Still doing some route planning for my trip to Central And South America in late September. Looking at the map of Costa Rica, there seems to be two likely routes thru to Nicaragua. Obviously the standard CA1 (or 2 depending on which map) from Esparza (after visiting the northern Nicoya Pennisula) thru San Jose, Cartago, San Isidro, then Palmer Norte. Another route takes off from Esparza, and stays on the coast thru Jaco, Parrita, Quepos, and then to Palmer Norte. Anyone have personal experience or suggestions on which might be the better route and for what reasons. Thanks!

Pete, thanks for the info. That is what I am looking for. I am kind of a beach bum (live on the beach in Oxnard Ca so I am sure I will turn right! I may have the return trip to try the other road. Thanks again.
Rick

G'day Rick,
I'm partial to the beach, too, and have just finished my little Ushuaia loop recently. Coming south in Nicaragua, definitely turn off the main road and stop into San Juan Del Sur. Then, once you're into Costa Rica it's worth turning off at Liberia and spending a couple of days at Playa Tamarindo, but it IS a tourist trap and the surf's not as good as I'd expected, but still OK nonetheless. From there, it's not too bad a ride to the ferry at Playa Naranjo which goes across to Puntarenas, but the road's a shocker in places. (On my way back North I took the road through Honda, which also had some scruffy bits....roads in Costa Rica are generally pretty crappy actually)
Further on, if you want a taste of the Caribbean, head north then east through San Jose to Puerto Limon and along the coast to Pto. Viejo. From there you can ride through to Panama along the coast, Bocas Del Toro's well worthwhile, but there's two VERY scary railway bridges to deal with. Or, if you want to stick to the Pacific side, Dominical's worth a stopover, and also it's not too hard to ride dirt down to Pavones itself, but watch the weather....we got stuck in a massive downpour and couldn't get through the very last creek which came down in flood.
Whichever way you go, it's all fun but the police in Costa Rica like fining fast motorcycles.
Enjoy!

Grant F

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Grant, Thank you for the great info. I have San Juan Del Sur on my itinerary (read about it in another thread). You say you just finished your Ushuaia loop. Could you give me a general idea of you route all the way down and back. I am trying to plan so that I don't backtrack "too" much. Thinking of doing the west coast till Nazca, then into Cusco, Lake Titicaca, then maybe Uyuni and south and east to Ushuaia from there. I can then come up on the west side (thinking of the ferry to Puerto Montt) then north. At Nazca the back tracking would start (unless you can offer some suggestions) :=) Thanks for any help you can give me.
Rick