sparks

My husband & I are trying to decide what areas to visit on our trip & how long to stay. We want to rent a small car instead of a 4X4 to save some money. If we are staying outside of San Jose for the first couple of nights & want to visit the Tamarindo or Samara area, can we do so with out worrying about bad roads from San Jose? We will be staying in Manuel Antonio, but wanted to see another area of the country. If not, what area on the coast would be a better drive. Thanks

dncee11

We have been as a family twice and both times did ok with just a regular sedan. The roads are not to our standards, narrow and bumpy, many potholes and detours but with care you can make it most everywhere. Many of the roads are paved so even in rain its ok. Bad weather on a dirt road, all bets are off, however! Dont drive at night and dont leave any valuables in a parked car, locked or otherwise. The drive down to MA is fine, paved all the way. South of Quepos to Dominical is the mother of all bad roads. The Arenal area is ok except for the north loop around the lake is gravel. The Nicoya Pen. is mostly paved roads with a few exceptions. The ferry ride from Puntarenas to Pto. Naranjo is really fun and interesting.
Good luck and have fun! Its hard to have a bad time as long as you are careful

sparks

Thanks for the info. If we took the ferry to Naranjo with a sedan, where could we go from there & travel on fairly decent roads?

Suzie2

If you drive up to Liberia and then over to Tamarindo the roads are fine. A stop for lunch in Liberia is always something I look forward to. There is a little restaurant right on the green opposite the church that has pretty good food. We sit out on the little patio area. It is a sweet little town. The liberia area is also a good place to get over to Rincon de la Viejo. It is one of my favorite volcanos to hike around on.
Besides the pot holes, you will need to watch out for the ranchers driving their cattle on the roads but it is all paved.

dncee11

Sparks, from the landing at Pto. Naranjo you can drive west to the Montzuma/Mal Pais area or north thru Nicoya or Santa Cruz to the beach areas of Samara or Nosara or ultimately Tamarindo. All of the roads to these popular beaches are well-travelled and serviced for tourists. Before you go, be sure to pick up a good CR guide book like Lonely Planet.

sparks

I found a lovely condo near the Nosara area, but someone said the roads there were terrible. Anyone know? Don't want to make reservations & find that a car won't get there easily.

dncee11

Sparks, I was there a long time ago and travelled by bus. I made it no problem but I do remember crossing at least 1 or 2 streams. My Lonely Planet guide says that most people take the paved road toward Playa Samara then take the turn-off for the final 27km to Nosara which is dirt. During the day in the dry season, it should be no problem. It does appear that most of the roads in this area are dirt but passable under most circumstances. There are a lot of condos in this area, not all on the beach. The actual town of Nosara is small but the houses are spread all over the district. This is one area where I might recommend 4wd.