One of the most popular routes for visitors to Costa Rica is from San Jose to La Fortuna. Although driving in Costa Rica may seem scary (you have probably already read some horror stories), many of the routes and destinations are easy to get to with good roads and this is one of them. The worst part of this route will be getting out of San Jose but once you’re out of the chaotic capital city, it’s smooth sailing from there.
Here is our guide to driving from San Jose to La Fortuna and vice versa.
Don’t forget to check out our Costa Rica car rental discount!
- Arenal from San Jose Route
- Driving Time and Distance
- Road conditions
- Directions
- Video
- Driving at night
- Places to see along the way
- Alternative Routes
San Jose to La Fortuna Route
There are 2 ways from San Jose to La Fortuna: by way of Naranjo and Ciudad Quesada and by way of San Ramon. You can take either way but the San Ramon route is the shortest and is the one I’ll be going over in this article. It is the most direct.
How Far is La Fortuna from San Jose?
The distance between San Jose and La Fortuna is about 130 kilometers or 80 miles. The distance between San Jose International Airport and La Fortuna is about 115 km or 72 miles (remember the San Jose Airport is not in San Jose, it’s in Alajuela).
The drive time from San Jose to La Fortuna is about 3.5 hours depending on how much traffic there is in San Jose.
There are a couple of toll boths you need to go through leaving San Jose. They are small amounts, like 200-800 Costa Rican colones (20 cents to $1.50 USD). You can pay in Costa Rican colones or USD (small bills only).
Road Conditions
The San Jose to La Fortuna road conditions are in good shape. You’ll start off on the highway and then it goes through several small towns with all paved roads. It does get a bit curvy at one point though so I do recommend going slow.
You can perfectly drive a sedan for San Jose to La Fortuna, no 4×4 necessary.
Driving Directions for San Jose to La Fortuna
If you have Waze, I highly recommend using that as your GPS. Since Waze chooses the shortest route most of the time, it will automatically pick the San Ramon route but make sure to check before you hit let’s go.
From San Jose, you need to get onto the Panamerican highway to Puntarenas and exit at “San Ramon” on the right. Depending on traffic, it could take around 1.5 hours. You will pass Palmares right before the exit.
After you turn onto the San Ramon route, you will drive through the town. There are plenty of signs so follow the signs to La Fortuna and continue onto Route 702.
When you are on Route 702 and out of San Ramon, it is a very straight forward drive. Just continue on the road and you will see signs for La Fortuna and Arenal. You’ll pass small towns of Angeles Sur, La Tigra, Santa Clara and Chachagua. This is the part that gets fairly windy and from there, it’ll take around 2 hours until you reach La Fortuna.
La Fortuna to San Jose Route Video
Here is a video of us driving from Arenal to San Jose via San Ramon. I included all of the turns and clips of most of the towns.
You will head east from the park in La Fortuna past La Fortuna Backpackers Resort and drive towards Chachagua. It’s very straight forward and there are signs the entire way.
Can I Drive this Route at Night?
Even though the roads are paved, it is recommended not to drive from San Jose to Arenal late at night because it gets very curvy and the signs are very difficult to see in the dark. Even if you have a GPS or Waze, it is recommended not to if it is raining. There are a couple points during this route where there is nothing around so you don’t want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere in case something happens.
It gets dark at 6 PM every day in Costa Rica so if your flight gets in late, I recommend staying the night in San Jose and leaving early the next morning for Arenal.
Any Points of Interest Along the Way?
If you are leaving San Jose early in the morning and have all day for this drive, here are some interesting places to stop along the way from San Jose to La Fortuna.
Many people like to stop at La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park up in Vara Blanca. It’s about halfway between San Jose and La Fortuna and a really nice stop. This park has 5 waterfalls and an animal sanctuary, great for families. Get 7% off the La Paz park here!
