Best way to travel Costa Rica, Nomad America

It’s been a few years since we last visited Costa Rica. With coastlines on the Caribbean Sea to the east and Pacific Ocean to the west, this volcanic country has a diverse geography. There are 14 known volcanoes with the tallest measuring over 11,000′. And six of them active in the last 75 years. From the pristine coastlines to the rainforests and volcanoes, Costa Rica is at the forefront of environmental awareness and preservation. And a major reason for our return. The plan was to explore the Pacific coastline in addition to the rainforests and volcanoes. Our first stop once landing in the capitol city of San Jose was to link up with the folks at Nomad America. This company outfits their rental fleet of off-road vehicles with rooftop tents, awnings, mud terrain tires, steel bumpers, lights and everything else you’d require for self sustained overland travel.

Nomad America has both iconic and modern vehicles

From the iconic Land Rover Defender to the Toyota Hilux, FJ Cruisers, Prados and even Jeep Wranglers, Nomad America has you covered. We opted for a pair of FJ Cruisers due to our familiarity with the vehicles handling and capabilities. These fully equipped vehicles were delivered to our hotel and after a comprehensive walk-through, we were on our way. In addition to the overland equipment, Nomad America also includes a local smart phone with data plan for each vehicle. This allowed us to not only research our route, but stay in touch with Nomad America in case anything went wrong. And something did…

When I asked if there were any cool “trails” to explore, our host chuckled and said all the roads here are trails. He was correct. Many of the roads were washed out, damaged or flooded due to the heavy rains. Making the trip a real adventure. Our initial goal was the Pacific Coast and that’s where we headed after stocking the fridge with food and water. Take a look at the 23 minute video below and follow our adventure as we head north from San Jose, ultimately ending at Dreams Resort for a few days of rest and relaxation.

Video Filmed Primarily with GoPro Hero9

4×4 Camping Adventure in Costa Rica & Panama!

Nomad America’s 4×4 rental in Costa Rica and Panama gives you the possibility of your own extraordinary Costa Rica 4×4 road-trip adventure. Rent all-terrain 4×4 expedition vehicles ideal for local roads, like Toyota Land Cruisers, FJ Cruisers, 4Runners and Land Rover Defenders; all fully equipped with camping, cooking and sports gear giving you an all-inclusive road-trip. Start your adventure today!

Explore, Camp and Adventure in stunning Costa Rica and beautiful Panama – Off the beaten path. Be where you want to be. Always. ~nomadamerica.com

Route Map of Trip

• Day 1: (Green) San Jose to Playa Coyote 162 Miles
• Day 2: (Teal) Playa Coyote to Playa Pitahaya 106 Miles (Long detour due to flooded river)
• Day 3: (Royal Blue) Playa Pitahaya to Playa Minas 46 Miles
• Day 4: (Purple) Playa Minas to Rio Celeste 95 Miles
• Day 5: (Green) Rio Celeste to Volcano to Dream Resort 110 Miles
• Day 6-8: Dreams Resort
• Day 9: (Orange) Dreams Resort to San Jose 165 Miles