Driving From Liberia to Nosara                                          Road Map

Please Print Out The Driving Directions & F.A.Q  

The trip from Liberia to Condo Canuk takes about two (2) hours (with no stops). There are several car rental organizations available in Liberia (National at the El Sitio Hotel, Budget and Alamo, close by). Leaving the Liberia airport terminal, you will drive down a divided road with small trees and grass planted in the median. This median strip is irrigated and drained. Coming to a "T" intersection you will see one of the many ancient round stone spheres found in Costa Rica. This one has been donated by a local family and sits in the median right near the intersection. The stone object is about a meter in diameter (see the first photo on the Local History link on this web site). If you turn left, this will take you into Liberia. If you turn right, this will take you South on an interior paved highway to Santa Cruz and onto Nicoya.

The first leg of the drive from Liberia to Nicoya will take you about one hour (road signs indicate about 79 kilometers) and is on good quality paved road all the way. There are a couple of traffic lights along the road as you pass through Santa Cruz. Watch for the changes in the speed zones along the way. Radar is a common tool for the traffic enforcement folks and there are lots of them - pay close attention to the speed zones marked on the pavement.

The second leg will also take you about one hour for the approximately 58 kilometer trip from Nicoya to the Nosara Subdivision. Once you reach Nicoya, drive right through the town. There is only one stop light near the Nicoya Hospital in the centre of town. The hospital will be on your right and a large Peli grocery store will be on your left (both slightly elevated from the roadway). Please drive carefully through town as the road is somewhat congested with lots of stops, cyclists, other vehicles and pedestrians. At the south end of Nicoya, you will pass out of the town and after a couple of miles, be on the lookout for a couple of "Sleeping Policemen" or "Policia Morte" or large speed bumps right on the outskirts near a school. You will also find another pair of these speed bumps in the first small hamlet of Caimital where you will have to make a 90-degree turn to the right.

Travel south on paved highway in the foothills (very scenic) for about 30 kilometers (18.4 miles). At this point, you will drive up a small hill and drive along a ridge and you will see a regular-sized CASTROL gas station on your left hand side (two pumps, a covered overhead roof for the pumps and a garage building in behind with a couple of repair bays, normal amount of parked vehicles, etc.). A few hundred yards past this gas station, the road has a paved exit to the right. If you stay left, it will take you South to Samara on the paved main road down a hill. The right hand turn will take you West to Nosara. Unfortunately, the pavement to the right does not last long. At this point the road to Nosara changes to gravel and you will go down a long hill. Keep following this gravel road but please be careful and watch for the following:

• Kids
• Dogs
• Chickens
• Pigs
• Cyclists
• Pedestrians
• Cattle
• Other vehicles
• Washouts.

The last stretch of road has improved tremendously in the past few years but it can still be best classified as a "work in progress". The local description is "If you think you are on the wrong road, you are on the right road"!

At approximately the 39-kilometer mark (or 23.8 miles), the road will split at a stop sign. You will make a right hand turn and continue towards Nosara. The road veering to the left will take you to Samara. You will be passing though a number of villages and hamlets and finally through the ocean front village of Garza. You will reach Garza at about the 46-kilometer(or 27.9 miles) mark from Nicoya. You can see the ocean on your left at this point. Garza is an interesting little place with the fishing boats and the fish market. Driving through Garza you will next reach the village of Esperanza. On the far side of the village you should see the first Condomino Del Sol (Home of Condo Canuk) sign on your right. You are now only a couple of kilometres away. The next stop will be the Nosara Project subdivision. You will see many signs advertising the local restaurants and accommodations. One of the largest will be for the Café de Paris on your left hand side. On the hill on your right hand side you will see a real estate office and Marlin Bill's new restaurant. Take the next exit to your left (a long block just before the pizza place on the corner). Look for the sign as shown in the picture below.

Follow the arrow shown on the sign and this will take you towards the beach and to Condominio Del Sol  (Home of Condo Canuk). This exit will be at approximately 53-kilometers (32.2-miles)mark from Nicoya. Our oasis will be awaiting you. We know that once you settle in at Condo Canuk, you will not want to leave!

You will encounter a yellow building on your right. Congratulations you have reached Condo Canuk !! Pull up and talk to Lester, you will need to present your name and/or confirmation number. You will be directed to unit number 7. It is the first stairwell, and to your left.

Way Points We have captured a series of way points that will help you find your way to Condo Canuk if you are GPS-equipped. Of course, lots of folks carry the small portable GPS units these days. Below is the latitude and longitude along with a brief description of the way point. If you are following these way points, they will guide right into our place. We start our journey in the town of Nicoya. You will be able to find this town readily on any roadmap

SAN JOSE - NOSARA AIRPORT            FLIGHT Nosara has a small airport that is used for commuter flights from San Jose. The cost for one person one way is about $70 US. You can make these short hop arrangements by contacting Nature Air ( www.natureair.com) or Sansa Airlines (www.flysansa.com). Flying time is about 1/2 hour either way and allows you to skip the 5 or more hours of driving from San Jose even if the scenery is delightful and interesting. Luggage weight is limited and if you have too much, there is a surcharge and sometimes your bags might have to follow you via a different route. Some of the car agencies (for example, Alamo) will have a car waiting for you at the airport in Nosara for a small (about $30) drop charge. Also a Taxi will always be available upon for your arrival. Ask for "Condomino's Del Sol" by Giardino Tropicale. Following are a couple of recent photos of our local airport, the waiting area and typical planes that use this convenient facility.        When you leave Costa Rica, there is an exit fee (around $26.00 US) that you must purchase as part of your exit process. These are available from a row of well organized and computerized agents inside the airport. SAN JOSE - NOSARA                  DRIVING If you choose to drive from San Jose, the roads are well marked and the new bridge across the Gulf of Nicoya is now open. Financed by the Taiwanese goverment, this bridge bypasses the old ferry service (lots of fun but sometimes a bit of a wait). Plan your trip if you can to drive the last 20 miles in the daytime. If you have not driven this road before, it is best to drive it during daylight hours. Remember, the sun comes up around 6:00 am and goes down at 6:00 pm. Do not worry about food. You will find dozens and dozens of restaurants along the way where you can stop to eat. Below is a picture of the new bridge (2003)    <-- New Bridge :) Below is a photo of a bazarr in downtown San Jose. You may want to visit the city, take in some shopping, entertainment and some of the tourist attractions. It is a large city with the accompanying large city problems. Nevertheless, the Gold Museum, the National Museum and the Opera House are definitely worth seeing. For an interesting dinner, we can suggest La Moastere on the mountain overlooking the city. If you wish to stay in downtown San Jose, we suggest staying at the "Gran Hotel Costa Rica", if you don't mind the city noise.