If you’re interested in coffee, San Jose has some of the best coffee tours in Costa Rica. You can do a morning tour at Doka Coffee Estate or Hacienda Alsacia – Starbucks Coffee Farm and then head to La Fortuna after the tour.
For restaurants, we like to stop in San Ramon because it is the biggest town on this route so they have more options. You can stop at Aroma’s Cafe, La Choza de Doña Emilce or Chepes Restaurante. If you’re in a rush, San Ramon also has a mall with fast food.
Here is a map with the points of interest below.
Driving from Guanacaste? (Liberia, Tamarindo, Playas del Coco, etc.) Check out our guide to driving to Arenal from Guanacaste!
Alternative Routes
A fun alternative route is to do San Jose – Bajos del Toro – La Fortuna. In Bajos del Toro, you can stop by the many amazing waterfalls in the area. The easiest one to see (shortest hike) and most “wow” one is Catarata del Toro.
If you decide to do this route, it is recommended to have a 4wd or a high car like a Hyundai Creta instead of a sedan, especially in rainy season.
Here is the map:
You can also stop at Sarchi, a small town famous for woodwork. It’s a great place to get souvenirs and see a small local town. If you go to Sarchi, you can also do a coffee tour at Espiritu Santo Coffee Tour.
Curious about other routes for your trip? Read our Costa Rica road conditions post for more information.
Sammi says
Hello Morena, thousands of tourists rent a car and drive in Costa Rica every year, the only things would be to definitely get a GPS or international data/Wifi Router/prepaid SIM card to use Google Maps or Waze, plan out your drives beforehand (download them offline on Google Maps and check out routes before you leave) and make sure to drive long routes during the day, not at night. Drive slowly and check with your hosts if you need a 4×4. You can read more tips for driving in Costa Rica and our Costa Rica car rental tips.
Morena says
Cont… How safe are the places and the roads for the following and what are the best/safest routes:
While at Arenal we want to hit Monteverde and Tabacon.
From Arenal we will drive out to playa del coco and we’re thinking of driving back and forth from playa del coco to el Rincon de la vieja and from playa del coco to tamarindo.
From Playa del coco we will be driving to Jaco and will drive to Manuel Antonio national park.
From Jaco we’ll be driving to San Jose to take flight from there. How early would you suggest we leave Jaco to get to San Jose by 11am? Keeping in mind we have to get a covid test, return the car rental, and check-in on time.
Thank you in advance and sorry for the many questions.
Sammi says
If your flight is at 11 AM and you need to take a COVID test at the airport with Lab Echandi, they require you to be at the airport 4 hours before your flight so you’d need to be there by 7 AM. I’d leave no later than 4 AM from Jaco to have time to return the car and get to the testing site because there is a TON of traffic in San Jose and around the airport.
Morena says
Thank you for your prompt response and all the info! Is it safe to drive from Jaco to San Jose airport at 4am? Given that we’ve heard the street lighting isn’t so great in Costa Rica?
Sammi says
This route goes to the highway for pretty much most of it so put on your GPS and it should be fine (drive carefully of course).
Morena says
Cont….. We’re flying into San Jose and then going to Arenal from there. Do you think the road to Arenal is doable for “newbies” or would you recommend getting a taxi/tour company to take us there?
Sammi says
Hi Morena, this is a super common route, you can read this post to see what it’s like.
Morena says
Hello,
Thank you for sharing so much great info! This will be our first time visiting Costa Rica and we’re really excited! We’re renting a car but would like to know how dangerous you would say it is to drive out there?We’ve heard mixed reviews but we want to hit a lot of places so we figured it’d be easiest to rent a car. Though they do say it can be a hassle to rent one.
Benny Marcel says
Hi, We are traveling to Costa Rica in late May. our 1st full morning starts early at the Tucan rescue ranch. from there we are driving with 4×4 to La Fortuna. Are there any interesting “quick” stops along 126 on the way up besides La Paz? we will not have the time to visit the park unfortunately. Also we will have a car full of belongings for 4 and do not feel comfortable leaving it for long. Any recommendations are appreciated.
love your web site. extremely helpful.
