you had to be alert during the day, driving at night is a whole other story! People still walk along the side of the road (even on some highways) and they won’t be wearing anything reflective so watch out for them! Many of the roads also lack lighting so get ready to use your brights and be very, very alert.
  • Shoulders: Almost none on most roads means that you can hardly pull off to the side. This seriously limits roadside birding but the birding is usually better in protected areas in any case. On the rare roads that see very few vehicles, you could get away with birding from the car.
  • Ditches and drainage: It rains a lot in Costa Rica and we get rid of that excess water by channeling it away with ditches and drainage canals on both sides of the road. Some of these are covered but most aren’t so be careful that you don’t drive into them.
  • Road width: 4-lane highways are extremely rare. In most places, roads have the same dimensions as alleyways back at home. This results in some tight squeezes in urban areas but we manage.
  • Speed bumps: Common in urban areas and near schools. Sometimes there are signs that provide a warning but for the most part, you need to watch out for them just as you look out for potholes (and some look just like the road!).
  • Speed cameras: Costa Rica now has cameras that take pictures of cars going 20 ks over the speed limit. Although there are just a few in the country, they have generated so much income for the government that you can expect to see a lot more. Don’t speed because the fines are outrageous ($600 if going 20ks over the limit)!
  • Speed limits: There are signs for these but they aren’t obvious. In many cases, the speed limit is painted on the road so watch for that. In general, it’s 40kph in towns and some intersections, and 80kph on some sections of highways. 60kph is probably the most common speed limit and happens along highways when passing under bridges, on some curves, and in other circumstances. Heed those 60kph zones because this is where traffic cops love to catch you going over the limit.
  • Other drivers: Drive defensively because a lot of people are just bad drivers. Many drivers are quite considerate but don’t be surprised to see some people passing 2 or 3 cars where they shouldn’t, or honking at you because you won’t drive through a red light or speed out into traffic and crash. Be very careful and slow down at curves on highways in case another car is using your lane for passing or if a truck just happens to be using both lanes. If you have the right of way and the other car is stopped and flashes their lights, they want you to go ahead. As with other places, other drivers also warn you of speed traps by flashing their lights.
  • Bridges: Many bridges are one-lane affairs. If you see a red yield sign, that means that the cars coming from the other direction have the right of way. If you don’t see the yield sign, you have the right of way.
  • 4 wheel drive or not?: A lot of people wonder if they need 4 wheel drive and the answer is yes and no. Nowadays, you can get to almost anywhere with a 2-wheel drive so unless you plan on driving up to Volcan Barva, Pocosol, or El Copal, you don’t need a 4-wheel drive.

Although driving in Costa Rica may sound daunting from the information above, much of the challenge is related to driving in the Central Valley. Once you get away from the city, it’s actually quite easy going so if you know how to drive defensively, you should have no problem with driving in Costa Rica.