‘Warning: School Zone’ bleeped the GPS of my hire car again as I drove through a small village as part of a two week self-drive trip around Costa Rica. I’d lost count of how many times the GPS had given me similar warnings during that drive and it began to re-enforce to me just how important schools and education are to Costa Rica. Education and conservation really seem key to this stable, forwarding thinking country and Costa Rica’s ‘Ticos’ are rightly proud to have one of the highest literacy rates in the Americas and have over 25% of the country protected by parks and reserves. It is also a safe, peaceful country reflected by the fact it has not had an army since 1949.
And what better way to discover this beautiful country than hiring a car and taking to the roads. A four-wheel drive vehicle, full cover insurance and a GPS are recommended and, away from San José, roads are quiet and mostly in good condition. For me the freedom to explore at my own pace made for a really memorable adventure!