Benny
Sammi says
Along the way to La Paz, there are some cute souvenir stores and stands on the side of the road in the small towns of Poasito.
Robert says
Thanks for this very helpful post Sammi. I love your website in general. We are heading to La Fortuna from Tambor in the Southern Nicoya Peninsula. What route would you say is the easiest? I assume it’s best to take the ferry from Paquera to Puntarenas instead of driving around? From there what would you suggest? We are driving with young kids and have had our fill of bad roads here near Montezuma and Santa Teresa so really just looking for the quickest/easiest route. Thanks in advance!
Sammi says
I would take the ferry since it’s more fun!
Jen says
Hi Sammi
We are arriving in San Jose at 12:30 pm and heading up to La Fortuna. I was thinking of stopping at Parque Francisco Alvarado and taking 141. What are your thoughts about that route?
Thank you!
Sammi says
You can do that, Zarcero is beautiful.
Melanie says
Great post! We like the idea of stopping at Blue Falls befor egoing to La Fortuna. Where do you suggest we stop for lunch? We are arriving at SJO at 11:00 am and would probably be hungry driving to La Fortuna and before going on the hikes to Blue Falls.
Sammi says
You can find a place by the airport, there are a lot of options there. Or you can have lunch in Zarcero, the town about 30 minutes before Bajos and they have lots of local restaurants there.
Magz says
Amazing information Sammy! We (2 adults, 1 kid (7YR)) will be flying into SJO @1PM on Dec 24 and flying back from LIR on Dec 29. We wanted to cover the adventures offered at Arenal Volcano park & stay in a nice resort offering natural springs for 2 days and then head to the beaches near LIR. You’ve any recommendation on where to stay nearby all the adventures and the hot springs? We are debating whether to stay in SJO for a day or head straight to lake Arenal? Is there any nearby SJO thats worth staying a night? we’ve nature, beaches, adventure in mind – not a fan of museums.
Sammi says
Hi Magz, you can check our La Fortuna post for hotel recommendations and if you want more luxury, we have a La Fortuna and Arenal luxury hotels with recommendations too. I’d skip San Jose and go straight to La Fortuna especially since you don’t have many days here.
Jenna says
Hola!
Thank you for your blog, it’s been so helpful. I hope you can share your advice: we will be driving from Finca Rosa to Arenal on November 30. Because of a coffee tour, we won’t be likely leaving FR until 1:00 pm or later. We would love to stop by La Paz on the way and spend a couple of hours, but I’m very concerned about that extra stop off causing us to drive in the dark to Arenal (Amor Arenal, specifically). Would you caution against this? Should we just scrap the pit stop at La Paz? Would hate to miss it, it’s literally right on the way…but don’t want to fall off a cliff, either. Lol.
Also Google Maps is routing us on Route 126 > 142 to get to Arenal, I’m hoping that makes a difference and puts us on a different road other than the windy mountain one that everyone is warning about. Thanks so much for your help:)
Sammi says
Hi Jenna it’s about 1 hour from Finca Rosa Blanca to La Paz so you’ll be there around 2 PM if not too bad of traffic. Then you have a couple hours to spend at the park… if you want to drive at least part of the drive in daylight, you should leave the park by around 4 PM or so but it does tend to rain a lot up in the La Paz area so keep that in mind and the road up to that area is really curvy and narrow and not recommended for tourists to drive in the dark and rain. You’ll be a bit rushed at the park but you could see the whole thing in a couple of hours. I would just recommend to use a GPS for sure as signage is not good and Waze (GPS app) is very good.
If it is raining a lot that day or you end up leaving Finca Rosa Blanca later than expected, I’d skip La Paz and go to Arenal right away because it can get stressful to drive and plan if it’s raining a lot and you only have limited time.
