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We are moving to CR Feb 27…..we use a address for the destination in the US….what
do you use in CR as a destinstion…..we have heard there are no addresses???Bob & Alice
Houston, TexasThe address system in Costa Rica is all based on landmarks and distances from those landmarks, such as 50m north of Multicentro (mall) and 100m west or 50m north of Banco Nacional (Cobano location of friend). In some cases the landmark may no longer exist such as the Coca Cola (former bottling plant) bus terminal in San Jose. Always wondered how emergency personnel find a home in an expedient manner.
I wrote about this in an short article ‘Addresses Aren’t Really Addresses – They’re Directions!’ You can see that here [ https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/443.cfm ]
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.combobr, there’s good news. As long as your get your directions reasonably close, they don’t have to be perfect. That is, if you’re (say) 250 meters from the neighborhood pulperia but you say 200 meters, your mail will still arrive. If the mail carrier can’t figure it out, he’ll ask someone. They’ll know who the new neighbor is. Same with delivery drivers. It works surprisingly well.
I guess I was more interested in “what do you load into the Garmin for directions”…
without having an actual address.Bob & Alice
HoustonHi Bob & Alice,
I believe the only way you will be able to mark an address is to actually be where you want to “Mark” or “WayPoint” when you actually get here. Or you can just mark the city you are going to and that will get you close… but it is not as sophisticated as a real street address or restaurant etc… There is a pretty nice Costa Rica map you can purchase for your Garmin from a local company http://www.rsgps.net. They gave me good service and a couple free updates for mine.Best wishes
Simple Answer, Latitude and Longitude. Even with the GPS you had better know how to read a map have a good one, and a scale to measure with, AND know how to navigate.
The biggest problems navigating in Costa Rica are:
A) Lack of road signs indicating the highway number on even major highways. Once you get out of San Jose signs are a rarity. – Use the GPS and the lat and long to figure out which road you are on.
B) Lack of city/town signs. Unless you ask, it is difficult to know. The smaller villages have telco signs with the village name. Those without a pay phone do not. Large ones. . . Use your GPS and the lat and long.
C) Duplication of place names and use of local names different than on the map. This is true everywhere but in a country with few signs it is even worse.
D) The affore mentioned “address” system. You need to know North from East even in the dark and your GPS will tell you that. But you REALLY need to ask to find many of the landmarks.
All that said, I have not had too much trouble navigating CR without a GPS but I AM taking one the next time I go. Its just TOO easy. But we have been lost when the road we wanted was, well, under our feet! Paid a taxi to lead us. However, that was my second visit. On my first my friends took me everywhere and you really don’t notice the details when you are not driving. And don’t get me started on driving in San Jose. . . I am NOT a city boy.
I thought I navigate ANYWHERE with a map until I went to Costa Rica. 😉
MORE:
If the digital maps Google Earth uses are any indication of those used on a GPS then the GPS is not going to give you the clear concise directions you are used to most of the time in the US. If you look at how the road maps align with the satellite photos in CR there are many places with significant differences.
Edited on Feb 14, 2009 15:48
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