Top Ten Driving Tips for Costa Rica: #5-10

Top Ten Driving Tips for Costa Rica #5-10

5. Frequently asked for and necessary documents

. You need a valid license to drive in Costa Rica. Costa Rica honors other countries’ valid driving licenses for 90 days. If you are here longer than 3 months, it will no longer be valid. After 90 days you should obtain the Costa Rican license.
· Your passport or your cédula card if you are a resident. If you don’t want to carry your original passport in your vehicle, you will need a photocopy of both the passport picture page and the page with the most recent entry stamp into Costa Rica.
· The vehicle papers: copy or original title/registration, RTV and marchambo to date
· Front and rear plates (or your temporary paper plates)
· If driving outside of Costa Rica, there are additional documents required. Consult your attorney.

6. Be aware of the dry vs. wet season differences

During the dry season (November - April), visibility can be impeded due to the high level of dust on the dirt roads. People often are not prepared for this. In these low visibility conditions, we recommend leaving an extra amount of space between you and the vehicle ahead, for the dust to settle or blow aside off the road. The dirt roads become wash-boarded and rocky this time of year (please refer to tip about tire pressure, as this is applicable for dirt road driving).


During the wet season (May - November), there are many additional challenges which have been alluded to under the other tips. The roads are in worse condition, paved and unpaved. There is water in the potholes which prevents you from seeing the depth of the hole. We advise you to slow down! If you can’t find a path around all of the potholes, adjust your speed and drive slowly enough so that you do not hammer on your suspension system as you pass through them. More things on your vehicle will fail or break down in the wet season than during any other time! The rain, humidity and poorer quality of the roads, all take their toll on your vehicle. The rainy season is also the time when you need certain aspects of your vehicle to work properly more than ever. In particular, your wipers, defroster, and lights need to be operational at all times. Don’t put off vehicle repairs during the wet season!

A few words about river crossings: the rivers are deeper and moving faster during the rainy season. If you come to a river and it is “running bank to bank” (you don’t see the slope of the bank on either side of the river) then it is highly likely that the river is too deep for you to cross. Most vehicles have the ability to ford a depth up to the center of their wheels (some a little more, some a little less). When in doubt, watch other vehicles cross to see the depth, or, walk into and across the river yourself to measure its depth. Oftentimes, there is a build up of rock and sand slightly downstream of the crossing point. This provides you with a circular or off-center route around the deepest spot of the river - that way across is safer. Lastly, when encountering a river, and you are in doubt about crossing, don’t do it! If it is too deep, you’ll be lucky to get towed out by a tractor or larger vehicle and sustain minimal damage to the vehicle. However, if you are unlucky, you could lose your vehicle altogether!

7. Air conditioning adds safety to your driving

Air conditioning enhances driving safety. During the wet season, it may be difficult to get your car aired out and dried out using windows alone. Older vehicles may not have an A/C. If you prefer an older vehicle, you might consider adding an air conditioner for both comfort and safety. Air conditioners also function as defrosters, which can be very important for visibility when it is rainy or humid.


8. Taller vehicles with better ground clearance improve visibility and safety

In Costa Rica, any advantage you can add to your visibility is worth considering. Being able to see further down the road allows you to judge the depth of potential potholes and the presence of other obstacles. This added visibility also gives the driver more time to assess and maneuver around those obstacles. In addition, most vehicles that are taller and have better ground clearance will likely have 4WD. If you are driving off-road, we highly recommend having and knowing how to use 4WD.

9. Newer, sophisticated vehicles aren’t necessarily better vehicles for Costa Rica

In our experience of having our vehicles repaired, we have found there are fewer breakdowns with older and less sophisticated machines. Also there is a greater number of mechanics able to assist you and a higher possibility of effective repairs if you have an older or simpler vehicle. Mechanics are more likely to be familiar with an older vehicle and its less sophisticated mechanical parts. With an older vehicle, there are fewer parts that can fail, the parts are cheaper, and you are more likely to find multiple sources for the parts you need.

Diesel powered vehicles tend to be simpler and are therefore easier to maintain and repair. Diesels have the additional qualities of burning less fuel and have better more mileage. We recommend diesel vehicles for their economy and for driving in CostaRica.

Electrical and electronic components raise the performance, comfort and reliability of vehicles in general. However, the opposite applies in Costa Rica! Due to the climate and road conditions here, these enhancements are prone to failure. The dust of the dry season, humidity of the wet season, and jarring quality to the roads in general, take a toll. Small, delicate parts are at greater risk. The downside of relying upon sophisticated electronics and electrical parts is not just the greater possibility of failure, but the time and energy it takes to repair or replace the part. In Costa Rica, small, specialized & expensive parts are often not in stock. These parts need to be paid for in advance, and are usually ordered from the country which produced the vehicle.

We experienced an electrical failure when we had the motor on one of our power windows break. Ordering the part from Japan took a month on the fast plane. Meanwhile, we were not able to raise or lower a window. We could not secure the vehicle or protect it from rain or dust.


10. Driving smart makes sense!

We recommend obeying all of the traffic laws of Costa Rica. First, remember that it’s kilometers not miles! The posted speed limits are lower here than in North America or Europe for good reason. The speed limit is not always posted on a road sign. Frequently, speed changes are indicated by painted numbers on the road itself. It is not uncommon while driving in Costa Rica to be stopped by police. Be prepared by having your papers in order and obeying all of the laws. If you were not following the laws, or do not have the proper documents, expect a ticket.

Unattended vehicles should be locked. And never, ever, leave belongings unattended in a vehicle, locked or otherwise - this is an invitation to thieves! One last thing, people routinely get around the back country of Costa Rica by hitch-hiking. We are not recommending you pick up hitch hikers, although we frequently do. We are letting you know it is common practice in a country where not everyone owns a vehicle. We have never had, nor heard of, any problems encountered with hitch hikers. You will need to use your own judgment on this one.

Rick Chalmers, President of Adventure Motors: “Bigger Than Yours!” S.A.,
has over 30 years experience in automotive repair. He is a licensed mechanic and emissions technician. Rick owned and operated an automotive repair business in San Diego, CA for 13 years. He currently lives in Costa Rica and specializes in the importation and modification of specialty off-road vehicles.

Questions or comments? Email: advenmotor@yahoo.com