Jenna says
Thank you so much. I appreciate your feedback and on the day of, we will just play it by ear depending on our timing. Pura Vida! xx
Ramesh Maddipoti says
HI Sammi, We are traveling in December 2019 with two 2 boys. We are landing in SJO airport around 2:30 PM. The plan is to go to LaFotuna the same day. But based on the immigration and rental car checkout, it could be 5 PM or so before we leave San Jose. Do you think it is safe to drive to LaFortuna on the same day or would you recommend to stay somewhere in the middle and continue our trip to LaFortuna/Arenal area? Please suggest.
Sammi says
For immigration time, it’ll depend on what date you arrive in December because mid December until end is super busy, but beginning of Dec like first week is not that busy so you could leave earlier if you are visiting beginning of December. If it’s during the Christmas and New Years holiday, it will be very busy. You can leave around 5 PM but that is rush hour time so prepare to be in traffic. Use a GPS like the app Waze and know you will arrive at night, probably around 9 PM or so due to traffic.
If you don’t want to deal with driving in traffic (driving in San Jose is a bit crazy), then you can stay a night in San Jose to take it easier.
Emily says
Hi! My family is flying into San Jose at 4pm and going to rent a car through your site with Adobe. We have 2 small children (an infant and a 3 yr old) and with it getting dark at 6pm we didn’t want to drive all the way for safety in terms of night driving in Costa Rica. We want to drive 1/2 way to the Arenal volcano the 1st night. What would be a good city to stop in for an overnight stay on the main route to the Arenal volcano? Also, once at the Arenal volcano, do you recommend a guide or just adventure on our own? We will have the kids in carriers for hiking and usually travel off the beaten path on our own but wanted to see if it would be worth a guide there. Once there we want to see the volcano first and then spend a few hours at one of the luxury hot springs. Is there one more recommended to visit with children? Lastly, what time do you recommend we leave to travel to Jaco after our morning/afternoon at the volcano/hot springs? We have a tight schedule and this is the only time we can squeeze in for the Arenal volcano.
Sammi says
Hi Emily, I’d recommend to check out Tilaran or Nuevo Arenal as a nice half way point to stay.
At Arenal, you can get a guide or go on your own, it really is up to you. If you do the national park, it would be really interesting to get a guide so you can learn more about the volcano and the area because the national park doesn’t give you any detailed informational brochures and there isn’t an information center to learn more. But it’s not absolutely necessary if you want to do it on your own (they give you a map) but a guide will make the experience much more interesting and informative.
As for hot springs, if you’re looking for luxury, then Tabacon or the Springs are your best choices. You can read more about htem in this post here: Best Arenal hot springs
Depending on when you are visiting Costa Rica, I’d leave around noon to get to Jaco so you can get there before dark.
Kunal says
We are traveling in Dec 2019 with two young kids. We plan to stay in La Fortuna for 3 nights. Would that be enough ? We contemplated to stay 2 nights. Our plan was to do La Fortuna Waterfall, Arenal Volcano National Park & Lake Arenal at minimum
Sammi says
3 nights would be optimal in my opinion so you don’t have to rush everything in one day.
Ginger Moates says
Oh wow!! It’s getting really real… Leaving on Friday June 21 heading to La Fortuna!! We fly into San Jose and getting a rental car with Adobe! I debated and debated whether to do this and i think I’m ok with it!! Surely i can find my way. It will be adventurous for sure. I’m wondering though… Adobe picks us up and takes us to their office to do paperwork i guess and my question is, Where is their office? I hope not far and not in the middle of San Jose. Do you know the answer to that? Also, I have a reservation with Adobe, but do i just pay when i get there? Thank you in advance.
Sammi says
Hi Ginger, we just sent you an email earlier today! Let me know if you didn’t get it.
