Comparing the two navigation apps to help you pick the right one for Costa Rica.
| Google Maps | Waze | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Excellent for finding businesses, reading reviews, and using offline maps when you have no data signal in remote areas. | The navigation app of choice for Costa Ricans with real-time community alerts for potholes, flooding, fallen trees, and road closures. |
| Essential? | Yes | Yes |
| Pro Tip | Download the offline map of Costa Rica before your trip. Rural areas have patchy data coverage. | Switch Waze's language to Spanish to see local road names the way Costa Ricans refer to them. |
| App Store | Download | Download |
| Play Store | Download | Download |
We recommend Google Maps for navigation in Costa Rica. Download the offline map of Costa Rica before your trip. Rural areas have patchy data coverage.
