Garmin Nuvi 65

[STEVEN HIEMER]

Hi,

We will be arriving in Costa Rica this Friday, June 26 to scout around for a few weeks. We are starting out in Jaco driving down the coast and up a bit. Then we will stay in Samara and drive up and down that coastal area. We will be renting an SUV and will bring a Garmin Nuvi 65 with us as we have never been to Costa Rica, just read about it for a few years now.

Any suggestions on a good map of Costa Rica to download on the Garmin? It does not matter if we have to purchase the download or if it is free. We just want a good map, so we don’t get lost (too often). -;)

Steve

[JASON HOLLAND]

Hi Steven,

Sounds like a great trip! While in Samara, keep in mind that many roads in that area, especially along the coast to the north and south of town can be quite rough. Some areas might be impassable. Some spots you have to cross rivers – with no bridges. It all depends on where you’re going. Most places are perfectly fine. But it’s a good idea to get some local input from your hotel or locals and expats you meet before heading out. Tell them where you plan to go and they can give you updated status updates on the road.

In and around Jaco you’ll be fine, the main roads are paved and even the dirt roads are fine in most spots.

As far as GPS maps, here are a few I’ve found online (I’ve never used any of them personally):

http://www.gpstravelmaps.com/gps-maps/central-america/costa-rica.php

http://www.gpsetravelguides.com

http://shop.trackit.cr/index.php?cPath=33_49

To make sure you get what you need, you might try contacting Garmin directly to see if they recommend a particular provider for maps.

Also, for a back up, keep in mind that you can download the free app Waze for your smartphone. It’s a great GPS app, although it will eat a lot of data and could be expensive to use depending on the international plan for your smartphone. Sometimes the cell providers will charge you quite a bit per minute for data and calls if you’re overseas, although you can often call beforehand and get a reasonable rate.

[STEVEN HIEMER]

Jason,

Yes, we are really looking forward to exploring a bit of Costa Rica. We did find a download from Costa Rica since Garmin does not have one. Thanks so much for the warning about possible road closures and “rivers.” We rather wondered about that since it is the rainy season. We are staying at The Hideway in Samara, so hopefully we can get there coming from Jaco. We will e-mail them to check also. Thanks Again!

[JASON HOLLAND]

Hi Steven,

To get from Jaco to Samara, you can definitely make it. You’ll just have to avoid certain routes due to road conditions.

There are two options. In one, you’ll head to Puntarenas, a port city on the Pacific coast north of Jaco, and take the car ferry over the Paquera, on the south tip of the Nicoya Peninsula and then drive north to get to Samara. The other you drive north through mainland Costa Rica and then head west, crossing the Puente de Amistad over the Gulf of Nicoya, and then continue on to Samara.

The hotel will be able to tell you which will be the shortest trip.

Best of luck and have fun!

[MICHEAL LEVINE]

I have the trackit map on my Garmin Nuvi, and it works well in the Central Valley, which is where you really need help from a GPS.

The bad news is that this product is no longer available.

From the trackit web site:

We don’t longer produce or sale the GPS map for Costa Rica, you could find other Costa Rica map solutions at the following sites/stores:

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