Brittany says
We are driving from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio next week any recommendation? As far as routes or things to avoid
Sammi says
A lot of people like to stop at the Crocodile bridge in Tarcoles and you can drive through Jaco or stop for lunch, Jaco has a lot of great restaurants.
Raquel says
HI there! Thank you for your post! I am planning a surprise birthday trip to Nuevo Arenal in late September. I land Friday around 12pm and plan to drive to the AirBnb place which is South of Nuevo Arenal. I will stay there Saturday and Sunday and my flight leaves Monday at 12pm.
Do you think this itinerary is doable/worth it? What time should I leave on Monday morning to get to SJO on time for my flight?
Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Raquel, it is doable for sure. Just be aware that September is one of our rainiest months so make sure to come prepared for rain. If your flight is at 12 PM, you need to be at the airport by 10 AM so I would no later than 6 AM from Nuevo Arenal.
Ashley says
Thank you for the great post! This definitely makes me feel more comfortable about making this drive for our honeymoon.
Any recommendations for restroom/gas stops along the way (via San Ramon)?
Thank you!
Sammi says
You’re very welcome!
There is a small mall in San Ramon and two gas stations in the town.
mel says
hi!
we want to spend 2 nights at a volcano/springs place before going to Jaco (Parrita, precisely).
I was thinking driving from SJO to La Fortuna, stay 2 nights, then drive from La Fortuna to Parrita. Is it worth it to drive that much ? we will be with 2 young kids. is the drive easy ?
thanks for your help !
Sammi says
You can definitely do it and San Jose to La Fortuna is an easy drive as you can read in the post 🙂
Laura Capolino says
Hi,
I would like to plan an adventure trip for two that includes rafting, hiking, waterfalls, volcanos, hot springs and beach time. We only have 6 days and 5 nights (8/1-8/6) so was thinking of doing some planning ourselves to save time going on long tours. I am lost where to start, where to go from there, and where to end. Can you please help me with a general plan?
Thank you for any help,
Laura
Sammi says
Hi Laura, La Fortuna or Manuel Antonio would be good places for you to go, it will be a tiny bit tight but it is doable since in La Fortuna, you can do several activities in one day and Manuel Antonio has nice beaches and hiking.
Steve says
Hello,
Thanks for all the helpful info. Our family of 4 lands SJO around 6pm on July 30. We would like to visit La Fortuna/Arenal, Tortuguero Nat’l Park, and Manuel Antonio National Park before flying back home on Aug 11 or 12. Thinking 3 nights in La Fortuna, 3 at Tortuguero, and the rest at/near Manuel Antonio NP (looking at the Hotel Villas Lirio). Can you offer any advice on the ideal sequence and also recommend a transportation plan (especially for the portion getting to/from Tortuguero)? We like the idea of taking a boat to Tortu and then a plan out of there (although I haven’t been able to see how much the flight out would cost)… Thanks much.
–Steve
Sammi says
Hello Steve! Just sent you an email
Deana says
We are flying into San Jose in a few days. Staying first night in San Jose the headed to The Treehouse Hotel in San Carlos. From there, we will spend a couple of days near La Fortuna. Is the drove to San Carlos all paved? Should we stop anywhere along the way?
Sammi says
The route from San Jose to La Fortuna is all paved, you an see the route in the video and read more about it in the post 🙂
Sammi says
Hi Cat,
Here are some links that will be helpful:
Customs and immigration in San Jose and Liberia AIrport
SJO Airport – San Jose: Private transfer is most comfortable for group of 7.
Poas Volcano National Park
Peace Lodge and La Paz waterfall gardens park
You can definitely stop by Poas/La Paz on your way from San Jose to La Fortuna.
You can take the boat across Lake Arenal to get to Monteverde but cars are not allowed, someone will have to drive.
