Driving Central America & South America.
Going to Costa Rica thru the Mexican Atlantic
August 4, 2008 - 2:21am
Fellow southbounders,
although heavily depending on a few commitments which might prevent me from hitting the road next September, I would like to know if there is anyone potentially interested in coming along and splitting some of the driving and expenses. As much as I hate it, I am heavily restrained to making it in 2 weeks (Saturday through following Sunday) from (eastern) North Dakota to San Jose Costa Rica. Not only that but I am, without any chance of changing it, limited to the dates being Saturday September 13 through Sunday September 28. I will not know if I will be able to meet these dates until tomorrow, but if I can I will be definitely very excited to come back and check the forums to see if anyone can make it. My offer however would only extend from the states to Guatemala City, since my family will fly and come along from there on south.
If anyone is interested, just please don’t get your hopes way way up yet since as I said this trip could happen or not, and if not it will not take place until sometime late next year. Everything here is at this point only tentative. Also, up to 2 people could come along. I should find out this information no later than Wednesday.
The tentative itinerary is below, and I also have some questions about the routing which would be great if someone could help me out in that sense.
Mainly travel times between my destinations, and also any information or experience driving around the Tuxtla Gutierrez and surrounding Chiapas area.
The basics about me, my car and the trip.
well I’ve always wanted to do this trip. I was thinking of taking the TicaBus but I figured since my family is coming along might be a good idea to bring the car. It’s a 94 Corolla (4 door, manual), I know I know, but the engine is in pristine working order and I trust the car. I’ve driven the car in all kinds of roads and it keeps up. It’s got a 1.8 liter engine which performs rather well, that .2 adds some nice power from the 80% of the sedan community that runs on a 1.6 or smaller. I got new tires less than 10,000 miles “ago”, and have taken 2 major roadtrips with this vehicle, a 1,500 mile trip in cold weather in the “northern” November and a 3,000 mile one hot weather and high density altitude that I got back a couple weeks ago. Half the stuff in the engine is new, maintenance has been well observed and it is a common engine in case it needed to be repaired for any reason along the route. And well, even though it obviously doesn’t have nearly as much storage space as an SUV would, it is not too shy on that sense either, I have noticed it has a slightly larger capacity than similar vehicles (back seats are located further). And heck, I can even sell it down there (I am planning on taking it to the body shop which is much cheaper and have minor rust touch ups and a full body paint).
I am doing a road trip down western south America to the tip of the Patagonia and back around thru the eastern edge of the continent in 3 years, and I figured it would be a good experience to get acquainted with the border crossing system, calculating realistic travel times, and all in all make the little mistakes now and not in the longer trip. I also want to see if I want to take this one or get a bigger vehicle (I can’t stand driving little cars any more, truly want something that sits up high now, but the mileage is just great) I am getting anywhere from 42-43 mpg highway, and well above 30 in any other type of setting. The maintenance has definitely improved the performance on this vehicle. Also if I do choose to go with a bigger vehicle I want to find out if automatic would be the right choice – after all these years I’m getting kinda tired of the stick shift in the long run.
I speak fluent Spanish, learned to drive in Costa Rica and look like a local – I truly hope I can just get by unnoticed!
If anyone has travelled any roads in my route it would be great to hear what your experience was.
(and tips on the what to do and not to do’s regarding vehicle paperwork –especially in and out of Mexico- would be greatly appreciated)
Times expected to be spent at each border (and I almost forgot - what are the alternatives to the infamous El Amitillo crossing, and how far/where are they?)
Be safe out there!
(Saturday 13-Sioux Falls South Dakota to Oklahoma City, OK
Sunday 14-Oklahoma City to Corpus Christi, Texas)
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| southbound.jpg | 99.43 KB |
August 27, 2008 - 11:15am
#2
Too Fast to Stop and Smell the Roses
I am in agreement with atg200. I drove from Warren, MI to Tamarindo, Costa Rica in 15 days and would not do it again on that time schedule for all the coffee in Costa Rica. Do not drive into Tampico, but take the bypass around the city. Poza Rica is a dirty oil town and would be the last place I would stop. Tecolutla about 50 Km passed Poza Rica on Hwy 180 and about 10 Km off Hwy 180 is a neat little town to spend the night right on the Gulf of Mexico and the Hotel I stayed in was only about $30.00 for the night. Note that while Tecolutla is only about 60 Km passed Poza Rica it will take an hour to an hour and a half to get there. This should tell you a little about the highway speeds you will be able to average south of the Rio Grande. Coatzacooalcos means where the snake hides and is also an oil refinery town with nothing of interest. Enough said about your first two choices for stops. Again I note that south of the Rio Grande you will only be able to average something less than 35 miles per hour at best except if you take the toll roads. First buy a good Mexico map and check out the toll roads. If memory is correct on the toll roads you will be able to go 60 mph, but note that there are no shoulders like most of the roads in CA. If you go off the road your car will flip and you will most likely be dead. The Toll roads run down the center of the country and will add miles but the extra 15 mph which you can average will help make that up. Do not plan on stopping in Oaxaca as there has been civil unrest these last couple of years and may not be a safe place for gringos. I would also suggest you exit Mexico at Tapachula and take the CA 2 to El Salvador. Note that this route misses Guatemala City and Antigua, but on the schedule you are planning you will have no time to see anything other than the highway anyway. It is a long day from Tapachula to Playa el Tunco, but if you start a 6:00 AM and do not stop for other than gas and borders you should be able to make it before dark. Important note that maybe with the exception of the Mexican Toll roads (and I am not sure about them) do not drive after dark. Dark comes about 5:30 to 6:00 PM depending on the time of year.
