Travel: Overlanding in Costa Rica - Day 1

Day 1

Day 1 was a slog. 155 miles. This would take 2.5hrs in the states..

We got out of San Jose as fast as possible. Drove 250km in the rain - in the dark. Yup, took us nearly 4 hours. We landed late in the afternoon and felt the day was a wash and not worth trying to make it somewhere close by. Though, we had a plan to do day 1 differently had we taken a red eye and landed early. We drove north to Culebra Bay.
Our trip was more of a longer term scouting trip. Finding places where we would come back to with our van. Finding places to boondock or camp. And obviously explore. The bay here is quite amazing. The water is very calm, as it’s protected from the open ocean. The beaches are ver peaceful.

There are a couple very high end hotels worth checking out if you have the means..

4 Seasons + Andaz are on the Navascolo Peninsula. It’s amazing out there. A massive property with amazing vistas, beaches etc. Their restaurants are fantastic. And the staff is excellent.

Our 2020 Toyota Landcruiser Prado TX

Toyota’s mighty 4 cylinder Turbo Diesel. The new 2.8-liter produces 201hp and 500Nm of torque!

Our SUV was all time AWD but had a 4LO option for off-roading.

Diff Lock - this was a must in our vehicle selection.

Some of the main arteries have tolls on them. Typically from ¢200 - ¢800 colones. Use small bills and have your coins handy.

We wanted the Toyota Fortuner as we don’t get these in the states. The are basically identical to the Prado ( same diesel and 4WD system) with just a tad bit more lift and cool TRD wheels. It’s really just a Hilux.

A common sight. A well paved road next to a dirt road which easily washes out by the rain.

One thing about Costa Rica is that the main roads are extremely well paved. They are in excellent condition and will easily and safely get you to where you need to go. But most of the country is full of the rural dirt roads that central America is known for. Couple that with a lot of seasonal rain and you get mud rats and all sorts of very terrain the changes on a daily basis. If you want to get to some of the secluded beaches or jungle areas for sightseeing having a four-wheel-drive is highly recommended.

Playa Iguantia has the Iguanita Wildlife Refuge as apart of the area. It is a National Refuge of Costa Rica, and is just about 34.2 km and 32 minutes from downtown Liberia. Folks traveling with pets should know that dogs aren’t allowed in the refuge but are fine on other parts of the beach. Just be aware there are crocodiles in the area. So keep your pooch on a leash.

Crikey mate! Crocs!!!