Things to do in Arenal and La Fortuna
Cat says
Hi Sammi,
My group of 7 adults are traveling to Costa Rica the middle of March. We are arriving in San Jose about 7:30PM and have gotten a place to stay the first night. We have rented a large 4×4 for the trip and it will be delivered the next morning at 9am. We are staying 2 nights in La Fortuna and 2 nights in Monteverde before heading back to San Jose for the last night. So basically, we have 5 days on the ground. This will be the first trip for all but 1 of us.
My questions are:
a) What is a reasonable amount of time to allow for clearing customs when we arrive?
b) What will be the best/least expensive method for us to get from SJO to where we are spending the first night?
c) A friend from Costa Rica suggested stopping at Poas and La Paz Waterfall on the way north. Is this an advisable route to take in order to see more on our first day? Are there any other places you might suggest along the route?
d) I have heard that driving to Monteverde is quicker and prettier than taking the ferry. Which route do you suggest we take for getting to Monteverde?
e) One person in the group may be limited by recovery from an injury. We were thinking ATV riding for sure, but were also trying to find activities to include him on more. Any suggestions would be MUCH appreciated.
Thanks for ALL the great information and keep it coming!!!
Cat
vikas says
Hi, our flight is reaching at 4:05 PM at San Jose airport in Mid Feb and we have booked the car through your website. We want to drive to Arenal on the same day after renting the car. I understand it gets dark at 6 PM, will you advise us driving to Arenal that day? This is our first time to Costa Rica, We will be traveling from the US but grew up in India so very used to drive in small town and roads? Traveling with my family of 2 adults and 2 kids. Any other advise if we really need to drive to Arenal on that day.
Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Vikas, you could but make sure to use a GPS because signage on that route is not the best. Just drive slowly and carefully around the lake because by the time you get to the lake, it’ll be dark and that road is really narrow and windy. You can also get a free cell phone as one of our freebies which I recommend to get in case of emergencies.
Darlene Nolan says
Hi we will be in Costa Rica in April. I was wondering if route #702 is open to drive from San Jose to La Fortuna ? Thanks Darlene
Aliah says
I have a flight leaving SJO at 530pm on a Monday. I was hoping to stay in La Fortuna until the day of my flight, but I’m unsure of a good time to leave? Any advice? Thank you so much! Your blog has really helped me plan my trip to Costa Rica 🙂
Sammi says
Hi Aliah, to get to the airport by 330 PM, I would no leave later than 1030-11 AM. The drive from Fortuna to San Jose is around 3.5 hours but it depends on traffic, how fast you drive and how long it takes for you to return your car rental so I would give yourself more time just in case.
Christine says
Thanks for the tips. Two questions–following your car rental reservation link, does that total on Adobe’s website include all costs? I’ve heard about hidden fees in CR that can really get you. Also, we plan to drive to a BnB up a steep hill and then drive to visit the main sites in La Fortuna. Is a 4WD vehicle really necessary? Seems like that might be more for the rainy season? Thanks so much!
Sammi says
Hi Christine, yes the total on the Adobe reservation includes all taxes, fees and mandatory insurances, exactly what you see on the reservation is what you’ll pay. It’s one of the reasons why we partnered with Adobe is because they are 100% transparent about charges, whereas unfortunately some companies aren’t.
If your bnb is up a steep hill, I would get a 4wd if the road is unpaved and has potholes.
Christine says
Thanks! You guys are awesome. You definitely made the car rental option less intimidating.
Anjali T says
We are trying to come from Fortuna to San Jose and do La Paz waterfalls, Poas and Doka along the way. Is the road good ? (since this is not the San Ramon route)
Sammi says
For sure! This is a common route, the road up in La Paz/Poas is suuuuuper curvy and narrow though so do drive carefully but it is all paved.
Angie says
Hi – is there a bridge out on the 702? I thought that was in 2015. We will be traveling from San Jose to Fortuna.
Any route recommendations for Fortuna to Manuel Antonio?
Thank you!!
