Costa Rica is an outstanding place to go on a road trip, in fact it is arguably the best way to see this Central American country. Costa Rica is famous for its incredible landscape, sprawling jungles, vast eco-systems and numerous areas of outstanding natural beauty and traveling by car will give you the opportunity to see it all including the nooks and crannies that most tours don’t take you to. If you are looking for an adventurous vacation to go on with the guys then Costa Rica is for you and road tripping it will add an extra bit of spice to your vacation. Here is how you and the boys can get the best out of a road trip in Costa Rica.
The Vehicle
Without question you should be looking at a 4 wheel drive car for your journey, preferably something like a Jeep Wrangler, these are perfect for a road trip here, or at least something similar, Costa Rica is not the third world, it does have hundreds of kilometers of well built roads and highways but if you and the guys want to truly experience the country then you want to be going beyond the highways and deep into the country side, something you can only do with a vehicle that is fit for purpose.
The Highlights
Depending on how much time you have in Costa Rica, you and the boys will naturally want to cram in as much as you possibly can. Here are some of the places that you should be heading to and the adventures that await you when you get there.
- Cerro Chirripó – Awesome mountain town that takes you through gravelly roads and mountain passes, the is a great place for you and the boys to get some hiking in, you can scale the 12,533ft peak or traverse some of the incredible mountain ridges.
- Monkey Trail – Those looking for some extreme off roading need look no further than this perilous trail between Playas del Flamingo and del Coco. First things first, if you don’t have a 4×4 or it is rainy season then this place is off limits, cars fall for fun here and a fall means certain death, if however you are fully equipped and the weather is good, then you and the guys will get real kicks out of driving this road.
- Drake Bay – This remote town is situated on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica, and the road to it is rarely travelled on but certainly do-able. The road sweeps through the rainforest, crosses around 7 rivers and you will need to be on the lookout for gun-ho animals looking to get a piece of your car, a great journey that is as dangerous as it is fun.
What to Pack
Some of the essentials that you will need to have on board your car, aside form the obvious clothing choices are things like a tent, you never know when you will need to stop in the middle of nowhere and pitch up for the night. You will also need some basic car repair tools, a spare tire is essential, there are lots of rocky roads where you could come asunder. Finally you are going to need a GPS device, there is nothing more foolish than heading in to the rainforest without any kind of navigation system, regardless of how smart us men think we are, there is a very good chance that you may never come out from the canopy.