There is no way that you will be able to drive from Playa el Tunco (about 35km west of La Libertad to Managua in one day forget about it. The El Amatillo border cross will take at least three hours. Plan on stopping in Choluteca, Honduras, there is a nice hotel right on the highway. I agree with you following the CA 2 to get into Nicaragua, but the first 5 or 10 miles of Nicaraguan roads are very bad. I can not remember anything in Managua worth spending a night there but if you get an early start Choluteca to Granada, is doable if you are into long days driving and not much else. Granada is an old colonial city, I did not think that it was as great as it was made out to be, but you will only be sleeping there as you will have no time to site see. Granada to Liberia Costa Rica is easily done in one day, but there is no way you can make it from Granada to San Jose in one day, forget it. Note even the local Ticos (Costa Ricans) plan on 5 to 6 hours to drive the 150 miles from Tamarindo to San Jose. That’s a 30 MPH or less average.
If you still want to do the drive for the adventure of it, my advice is to add at least one , if not two more weeks to your schedule or plan on long day thought Mexico using the toll roads. Note that you will not get to know any of the countries you will be driving thought on the two week schedule. I highly advise against your drive on the time schedule shown, even if you took advantage of the Mexican toll roads. For such a short time it would be cheaper and a lot easier to fly down and back rent a vehicle in Costa Rica and have more time to experience that country. Pura Vida
August 27, 2008 - 12:08pm
#3
[quote=Doug Marshall;612]Do not plan on stopping in Oaxaca as there has been civil unrest these last couple of years and may not be a safe place for gringos.
If you still want to do the drive for the adventure of it, my advice is to add at least one , if not two more weeks to your schedule or plan on long day thought Mexico using the toll roads. Note that you will not get to know any of [/quote]
I disagree about Oaxaca.. I was there about 3 months after the big unrest in the plaza was over.. I believe that was just before christmas 2007. It was fine. So long as there's nothing actively going on, I would see Oaxaca, and eat some mole (moh-lay) in the market!!! mmm...
But about the schedule, yes it's just too fast. Go see mexico, and forget Costa Rica. Make it to San Christobal, then cruise to Panajachel, Guatemala (6-7 hours south) and see the lake. You won't regret it. Then go 3 hours to the black sand beach of Monterico, if that's your thing. Then back to Mexico.. Oh, and see Tikal...
September 18, 2008 - 9:46pm
#4
Guys i could really use a copy of someones intererary,mexico to panama,leaving in jan 09, and need all the help i can get.Please!!!
September 22, 2008 - 2:05pm
#5
Take a look at my blog at [URL=http://www.laakso.us]http://www.laakso.us[/URL] There is a google map showing the route I took and everywhere I stopped.
Your schedule looks brutal, and for the most part you are picking the most unpleasant places to stay everywhere you go. I wouldn't recommend driving unless you have at least 3 times as much time - you'd be better off just flying and picking one or two countries to visit with that little time.
Here are some recommendations if you do decide to go.
Poza Rica is a shithole, so don't stay there. If you want to stop at El Tajin(highly recommended), stay in Papantla, which is smaller and much more pleasant than Poza Rica. I'd really recommend just going to Tampico your first night from the US Border, getting an early start the next day so you can visit El Tajin, and then pushing on to Veracruz for your second night.
Coatzacoalcas is also a shithole unless you really like oil refineries. Instead, stay in Villahermosa if you are coming from Poza Rica/Papantla, or better yet stay in Palenque if you are coming from Veracruz. There are lots of nice cheap accommodations up near the ruins outside the town of Palenque, and the ruins are nice and well worth visiting.
Tuxtla Gutierrez is a very dull and big industrial city. If you go another hour up the road to San Cristobal de las Casas you can stay in a charming colonial city instead. Comitan is pleasant enough, but there isn't much to do there. I'd recommend just doing a long push from San Cristobal de las Casas to Quetzeltenango or Panajachel if you want to see Lago de Atitlan. The border crossing into Guatemala at La Mesilla is very quick and easy. The thing to beware of here is in February 2009 the Panamerican between Quetzeltenango and Panajachel was under lots of construction with epic delays. Check into that before you commit to the push from Quetzeltenango in the afternoon.
La Libertad in El Salvador is a shithole. The best place to stay on the beach is Playa el Tunco, which is about an hour before La Libertad.
Driving from La Libertad to Managua in a day would be absolutely brutal. Going through southern Honduras is probably the fastest way, but there is no way to avoid El Amatillo if you go that way. It would be better to go north from La Libertad and then drive through central Honduras, or skip El Salvador complete.
If you do go through El Amatillo, stop for the night in Choluteca if you get there after about 2 in the afternoon. The border crossing at Nicaragua is also not fast, and the road from the border to Leon is awful and very slow. You would not want to be on this road at night.
Managua is a shithole, so i'm not sure why you even want to go there - it is easily bypassed. Leon is wonderful, as is Granada. Masaya is cool if you want to go shopping, but otherwise its a bit dull.
Managua to San Jose would be absolutely brutal. The border crossing takes awhile, and the traffic going up into the mountains towards San Jose can be very bad - it took me hours to go less than 100K. I'd recommend staying in San Juan del Sur near the Nicaragua border - it is nice with beautiful beaches, though a bit touristy.
Read other posts here for information about documentation. Basically you need the original title and your US vehicle registration. Get Mexico car insurance in advance since it is much more expensive at the border.