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I read the few news reports and am concerned that “Costa Rica has declared a state of emergency due to heavy rains…”. I phoned the US embassy in CR and although it was closed, someone there told me that it was CR’s normal rains … I plan to call back tomorrow and speak with someone else. From the US call, 011-506-519-2280. We have a group of high school students destined for Grano de Oro that plans to leave Oct 26th. Should they go???? Connie in SC
Edited on Oct 18, 2007 20:18
You’re talking about Hotel Grano de Oro in San Jose? Fancy hotel for high school students…
The heavy rains and subsequent flooding have caused about 18 deaths so far in some parts of the country and they are typically very humble areas but none in San Jose.
This is the rainy season and it’s most definitely wet but I would not have thought that canceling the trip would be necessary.
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comHi Scott!
My husband and I are flying into San Jose tomorrow and we plan on driving to the Dominical area on Sunday for a week. Are we crazy to do so due to all of the rain?
I’m not in Costa Rica at the moment, but I was last month. Those rains were anything but normal in San Jose and they have increased since then. I’ve been reading both the English and Spanish newspapers the last couple weeks. There have been floods reported in most cantones of Costa Rica, which is like a county. Of the 80 or so Costa Rica has, more than 60 have reported flooding. Major highways have been closed for repairs over the past week, but the status of these changes daily, it’s impossible to keep up with it or to tell you if a certain road will be open tomorrow or a few days from now. Todays news is that the government has estimated the road damage, not including dikes and bridges, to be 24 billion colones ($46 million). 125 miles of roads with asphalt are destroyed and another 2,300 miles of roads without asphalt. The town of Parrita, a few kilometers north of Quepos, has been under water for a week. Cartago reported flooding yesterday of 40 homes and another 15 damaged.
Most of the deaths Scott refers to were caused by a landslide last week which completely covered a few homes just outside of Atenas. Another girl was swept away in her car as she tried to cross a bridge over a river. Another girl was killed by a rock to the head when a wave of water and rocks washed upon their car as they were driving.
I wouldn’t be going to Guanacaste or driving to Quepos through Parrita. Check the news for up to date status on the other routes within the country. I know that the route from San Isidro to Dominical was reported to be closed a few days ago, but who knows now, that may have changed.
You thought the roads were bad before….
If you are a stranger to the country, I would have no hesitation in advising that a visit to the Central Valley area and San Jose would be fine but travelling down South is a different kettle of fish…
Have been trying to contact friends of mine in Dominical and they must be ‘out of the office’ in an area not covered by their cells ‘cos I can’t reach them.
Apart from anything else, the time to travel to these places at the moment is nearly double what it should be so my friend Becky’s trip back to her home took nine hours instead of five… And I did read somewhere that this has been the heaviest rainy season in 30 years so definitely not ‘normal.’
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comIt has been rainy…I agree. I have (unfortunately) had to drive back and forth to San Jose from Guanacaste 4 times in October, and this past monday was the worse, taking double the time to get home. The other times it took 6 1/2 hours (usually 4- 4 1/2 hours). But we got home safe, and that is what counts. We got re-routed through Atenas/Orotina then up the Pan American Highway. There were two road closures and a bridge out in Belen (which will be out for a few more days). I just picked up my friend from the Liberia Airport (which is OPEN and running normally I must add) and the road is perfect from Conchal to Liberia. It’s Santa Cruz to Belen, which is impassible and will be for the next 3 months according to my sources. This too shall pass… I’d like to think!
I got here last sunday and the drive from San Jose to Jaco was fine. It took me 2 1/2 hours to get here, including a few stops for coffee and the crocs at the Tarcoles river. I have never seen the river that wide. Also, a tremendous amount of wash-outs on the beach from the overflowing rivers . However, my friend got here two days before that , and it took him 8 hours for the same trip. I went to Caldera yesterday and all was fine. There is evidence of flooding in a lot of places but things are getting back to normal. No need to cancel the trip. Come on down and enjoy the Costa Rican Adventure.
Hi, we are involved in weekly conference calls with a golf project in Dominical/Uvita area that we are developing and the guys down there say it is raining , but not unusual. Sunny in the morning and then clouds roll in about 3:00, like clock work. No big deal.
Koty
Hello everyone!
My husband and I just returned from a week in CR last night and were unbelievably blessed with awesome weather. We drove from San Jose to Dominical last Sunday and just as soon as we hit the dirt road to Dominical we got hammered with rain and that made for quite the adventure for sure. We made it safe and sound late that afternoon after a 7 hour drive. We had about a 2 hour delay in Parrita due to the long line waiting to cross the bridge, but all in all, it wasn’t bad. The commute back was much easier and shorter with few delays. It would appear as if the end of the rainy season is near. Thank you for all the responses from everyone, as all the advice you all kindly took the time to give us made our decision to go forth and conquer an easy one. We were so very sad to leave our favorite country (this was our third trip in a year) but we do take great comfort in that we will be returning in only a months time and then we can continue with our Costa Rican adventure!
Pura Vida!
Kelly
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