Driving in Costa Rica

Explore at Your Own Pace

Renting your own set of wheels can be one of the most rewarding ways to explore Costa Rica. Without bus schedule constraints you have the freedom to travel at your own pace, with opportunities to stop and discover interesting people and places along the way.

Your current driver’s license from the States or Canada is accepted for up to three months in Costa Rica, as are International Driver’s Permits issued by the American Automobile Association.

Car rental agencies offer both standard and 4WD vehicles, and visitors can choose either manual or automatic transmission, though the latter is often more expensive. For travel to many of Costa Rica’s popular vacation destinations (Arenal, Manuel Antonio, Jaco, Tamarindo, etc.), a standard, non-4WD vehicle is sufficient. If Monteverde or some of the country’s more remote areas are on your itinerary, a 4WD vehicle will be necessary, especially in the rainy season which runs from May through November.

For more information on renting a car, please read Getting Around in Costa Rica.

Driving Suggestions

Driving in Costa Rica can often feel like an adventure sport in itself. A combination of unpredictable road conditions and aggressive drivers calls for visitors to be cautious whether navigating busy city streets or winding mountain roads. Driving in San Jose, Alajuela, or Heredia is comparable to that of any large U.S. city. Kamikaze drivers are found in every country, and Costa Rica is no exception. If you want to blend in and get where you are going, we’d recommend adopting an aggressive yet defensive driving demeanor. Watch out for motorcyclists weaving in and out of traffic and keep your eyes on the road.

First-time drivers in Costa Rica are advised to drive during daylight hours or at least avoid long trips at night. Navigation can be a challenge under the best of circumstances, and even more so when landmarks are difficult to spot. If driving in rural parts of the country at night, be wary of farm and domestic animals that may stray onto the highway.

Rush hour traffic congests San Jose and its outlying suburbs between 6:30-8:30 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. on weekdays. Avoid lengthy waits and traffic gridlock by traveling through San Jose at off-hour times whenever possible.

Popular tourist towns are always well-signed, and travelers will be hard-pressed to lose their way en route to Jaco or Quepos. Costa Rica’s more rural routes, although spectacularly scenic, offer minimal or no signage along with plenty of opportunities to get lost. Do not fear! If you find yourself astray on a backcountry road, just ask any local for help. Costa Ricans are famously friendly people and are happy to help point you in the right direction. Local taxi drivers are another wonderful resource, and have been known to guide lost tourists (free of charge) to the correct highway or turnoff. If you consider yourself navigationally-challenged, another option is to rent a GPS system from your car rental agency.

To help get you to your destination, we have taken careful notes on our cross-country trips. See our maps of popular driving routes for more information.

The country’s main roads and highways are in decent condition, though all are susceptible to landslides and sudden flooding in the rainy season. Slow down if an approaching vehicle is flashing its head lights or if you see a makeshift traffic cone fashioned from branches. Locals are unusually courteous in alerting oncoming traffic that there is a situation ahead, such as a broken down vehicle in the road or a police checkpoint, by giving one of these warnings.

Traffic Police

Most major roads have speed limits of 62 miles (100 km) per hour, while secondary roads are 37 miles (60 km) per hour. Visitors may see checkpoints manned by traffic police in blue cars with a yellow stripe, labeled "MOPT traffico”. They use radar and can stop you for speeding or not wearing a seatbelt. If you get stopped for such an offense, do not pay a bribe to avoid getting a ticket.  Police have no authority to ask for money and will often take the bribe and still present you with a ticket. If issued a ticket, it will cost somewhere around $10, which is payable at most banks. Look for the amount and directions on where to pay the fine on the ticket. If you are driving a rental car, note that most rental agencies will pay your speeding ticket for an additional fee.

Points to Consider

When planning your Costa Rican vacation, consider how much time you have in-country and the places you’d like to explore. A car rental makes the most sense for those who have at least a week and who want to experience the many flavors of Costa Rica – from bubbling volcanoes to sultry rainforests. As long as you exercise patience and drive defensively, your driving experiences in Costa Rica will be safe and, most likely, unforgettable.