There is a tramway in Cartago, connecting the city with its suburbs and Aguacaliente. In San José a trolley line is soon to be established. Away from the conveniences now enumerated the people are wont to ride on horse or mule trails. The Government, however, takes care to increase and improve the cart-roads and other means of communications. During the last fiscal year over one hundred and ninety-four thousand pesos were spent on roads and bridges, and there is no doubt that Costa Rica, in this respect, too, is far ahead of the other Central American countries. Most of the Government expenditure named was spent on the national cart-road, the roads to San Carlos, Puriscal, Tablazo and Sarapiqui and on bridges over the Rio Grande, Reventazon, Bagaces, etc. In each district there is a “Junta Itineraria” for the conservation and improvement of roads, every proprietor participating in proportion to his property.

The following itinerary of roads and water routes, their distances and character, is reproduced from Mr. Richard Villafranca’s “Costa Rica:”

Distances from San José, the capital of Costa Rica.

Towns.Distance in miles.Character.
Alajuela13Rail, cart road.
Atenas24Cart road.
Aguacaliente15Tramway, cart road.
Aserri6Cart road.
Alajuelita3”
Boca de Toro160Navigation from Limon.
Bustamante21Saddle road.
Boruca120”
Buenos Aires120”
Buena Vista48Cart road.
Boca de San Carlos123Navigation.
Boca del Rio Frio132”
Bebedero132”
Baguces147Cart road.
Belen183”
Chile18”
Candelarita30Saddle road.
Curridabat3Railroad, cart road.
Carrillo25½Cart road.
Cartago12Railroad, cart road.
Cangrejal123Cart road.
Chirripo42Saddle road.
Cot18Cart road.
Carrizal12”
Chilamate60Saddle road.
Desamparados3Cart road.
Escasú4½”
Estero Grande78Navigation.
Esparta47Cart road.
Filadelfia177”
Grecia24”
Guatuzo25½”
Guaitil18Saddle road.
Guadalupe3Cart road.
Heredia6Railroad, cart road.
Hacienda Vieja72Navigation.
Juan Viñas27Railroad, cart road.
La Vibora27Saddle road.
La Palma12Cart road.
La Laguna15Cart road.
La Boca del Infierno18”
Limon98Railroad.
Los Frailes18Saddle road.
Las Cruces18”
La Laguna de Aserri10½”
La Virgen54”
Los Ojos de Agua18Cart road.
Los Angeles27”
La Barranca25½”
La Cuesta Vieja54”
Las Cañas139”
Liberia165”
La Cruz201Saddle road.
Muelle de San Carlos69”
Muelle de Sarapiqui66”
Nueva Santa Maria60”
Naranjo33Cart road.
Nicoya213”
Orosi18”
Palmira180”
Puntarenas60Railroad, cart road.
Peje60Cart road.
Paraiso16½Railroad, cart road.
Pirris de Aserri30Saddle road.
Paquita75”
Pacaca14Cart road.
Rosario12Saddle road.
Santa Rosa220Cart road.
Santa Cruz198”
Santo Domingo39”
San Mateo36”
Salimos42”
Sarchi30”
Sapotal27Saddle road.
Santiago de Puriscal24Cart road.
Sarcero40½”
San Jerónimo30”
San Roque27”
San Rafael19½”
Sabanilla18”
San Pedro de la Calabaza18”
San Ramon51Saddle road.
San Miguel42”
San Joaquin9Railroad, cart road.
Santo Domingo3½”
San Cristobal24Cart road.
San Miguel27Saddle road.
Sabanilla de Aserri24Saddle road.
San Ignacio12”
Santa Maria36Cart road.
San Marcos30”
San Pablo Dota27”
San Cristobal12”
San Miguel4¼”
San Jerónimo7½”
San Isidro6”
San Vicente3”
San Pablo30Saddle road.
Santa Ana7½Cart road.
Tres Rios7Railroad, cart road.
Tabarcia9Cart road.
Tucurrique36”
Turialba33Railroad, cart road.
Tambor15Cart road.
Tapezco43½”
Tempate213”
26 de Abril209”
Villa Santa Barbara12”
Villa Barba9”
Varablanca30”
Zapote45”

The postal service is performed by seventy local post-offices. Correspondence is dispatched twenty-six times per month to foreign countries by steamers, and four times per month overland to the neighboring countries. From the port of Limon the mail goes to Europe, via Hamburg, twice a month, the 12th and 29th; by the Royal Mail on the 9th day of each month; and via Marseilles on the 12th of each month; to Europe and the United States via New York every Friday, and to Europe, the United States and Mexico via New Orleans every Monday.

From the Port of Puntarenas the mail goes to the West Indies and South America, via Panamá, three times a month, and as often also to the States of Central America. Overland to Nicaragua the mail is sent, via Liberia, every Thursday. In the Gulf of Nicoya are three steamers in the postal service, namely the “Puntarenas,” “Fernandez” and “Dr. Castro.” The principal post-offices in Costa Rica are these:

Alajuela,
Aserri,
Atenas,
Barba,
Bagres,
Ballena,
Boruca,
Bebedero,
Cartago,
Carrillo,
Curridabat,
Desamparados,
Desmonte,
Escasú,
Esparta,

Guaitil,
Guadalupe,
Grecia,
Heredia,
Humo,
Jimenez,
Juan Viñas,
Limon,
Liberia,
Las Cañas,
La Union,
La Cruz,
Mojon,
Matina,
Naranjo,

Nicoya,
Old Harbor,
Pacaca,
Puriscal,
Puntarenas,
Palmares,
Paraiso,
Quemadas,
Reventazon,
San Isidro,
Santo Domingo,
Santa Barbara,
San Rafael,
San Antonio,
San Pedro,

San Lucas,
San Marcos,
Santa Ana,
San Juan,
San Vicente,
San Ramon,
San Carlos,
Sardinal,
Santa Cruz,
San Bernardo,
Santa Maria Dota,
Siquirres,
San Mateo,
San Joaquin,
Térraba.