blujeans

Hello!Could someone please give me a guestimate on the time it takes to get from Dominical to Manuel Antonio? And how are those roads? That's it for now! Thanx!
Cheri

ltilson

Hi, Cheri....the person that owns the house we are renting south of Dominical says it takes an hour...others on the board have said up to 1 1/2 hours...I have heard that the road is rough and it looks like a secondary road on my trusty Berndtson map. We are driving to Dominical from Arenal and are considering going from San Jose to San Isidro to Dominical...that route is through the mountains but the road looks better. Lori

spin

MA to Dominical is a 1-1 1/2 hour drive on a bumpy, dusty stretch of road. Drive times vary depending on the type of vehicle being driven and the kindness of the driver toward the car and passengers.
The drive over the "Mountain of Death" from San Jose to San Isidro de General is a good choice. I would encourage you to extend the drive further South to Buenas Aires and the pineapple growing area. Then West to Palmar Norte and Cortes through the river canyons with fantastic views, before swinging North to Dominical. The roads all are paved and the views are fabulous. This is not part of the tourist trail, but you will love the adventure.
I often stay at Hotel Posada Playa Tortuga (http://hotel-posada.com), in Ojochal about 20 miles (35km) South of Dominical, when traveling in the area. Many French people live here or visit this area, so there are a few french restaurants in the area. Dominical is a surfer town. OK if you surf...

shillmac

blujeans, I agree the route just mentioned would afford you a great tour of this beautiful area of Costa Rica--through Buenos Aires and Palmar Norte. I think you mentioned in another post that you were a little short on time, but if can pull a rabbit out of the hat, spin's suggestion is a good one!

shillmac

Sorry, my mistake. That was itilson, I believe, who mentioned going to Dominical through San Isidro without much time to spare. Still, spin's extended route is a wonderful idea!

ltilson

Spin...thanks for the driving recommendation. We will be in Dominical for 4 days and I was wondering what the area was like south of there. I think the beach in front of our house is rough & rocky so I would like to check out Uvita and Turtle Beach. The drive to Palmar Norte sounds great.

blujeans

Thanx All! I will print out this info and add it to my growing pile of helpful hints. The Scenic route suggested sounds great! I hope we can manage it. Cheri

blujeans

spin and shillimac,I was rereading your posts and and I think spin mentioned the "tourist trail". What exactly is that? Also it was suggested we travel the "mountain of death" and then extend this further south down to Buenos Aires and then to Palmar Norte and then north to our destination, Pacific Edge in Dominical. We are taking the pan american highway along the coast to Dominical but I am seeing a possible "loop" that maybe we could do as a day trip...Start in Dominical and head up to San Isidro, then take rt 2 (C1) southish to B Aires,west to Palmar Norte then North along the coast to Dominical. Maybe this is a doable day trip? Any "must sees" along that stretch? I don't have Quizarra on my B&B map but I think it's near this route?? Thanx for any tips! Cheri

shillmac

Hi Cheri---see other post!