Pan American Highway Costa Rica Landmarks and Car Rentals in Costa Rica

For an adventure of a lifetime when you travel with your car rentals in Costa Rica consider driving from the US to Costa Rica. Along the way, the landmarks of the Pan American Highway Costa Rica will dot your travels with excitement and history. The Pan American Highway is definitely an experience of a lifetime, especially when you travel with your car rentals in Costa Rica.

Starting out

The Pan-American Highway unofficially begins in Circle, Alaska, following Alaska Route 6 southwest to Fairbanks, Alaska. Many roads in the United States are considered to be a part of the Pan-American Highway, but no one route has been officially declared. The Pan-American Highway unofficially has four terminals entering into Mexico, with the Inter-American Highway beginning at the border crossing between Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.

Entering Mexico

In Nuevo Laredo, the Mexican Federal Highway 85 splits into two routes to Monterrey the other being Mexican Federal Highway 85D which has a toll of MXN$177. Nuevo Laredo is a city with 348,387 inhabitants. The city is considered Latin America's largest inland port with four international bridges into the USA. Monterrey is located some 225 km from Nuevo Laredo.

Entering Guatemala

Upon crossing into Guatemala, Mexico Highway 190 transforms into Central America Highway 1. From the border village of La Mesilla to the city of Huehuetenango is about 50 miles.

Huehuetenango

A short distance from the Huehuetenago are the Maya ruins of Zaculeu. This is something you definitely want to check out with your car rentals in Costa Rica when you travel the Pan American Highway.

Guatemala City (La Ciudad de Guatemala)

Guatemala City is the capital and largest city in Guatemala with a population between 1 and 2.5 million people; it is also the largest city in Central America. Guatemala City has several attractions, such as the Centro Cívico (Civic Center), Centro Cultural Miguel ángel Asturias (national theater), the Jardín Botánico (Botanical Garden), Lake Amatitlán (with a view of active volcanoes), the Mercado Central (Central Market with fruits and vegetables), Kaminal Juyú Mayan ruins, and the Zoológico La Aurora (Aurora Zoo).

Safety

Many Costa Rican roads are in terrible shape, and short distances can take a very long time. Even the only road in and out of popular tourist destinations are riddled with major potholes. Driving at night is highly inadvisable, due to the unpredictability of road conditions and lack of safety features such as guard rails on the many hairpin turns in the hills. Navigation can prove challenging. Road signs are relatively few, and those that do exist can be inaccurate. It is recommended that you have a good road map with the small towns listed, since road signs will often only indicate the next town, not the direction of the next major city. Towns generally do not have town-limit signs; it is best to look at the names on the roadside food stores and restaurants to determine the place you are passing. Stop and ask, practice your Spanish.

There are no formal street addresses in Costa Rica, but two informal systems exist. The first (often used in tourist information) indicates the road on which the establishment is located, together with the crossroad interval. In practice, street signs are virtually non-existent. The second system, which is much more reliable and understood by locals, is known as the "Tico address", usually involving an oriented distance from a landmark. Make sure you do your research before you head out with your car rentals in Costa Rica to discover the landmarks of the Pan American Highway Costa Rica.