Does anyone know if it is ok to drive at night from Jaco to Manuel Antonio? Is the road paved? How long should it take?
Thanks

Only a very few local people and absolutely crazed tourists would even attempt to drive anywhere after dark in Costa Rica, much less the horrid road between Jaco and Manuel Antonio.

The road is paved and not bad by CR standards but it is heavily used and driving at night is not recommended anywhere in CentralAmerica. Good luck and have fun by staying safe!

Oh dear. If after dark means 6pm we're going to be in trouble! Mind you, we're used to driving in Rome!
Thanks for the advice, we'll try to leave earlier.

carrom, it's easy to get lost in Costa Rica, even in the daytime. Roads are not well-marked. There are lots of rocks and pot-holes in a lot of the roads as well, which you wouldn't be able to see too well at night. I agree it's a very bad idea to drive in Costa Rica at night, especially for a tourist unfamiliar with the roads. We were there in June, and we drove, but never at night.

Costa Rica isn't at all like Rome. I have been to Rome...it's a city. Costa Rica is much more rural, unless you are in downtown San Jose.

In Costa Rica, it can take a tourist an amazingly long time to get somewhere if you are lost. My niece just came back from Costa Rica for her honeymoon. They were lost for 2 hours, in the day-time, trying to drive their rental car from Alajela to Heredia, which should only take about 20 minutes, but it took them 2 hours due to being hopelessly lost, even with 2 sets of directions. And that was in the day-time!

Just to clarify what I just wrote above: my niece was trying to find a particular hotel in Heredia when she and her new hubby were lost for 2 hours, on a route that should have taken them 20 minutes.

I would drive at night, dark, in Costa RIca.
A question of common sense. You wish to have a happy vacation and not end up in a nightmare.

Sory I meant to write

I would NOT drive at night in Costa RIca....

There is 1 other reason i can think of for not driving this route in the dark - there are 2 bridges that you need to go over that are very small and i am sure not safe and i would think it would be easy to go off! I also would say make sure you arrive before 6 pm!

Wow! I think that does it. I was hoping to get another night at the Posada Jungle in MA but after all your advice I think we'll stop off at Villa Caletas for the one night and drive down the next day.
Thanks everybody!

The bridges on that road are scary in the daytime -- there are often pieces missing! I sure wouldn't do it at night. Our guide calls them "Oh My God Bridges" because whenever he takes clients over them, they say "Oh my God!"

Sandy

I would not drive at night . We were amazed at the amount of people out walking on the side of the road .... You could hardly see ! Incredible ! And Yup !! The bridges are interesting ! lol

Hello Carrom, I´m living now a few years in Costa Rica, but I still avoid to drive by night. Potholes you know after a time, peoples on the road and bicycles without light not. I think you have no experience on this roads. Let do the driving professionels at night. Busdriver do their job every day and very well.
Saludos
costaklaus - www.costaricaweb.<font color=red>de</font>

We drove this road during the day last Nov. Not too bad a road, as roads go in CR. HOwever, on this particular stretch. there is a nasty bridge that was closed for a bit. A lot of bridge workers staring at a gaping hole. They patched it and we proceeded with caution. Also this is where we saw a pothole so big, there was a 50 gallon drum in it with a flag on it to warn you to see it. Probably not visible at night.