History of the Mar a Mar
El Camino de Costa Rica is a 280-kilometer coast-to-coast hiking route crossing Costa Rica from the Pacific to the Caribbean. It passes through rural farming communities, cloud forest, and indigenous territory — and most of it didn't exist fifteen years ago.
This is a brief history of how it came together. Please note that most of this information was compiled from interviews and through the Mar a Mar website.
2011 — The Idea
Conchita Espino and her husband Marco Marín finished the Camino de Santiago in Spain and retired to Costa Rica with the intention of building something similar — a long-distance route that would cross the country and bring hikers through communities that don't otherwise see much tourism.
2012 — First Explorations
Marco Marín, Juancho Chavarría, Rigoberto Venegas, Andrea Lizano, and Juan Tuinstra began tracing the route on foot. This was exploratory work — figuring out what a viable crossing actually looked like.
2015 — Mar a Mar is Founded
Asociación Mar a Mar was established as a Costa Rican non-profit in November 2015. The founding members included Espino, Marín, Felipe Carazo, Gabriel Chernakov, Patricia Forero, Paulina Ortiz, Andrea Lizano, Roger Fernández, Jeff Facey, and Lorea Pino.
The organization was set up around three areas of focus: maintaining and promoting the route, supporting economic development in rural communities along the trail, and environmental conservation.
2017 — The Indigenous Territory
The route was extended through the Nairi Awari Territory, home to the Cabécar people. The territory covers about 12,499 acres and is home to roughly 600 Cabécars. Hikers passing through are required to hire a local indigenous guide — an arrangement that channels income directly into the communities. All six communities in the territory now benefit economically from trail traffic.
February 2018 — Government Recognition
President Luis Guillermo Solís declared El Camino de Costa Rica of national and public interest. By the end of 2018, six communities along the route reported 30% increases in income connected to trail tourism.
2019 — Trail Marking
Mar a Mar, with help from Marjorie Fernández, Juancho Chavarría, Andrés Meneses, and the Boy Scouts of Costa Rica, completed the initial trail marking and signage. International volunteer programs, including Developing World Connections from Canada, began contributing to community projects along the route around this time as well.
2020 — Reforestation, a Ceremonial Center, and an Ultramarathon
Mar a Mar launched its first reforestation project in Cimarrones, Naranjillo, and Las Brisas de Pacuarito.
In October, the Casas Cosmogónicas — a Cabécar ceremonial and cultural center — was completed in the indigenous territory, funded by a donation from New Zealand and built with community involvement.
Sandra Mejía, a Costa Rican ultramarathon runner, completed the entire route in 68 hours as a fundraiser for single-mother households in communities along the trail.
2020–2021 — Cement Markers
Thirty-five cement markers were installed — one per stage — under the direction of Jorleny Aguilar. Each marker was individually donated. Additional signage was added identifying bird species on the Atlantic side of the route.
2021 — Guidebook, Connectivity Hub, World Trails Network
Evan Brashier, an American hiker who had crossed the Camino multiple times, published the first official hiking guide to the route. It was updated in 2024. Link.
A training and connectivity center opened in Las Brisas de Pacuarito, built through a collaboration between local associations, MINAE, private partners, and the Pave the Way Fernández Foundation.
El Camino de Costa Rica joined the World Trails Network, an international organization connecting long-distance trail associations globally.
September 2022 — Environmental Ambassador Clubs
Mar a Mar launched an environmental education program for children in six communities along the route. The initial cohort was 100 students. The program covers biodiversity, sustainable practices, and environmental leadership, and is still active.
2023 — Tent Camp and Biodiversity Conference
Developing World Connections, Mar a Mar, and local volunteers built Nama Ju (Casa de Felinos), a tent camp in the Tsinikicha community within the indigenous territory. It was inaugurated in December by the German Ambassador to Costa Rica.
In October, the first Biodiversity and Environmental Education Conference was held in the Barbilla-Nairi Awari zone, organized jointly with the Organization of Tropical Studies.
June 2024 — FarOut
El Camino de Costa Rica was added to FarOut, the GPS navigation app widely used by long-distance hikers. The route is now mapped, updated by the community, and accessible offline.
December 2024 — Legislative Recognition
Costa Rica's National Legislature formally declared the touristic development of El Camino de Costa Rica a matter of public interest.
That's where things stand. Each year, more hikers complete the crossing — and the trail keeps improving to meet them. Signage, lodging capacity, and community infrastructure have all grown steadily since the first explorations in 2012, and that trend shows no signs of slowing. For current route conditions and logistics, the Mar a Mar website is the most reliable source.