Sammi says
I don’t believe so as of now (bridge). For Fortuna to Manuel Antonio, you will need to go back out like you are going to San Jose, get on the highway 27 towards San Jose and exit at the Jaco exit. You can find it on Google maps/waze to use as GPS.
Rach D says
Hello Sammi,
Thank you for all the great information and for also being so responsive to questions! My husband and I along with our 1 yr old plan on flying into SJO mid Feb, and will be renting a 4×4. We arrive at night, and plan on staying for 2-3 days in San Jose before driving to La Fortuna. We will be in Costa Rica for 2.5 weeks in total. Based on the number of days, what is the itinerary that you would suggest? As we have a young child we would not be able to do many high engaging activities! Also To make travel easier I plan on arriving in San Jose a day prior to our departure.
Sammi says
Hi Rach, you can read this post for best places for 1st timers in CR: Best places in Costa Rica and we have some sample itineraries here: Costa Rica itinerary ideas that you can adapt to the number of days and things you’d like to do. I recommend not to stick too many destinations though, because most of the places are far apart and require a long drive so give yourself at least 3-4 nights in each place so you don’t get burnt out from driving.
Semere says
Hi Sammi,
I have been using your site to do all our Costa Rica travel plans which starts tomorrow, and can’t thank you enough for it.
We will be arriving in SJO at 1PM, and had planned to drive straight to La Fortuna via this route (Ruta 702). I just pulled up Waze, and it seems that a bridge collapse or something has caused a road closure here. Am I correct in understanding this?
What’s the alternative? Go to La Fortuna via route 141 (by way of Naranjo and Ciudad Quesada). I had pretty much studied the San Ramon route, so anything special I need to know about this route? This last minute change isn’t the greatest thing, but out of our control so just have to plan around it. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Sammi says
Hi Semere, you can go via Naranjo and Ciudad Quesada too, those are main cities so the roads are fine.
Bonnie D says
Hello Sammi!
Planning a trip in January, with grandchildren. staying at San Rafael area, wanted to take grandchildren on horseback ride at la Fortuna, to see the waterfalls, and hoping for Hot Springs and a suspension bridge hike ,and at some point hoping to see the ocean. Any suggestions for taxi services,or travel tips You would be willing to give up so we can manage to fit some of this in? We will be staying 7 days
Sammi says
Hi Bonnnie, from San Rafael the best way is to rent a car since San Rafael is not a very touristy area there are no shared shuttles and private will be very expensive. It’ll be best to rent a car, drive to La Fortuna, stay a night or two. In La Fortuna, luckily you can do a lot of activities in one day since they’re very close to each other so you can easily do a hanging bridges in the morning, horseback ride to La Fortuna waterfall in the afternoon and hot springs at night.
Tiffany says
We are arriving to San Jose on Friday and will be driving with 18 other people in 3 SUVs. We arrive at 4:30pm Costa Rica time and were planning on getting to La Fortuna the same night. If we get into La Fortuna at around 9pm on a Friday, are there still places to eat that are open?
Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Tiffany, you can read in this post: La Fortuna as I included a couple of 24 hours restaurants. La Fortuna Pub and Lava Lounge are usually open until late as well.
Tiffany says
Thanks so much!
Sammi says
Hi Belen, I’m glad the blog has been helpful! Regarding your itinerary, that is way too many places for 5 days as all those destinations are very spread out and you won’t be able to enjoy them in only 5 days due to travel times. By driving, San Jose to La Fortuna is around 3.5 hours, La Fortuna to Guanacaste (depending on where in Guanacaste) is around 4 hours, and Guanacaste to Manuel Antonio is at least 5-6 hours so you’ll be spending a ton of time on the road. You can save time by flying but you will still not be able to enjoy the places as much.
For 5 days, I would choose just 2 places. If you’re flying in and out of San Jose, La Fortuna + Manuel Antonio are good options if you want beach. I recommend checking out our destinations map so you can exactly how far everything is.
