The Costa Rica News (TCRN) – Everybody knows about this little problem in Costa Rica: There are hardly any street names or addresses. Finally a solution has come along to solve this issue – the free navigation app, Waze. The utilization only requires an unlocked smartphone and a local SIM card (available in almost every grocery store or supermarket).
You might be thinking, what sets Waze apart from a normal navigation system?
Its pretty simple: The system is based on the work of a social community what leads to several benefits and makes the app a must-have tool for every traveler or expat who doesn’t want to get lost in the Costa Rican traffic jungle.
Every member of this community is able to influence the system and feed it with information like police checks,
An example screenshot of Waze in action.speed cameras, accidents, jams or other hazards that could ruin your daily schedule. Thus, road users can share recent traffic events in real-time with other users. It’s like having the personal advice and warnings from a few million friends out there. Plus the app can immediately propose an alternative route to get you to your destination.
In turn, “wazers” get points and rise within the community as they are add information. This incentive is what is helping to make Waze maps better and more detailed.
Due to the social media aspect it is even possible to chat with other wazers. Can’t see how long the jam is that you’re stuck? No problem, just ask a car in front of you.
Furthermore, you can easily keep your friends or appointments up-to-date about your location and time of arrival. Because the system receives tons of live traffic information from its users, the estimated time of arrival (ETA) is
usually much more accurate than the ETA of ordinary navigation systems. And thanks to the share location feature it just requires a few clicks to tell your friends which route you took and where exactly you are, which can be especially useful when on vacation.
But what makes it really advantageous for us here in Costa Rica, is the fact that it’s possible to mark and add special locations or points of interest to the map. Even places like supermarkets, gas stations or hardware stores.
Hence, if you like to visit friends which who live in Santa Barbara de Heredia, and they tell you they live next to the local Más x Menos market, you just select this landmark as the destination, which is probably impossible with any other navigation provider. That allows you to find destinations throughout Costa Rica without the necessity of knowing the street name.
You see, the daily commute is not a one-man-show anymore. With Waze you have a giant community at your fingertips, assisting you in finding the quickest and easiest routes for wherever you need to go. Download this handy app today to save time, money, and your sanity.
For more information on getting around Costa Rica or vacationing in the land of Pura Vida, contact us!
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By Lukas Wesenberg
The Costa Rica News (TCRN)
San Jose, Costa Rica
