Road maps for Costa Rica (2 Viewers)

[Mike Shurmer]

Can anyone recommend a good road map for Costa Rica. We are going in January and hiring a car. I am not convinced that the map supplied with car will be that detailed, so want to get one before I go.

SC

 

[Peter C.]

Can anyone recommend a good road map for Costa Rica. We are going in January and hiring a car. I am not convinced that the map supplied with car will be that detailed, so want to get one before I go. SC

I recommend getting a hold of an ITMB map, even if you have to get it mailed to you. (In my part of the world, there's a very good travel store (Open Air Books & Maps) that sells them - doesn't do you a whole lot of good, seeing as it's in Toronto - but if you have a similar store, you might find them stocked).

http://itmb.com/travel_maps.htm

I don't have their map of CR, but I used the Belize and Ecuador maps when driving around in those countries, and found them very useful.

One thing thing that is both an advantage and a drawback about ITMB is that they're not just road plans - they also include topographic colour-shading. I find this makes them just a bit harder to read than a straight road map. However, when driving in a very "wrinkled" country like CR, knowing what sort of grade you can expect to encounter is a distinct advantage!

Plus, in Ecuador (and no doubt there is an aspect of this in CR as well), it's very handy to be able to tell at a quick glance the rough altitude of a potential destination - since so many of the birds "sort" altitudinally.

Peter C.

 

[Mike Shurmer]

Thanks Peter C.

A quick check shows that these maps are available in the UK.

 

[JJP]

I go to Costa Rica every year.

This is the one I use.

http://costa-rica-guide.com/MapStore.html

 

[njlarsen]

I go to Costa Rica every year.

This is the one I use.

http://costa-rica-guide.com/MapStore.html

Is that the same as Toucanmaps? the front looks a little different but the small symbols all along the edge looks like it is the same.

thanks
Niels

 

[JJP]

Is that the same as Toucanmaps? the front looks a little different but the small symbols all along the edge looks like it is the same.

thanks
Niels

Yep. That's it. They updated it I think.

 

[njlarsen]

Thanks :t:

Niels

 

[Hamhed]

For what it is worth - We brought the National Geographic Adventure Map (how could you go wrong with a name like that!) but haven't used it for detailed road work so can't vouch for it's accuracy. It does have a topographic overlay and is printed on waterproof/tear resistant paper. Protected areas are outlined in various colors, depending on their status, National Park, Wildlife Refuge, Forest Reserve, etc. One detail I can comment on is that there is a road from Copey de Dota to Providencia that Liz and I have traveled and it is not on the National Geo map.

Steve

 

[JJP]

For what it is worth - We brought the National Geographic Adventure Map (how could you go wrong with a name like that!) but haven't used it for detailed road work so can't vouch for it's accuracy. It does have a topographic overlay and is printed on waterproof/tear resistant paper. Protected areas are outlined in various colors, depending on their status, National Park, Wildlife Refuge, Forest Reserve, etc. One detail I can comment on is that there is a road from Copey de Dota to Providencia that Liz and I have traveled and it is not on the National Geo map.

Steve

I have that one too. The scale is just a little smaller, but it's fine for general travel.

I have seen one in Costa Rica where the scale was actually larger than the Toucan Map, but I couldn't read the name of it. I may try to find it when I go again.