New Highway Project Could Transform Caldera

The Port of Caldera is on the Pacific, in the Gulf of Nicoya. A new road will link the town of Caldera with San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica.

December 18, 2007
San Jose, Costa Rica

Wondering where next to invest in Costa Rica? A new highway project means changes are in store for the Pacific port town of Caldera. Construction on the long-awaited Caldera Highway, which goes from Costa Rica's central valley to the Pacific coast, will begin in January. Now is definitely the time to scout this area.

The contraloría general de la república, or comptroller general, gave the final go-ahead to the project, which has been in the works for 30 years. The project has been promised and postponed so many times, that it has become the butt of jokes. With this final approval, however, it seems it is finally going to happen.

The 48-mile highway will reduce driving time to the coast by an estimated 45 minutes, connecting San Jose to Caldera, just south of Puntarenas, after passing through Ciudad Colon and Orotina. Currently, Caldera is about two hours west of San Jose.

Caldera is little more than a port town, eclipsed by its more popular neighbor, Puntarenas. But Caldera has an industrial port complex that accommodates not just cargo vessels, but also cruise liners. Companies like Holland America, Royal Caribbean, and the luxury Windstar line already stop here. It attracts tourists with its picturesque cliffs, beaches, and good parasailing conditions. Another draw is the rainforest—it stretches into the mountains and contains rivers, waterfalls, parks, and wildlife preserves. There is plenty of room for growth and development.

International consortium Autopistas del Sol won the concession to build the highway in 2005. Autopistas was supposed to begin work last January, but negotiations between the government and the banks financing the project caused delays. The comptroller general finally approved a new addendum that ups Autopistas' payment by $72 million to $230 million. The addendum also moves the deadline for completion back by six months to July 2010.

Autopistas will charge a toll of $2.70 to recoup its investment and make a profit.

Your Latin America Insider,

Suzan Haskins

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