Cyclist! – The ‘Tico code’ of the road in Costa Rica

It doesn’t take long to realize that there is a different code of the road in Costa Rica (at least everyone who has survived to tell about it figured it out in a big hurry).

The first clue will come when you notice the behavior of drivers at intersections. Check out a few cars at a few corners and you soon catch on that traffic signs carry one less level of authority here.

For example the octagonal red sign with ‘Alto’printed on it translates as ‘Stop’, and in some places that’s what drivers do when they encounter one. In Costa Rica however this sign is interpreted by the locals as – slow down, proceed with caution. In other words the same thing that a yield sign means in the rest of the world…

In a similar fashion a red traffic light is interpreted by the locals as – pause then proceed if there is an opening. Sounds suspiciously like a response to a stop sign in the rest of the world…

Oddly the government seems to conspire in this behavior, they have even invented a new traffic control that is used all over the country. It is a traffic light with a stop sign on the same pole. The combination of devices seems to carry a higher level of authority.

When the light is red, drivers stop and wait for it to turn green before proceeding. Once you know how to interpret the signs it’s relatively safe to ride around town. Some of the intercity roads are a different story.

Near the capital there are a few roads where bicycles are prohibited (you can ignore these signs if you choose, see above), and a few that are just too dangerous. Don’t be discouraged if you are trying to plan a tour and have discovered that the airport is just outside the capitol, we have lots of suggestions to get away from the cities of the Central Valley.

Once you are out of the Central Valley you may only see half a dozen vehicles all day on some of the roads and none on the jeep and horse trails.

Even after we figured out what the drivers were doing and how to predict their actions there were some roads we avoided. It was sort of like avoiding a swim with starved sharks with a skinned knee. The shark’s actions would be easy to predict but the only way to avoid certain death would be to avoid the areas infested with sharks.

The only way to avoid certain death on a bike in Costa Rica is by avoiding some roads.

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Ray Krueger-Koplin, 2004

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.