One of the craziest road trips I’ve ever experienced was in Costa Rica. And to think, my friends and I didn’t even drive. We hired a private shuttle on both road trips and I’m glad we did! The roads in cities like San José was ok but those in the rural areas do not run perpendicular to each other and were often unpaved. There were no stop signs or street names and most of all, some “roads” were winding…on a cliff. We did not know this until the last day when we drove back to the big city.
The first road trip was from San Juan to Arenal which was about three hours, the second was from Arenal to Jaco which took about four hours. The first trip wasn’t really a scenic drive. We got to the airport late at night and our Arenal resort was three hours away. I remember the driver was speeding like a maniac and majority of the rural drive was in pitch black. We were so tired to care that time, and for good reason. We would probably so frightened if we knew the real nature of the Costa Rica’s country roads!
After spending three days in Arenal, we headed south to Jaco which was located on the Pacific Ocean shores. This road trip was a lot more fun. (Or maybe we just got used to it?) We were finally able to enjoy the scenic cloud forests and relax a bit during the trip. We also stopped by a local store to get refreshments or souvenirs and stretch our legs. Our driver was also nice enough to take us to an overlook to catch the beautiful sunset.
Glad we made it to our destinations safely!
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Jen is a Chicago-based traveler and creative. She is a full-time development & communications executive specializing in non-profit organizations. Originally from the East Coast, she created The Jetsetter as a place to share her travel stories and photos with friends and family. Now, it is a place for adventurers and dreamers. Its purpose is to inspire and encourage busy professionals to see the world and achieve a better work-life balance.
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