Manuel Antonio, Quepos, Costa Rica
Luxury 4 Bedroom Vacation Home with Pacific Ocean View
Manuel Antonio, Quepos, Costa Rica
Luxury 4 Bedroom Vacation Home with Pacific Ocean View
Very few roads in Costa Rica have names. Only in city centers are the streets named or numbered. And even when they are, you will not see any street signs or markings telling you what street you are on. All directions in Costa Rica are given by landmarks. (ex:turn left at the Coca Cola plant then right at the church 300 meters BUT that Coca Cola plant may have been torn down over 30 years ago.) We will give you plenty of landmarks (that Still exists today) to follow and approximate kilometers to help you in your journey.
This will be a beautiful trip, but very taxing to the driver: you'll be driving through the mountains. Take your time. You never know what will be around the next curve: cattle crossing, stopped vehicle, a car passing coming the other direction, brush in the road (may mean an accident or stalled vehicle ahead), or fallen rocks.
The speed limit in school zones (escuela) is 25km/h (16 mph). The speed limit in most cities is 40km/h (25mph).
Smaller villages have higher speed limits of 60km/h (37 mph). The fastest speed limit on this trip will
be 80km/h (50mph) along the Pacific coast. Do watch your speed. After that long drive through the mountains
you'll be tempted to speed along the few straight highways. The police know this and will be there to wave
you down to give you a speeding ticket. Just breathe and relax.
Passengers, have your camera ready for the many wonderful views along the road.
Driver, keep your eyes on the road at all times because it's not unusual for people to stop
in the middle of the road to look at something!
If you do drive into San José or rent your car from downtown, you will have to drive out of the city and go through a toll booth (peaje). Tolls are 75 colonés. There is an express lane on the left that allows you to pay with a 100 coin, no change will be given and you can't pay with anything but the 100 coin. You will not be given change because you are donating 25 colonés for the privilege of going through the express lane. Note: Toll Booths only exist on multi-lane roads Pistas out of the city. There are no tolls going INTO the city.
| KM | Description | Photo | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 0 | AIRPORT If you rent your car right at the airport, take the first exit to Alejuela (exit to the right-this road doubles back) then stay in left lane to San Ramon don't take the second exit to the right that says Alejuela. Hampton Inn & Rent-a-cars Get on the Panamerican Highway (Highway 1) going towards the airport (North, NorthWest.) Stay in the center lane (sign says San Ramon.) |
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| 11.5 | 12 km take exit to Atenas (Highway 3 - exit right then turn left on Highway 3.) This starts your drive up the mountain. There are many curves and one lane bridges along this road. "Puente angosto Adelante" means Narrow Bridge Ahead. If you have a sign that says: "Ceda el Paso", then you need to yield to oncoming traffic (this may be a long line of cars and trucks) before you cross the bridge. |
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| 33 | 
Sign for "Vista Panorama" pointing to the left.Take the time to go left and then left onto the gravel parking area. Stop and take pictures. (Of course if the mountain is cloudy and you're in the fog, keep driving.) This is the closest to the top that there is any place to stop and enjoy the view. You'll see coffee plantations on the sides of the hills, you'll even see the Pacific if it's a clear day. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 43 | Sign that says Manuel Antonio 111km. Soon after that sign the road will turn right (if you look straight ahead you'll see a sign that says "No Hay Paso" that means it's a one way road the other way.) Follow the curve to the right for 1 block and turn left at the next block; there is a blue church at this corner. If you miss that turn you'll pass a city park with trees. Do a U-turn and go back turn right on the road that goes past the front entrance to the blue church. Once you get to the end of town (San Mateo) you'll see another sign that says 115km to Manuel Antonio. We don't know how you did it, but you just added 4km! It's a Costa Rican mystery. |
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| 50.9 | 1st of two stoplights on trip It's at a railroad track in Orotina. 200 meters after the stoplight, there is a gas station on the left and on the right is Pollo a la Leña Yami. If you're hungry and want some of the best chicken you'll ever have, stop and eat at Pollo a la Leña Yami. They don't speak a lot of English, but you can get your idea across by pointing. They take only cash - colónes or dollars. |
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| 51.4 | Exit Right 500 meters past the stoplight is a turn off to the right. Follow the sign to Quepos/Manuel Antonio/Jacó. |
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| 58.4 | Exit Right Another turn off - again just follow signs to Quepos/Manuel Antonio/Jacó |
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| 69 | Crocodile Bridge A long two-lane bridge is called "puente cocodrilo" (bridge of the crocodiles.) Stop at the other end of the bridge (don't stop on this bridge!), lock your car, and walk to the center. It's a good idea to have someone stay by your car even though there is a Police station there. You're guaranteed to see some huge (15 foot long) crocodiles below you. |
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| 76 | Pacific Ocean Steve and Lisa's. It's the first place you can touch the Pacific ocean. You can dine alfresco looking at the splendid Pacific. They take Credit Cards and speak English. |
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| 94 | Jacó - 2nd Stoplight This is your last stoplight you'll see on the trip. It's there for the school crosswalk so unless there are children in school, it'll be green. |
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| 105.5 | 
Photo Op We like to call this tree "our" tree (and we've even heard some of our neighbors call it their tree too. - Maybe you'll call it your tree once you see it in person.) It's a Higuerón tree. We think it is photo perfect. |
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| 137 |
Currently this bridge and the next bridge are having construction to the side of it to replace it with a real two lane concrete bridge. So, for the time being, there will be some extra delays over these old one-lane bridges. Turn off the car, open the windows and watch the foot traffice pass you by. |
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| 162 | Quepos When you enter the town of Quepos, drive slightly left and down the small incline to the main road (the road that goes straight and at the same height of the road is a foot/bike path.) Pass the Hotel Kamuk on the left. On the right is a sign for Manuel Antonio Parque 7 km with an arrow pointing left. Take this road. Look at your odometer (or reset it to 0.) |
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| +4.3 | Exactly 4.3 km from Quepos is El Byblos hotel on the left (big yellow sign) On your right
is a road that turns almost 180 degrees. Take this sharp right and go 300 meters (past the Spa Uno
on your left) to the first driveway left. Take this driveway down (yes, it's probably steeper than any of the
roads you've traveled so far.) Géminis del Pacifico is down the stairs from the parking lot: the lower house. Take the stairs from the bottom
of the driveway down to the house. Casa Mono Congo is at the end of this parking lot with the garage. WELCOME HOME |
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Géminis del Pacifico in Costa Rica dial 777 50-29 -or-
from the USA 011-506-777-50-29
Casa Mono Congo in Costa Rica dial 777 51-45 -or-
from the USA 011-506-777-51-45
Thomas Franz -house manager- dial 777-1361 or 817-1002 cell
We suggest you print these directions out.
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Last Updated on 18-Oct-2007
Parrita Railroad Bridge