Starting yesterday, April 1st, the Puente La Amistad which allows for quick access to Nicoya on Route 18, will undergo a four-month closure for renovations. Residents and visitors of Las Catalinas are advised to plan their routes accordingly, either by driving via Route 1 through Liberia, taking a ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya to Puntarenas, or using the Ingenio el Viejo.
While all options remain viable, each route comes with its own considerations, and certain routes may offer greater convenience depending on your destination. The closure is expected to be completed by July 25th. The government's objective is to not affect tourism in Guanacaste, so efforts will be made to reopen it for the fiestas in Nicoya on July 24th.
One alternative route is maritime transportation through ferries departing from Puntarenas to two key points on the peninsula: Playa Naranjo and Paquera or vice versa. Opting for this option would be advantageous if you are returning from San Jose and intend to proceed to either of these two peninsula towns, or to picturesque beaches like Montezuma or Santa Teresa, or if you plan to head north after Jicaral, Nicoya, or Santa Cruz.
This route will add extra time to your route, as both sea crossings typically last about an hour. However, they do offer drivers and passengers a pleasant break to take in the scenic vistas of the Gulf of Nicoya and its surrounding islands. To accommodate the heightened demand during this four-month period, ferry trip frequencies have been increased.
Service to Playa Naranjo, provided by the company Coonatramar, costs ¢10,170 for small vehicles plus an additional ticket cost per person of ¢1,005 for adults and ¢600 for children between 6 and 12 years old. You can review the complete tariff on the Coonatramar website.
Service to Paquera is operated by the company Naviera Tambor. Small vehicles have a ¢11,400 plus tax fare, with an additional ticket per person of ¢810 for adults and ¢485 for children. Schedules are also available on Naviera Tambor website.
A second option, not unfamiliar to those in Las Catalinas, is to continue by road to Liberia, turn left, pass by the Daniel Oduber Airport, and then head towards your destination, such as heading south towards Santa Cruz or Nicoya. To improve traffic flow at the intersection of the Interamericana (Route 1) with Route 21 (heading to Santa Cruz and Nicoya), modifications have been made to the traffic light systems:
A new third option has recently emerged, which entails driving through the private property of El Ingenio El Viejo, a sugar mill. By taking this route via Route 922, travelers can conveniently journey between Bagaces and Nicoya or Filadelfia, and vice versa. Along the way, the route also passes through various towns such as Ortega or Talolinga.
Some things to consider if you choose this route; it is primarily a gravel road, so the maximum speed is forty kilometers per hour, and is only recommended for light vehicles. This passage will be open from April 8th and only during the dry season. Around May, when the seasonal rains normally begin, this route will be closed. As this is a sugar mill, drivers should be cautious of agricultural machinery and other large vehicles in the area.
Regardless of the route you select, we recommend consulting Waze or Google Maps for real-time updates and suggest allocating some extra time for your journey.