Costa Rica Roads – “Will the roads ever be repaired in Guanacaste?”

The answer is Yes! I woke up one morning a few weeks ago and thought I was dreaming.

My daily commute to work, which takes me from Playa Conchal to Playa Tamarindo, used to take me 30 minutes. Of course, as is much of Costa Rica, the bad roads make the commute longer and is tough on my car and nerves.

However, I think that as enough people complained and perhaps President Oscar Arias realized that infrastructure is key, the roads were miraculously being repaired and newly paved.

I actually flagged down one of the workers on a steam roller to ask them if they were actually paving the roads, and not just throwing down another layer of lastre (dirt/rock combination). He told me “Claro” (of course). Yes, I was driving on soon-to-be newly paved roads.

No bumps, no potholes, no patches. Just a smooth ride. Wonderful. My commute has been reduced by 10 minutes!

One stretch of my commute from the small town of Mata Palo to the town of Huacas was terrible. I am positive that this had to be the worst road in Guanacaste. I would actually drive on the side of the road because at least there you have no pot holes.

It was this type of road that kept tourists (except those brave enough) to visit Playa Grande and the other side of Playa Conchal and Playa Real. It was like a game of “miss the pothole,” but it was impossible to miss these crater-sized holes.

My mother, who is from Costa Rica, couldn’t believe where I lived and what I had to brave just to get there. You know when a “Tica” is shocked, it has to be bad.

However, the road is now freshly paved and my commuting time has dropped. What I have noticed, up until recently, is some of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica have the worst roads leading up to them. Perhaps that was done on purpose?

The good thing is that now my commute is 98% paved and it’ll be 100% paved in the near future.

MOPT (Ministerio de Obras Publicas y Transportes) has been working on improving and resurfacing the stretch of road from Villareal to Huacas to Belen. This is the main route that leads to the Daniel Oduber Airport in Liberia.

The project is currently on target to be completed by March 30th 2007. When complete, the route that leads from the airport to Playas Tamarindo, Conchal, Flamingo, Grande will all be paved.

This is great news for the area and for the people who live, travel or invest in this region of Guanacaste. The current commute to the airport for me is about an hour and 10 minutes.

When they have finished paving the roads, that commute will drop to 45-50 minutes. Quite an improvement, I am sure you would agree. While getting there faster is great, your car will be happy that it is taking less abuse on better roads. That means less money out of pocket for repairs, flat tires, and broken shocks!

Projects to put in a new bridge in Playa Avellanas, which can be impassible without a 4×4 vehicle, are underway. Road improvements are also being seen on the way to Nosara and Carillo/Samara areas.

Ironically, although the Guanacaste region is the largest region in Costa Rica in area and development, the infrastructure is still lacking. However, it is quickly improving to keep up with the development and needs of the residents and visitors alike.

Last year, over 50% of the construction in this country was in the Guanacaste region. The government is obviously paying attention now to this fact. Also, in the past, high speed internet and cable was scarce. Now, it is readily available in most beach areas.

Who knew that with a little patience, so much change would come in such a small amount of time.

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Written by Rebecca L. Clower who was born in Chicago, grew up in Buffalo, NY and graduated from Arizona State University. Rebecca is fluent in Spanish, thanks to her mother who is “Tica.”

Rebecca started investing in real estate at 22 years of age and it became a passion, she is also a Realtor® and after rehabbing 40 homes and selling millions in real estate in Tampa, she relocated to Costa Rica to continue practicing her love for real estate, investing and to be closer to her family.

If you would like to communicate with Rebecca Clower, our preferred real estate professional in the Playa Junquillal north to Playas del Coco area, please help us to help you by contacting here with the form below:

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.