Belen says
Hi Sammi,
We are seniors travelling for the first time to Costa Rica. Reading your blog has been most helpful! Thank you for sharing your ideas and suggestions for visiting beautiful Pura Vida Costa Rica. We arrive at 9:30 on Dec 5 and will check into a hotel and leave the next day for La Fortuna. We are great hikers, so we plan to take the canopy/aerial tram in Arenal. Is Cartago a good stop to visit? We plan to rent a car from Adobe for the 5 days we are in Costa Rica. Where is the best place to for hot springs? The route we are contemplating is San Jose, to La Fortuna, to The springs Resort, Guanacaste, manuel Antonio. Is there enough time in 5 full days?
Herb says
Dear Sammi,
We are planning a trip for mid-February, with a flight that arrives at 2:30 PM. There is no flight to La Fortuna available. I know you do not advise driving after dark, but I’d like to get to La Fortuna the first day. It would involve starting late afternoon, with perhaps a hour of darkness.
Sammi says
Hi Herb, by that time in February it’s the middle of dry season so you won’t have to worry about rain. If you land at 2:30 PM, you’ll probably get out and pick up your car by around 4 PM. You’ll have traffic getting out of San Jose so hopefully you’ll be able to get out of San Jose before it gets too bad but if you use Waze for GPS, you can do the drive since it gets dark at 6 PM so you will have about 1 hour of darkness. The last stretch of is in a rural area with no lights or signs but if you use Waze for GPS, you will be fine since it’s a pretty straightforward route once you get past San Ramon, not a ton of turns.
Linda says
Hi Sammi. We are flying into San Jose at 9.30 pm and staying for the night then we have an Airbnb booked for Puerto Viejo. I’d love to stay the first night in La Fortuna and then to the coast. How would that drive be? We’d like to rent a car.
Sammi says
Hi Linda, since you’re arriving quite late, I don’t recommend going to La Fortuna that night. It’s about a 3.5 hour drive from San Jose to La Fortuna so you’ll arrive there by around 1230-1 AM and the road is not easy to drive in the dark because signage is not good and after San Ramon, it’s on rural roads. Then from La Fortuna to Puerto Viejo, it’s like a 4-5 hour drive so you’ll just be driving a ton of hours for just like, a morning in La Fortuna. I’d stay the first night in San Jose and then go to Puerto Viejo, it’s not worth driving all the way to La Fortuna for just that short amount of time to be honest. If you can, stay the first night in San Jose, go to La Fortuna early in the morning, stay a couple days and then go to Puerto Viejo.
For renting a car, we have a discount and extra benefits with Adobe Rent a Car, a Costa Rican car rental company. You can check rates here: Costa Rica car rental discount
Alex says
HI, Thank you for so much valuable info. We are arriving in September to SJO and traveling to La Fortuna. We will be taking a large SUV (for 6 people); are the roads okay for this size vehicle? Thank you again!
Sammi says
Hi Alex, yes the road from San Jose to La Fortuna is all on well paved roads going through San Ramon. You can see in the video what the route is like.
Matt says
HI, thank you for so much valuable info. I am arriving in June to SJO at 1:45pm and traveling to our hotel in La Fortuna. Do you think that will be to late to embark and arrive in La Fortuna by nightfall? Should I try to rearrange and stay elsewhere? This was an oversight on my part not realizing that sunset was so early. Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Matt! I personally would recommend staying a night in San Jose and leaving the next day. June is our rainy season and there’s a good chance it will be raining when you get done with immigration and customs and the route to La Fortuna isn’t the most well lit. I would stay a night in San Jose and leave early the next morning in La Fortuna.
Matt says
Thanks again! I have a car from the airport and hotel booked already so I have some rearranging to do.( P.S. in case it makes a difference: my hotel is actually east of La Fortuna near where 35 and 4 intersect)
Jesse says
Have been reading your blog. Great info! We are first timers… Wife and I are flying into SJO in 30 days, heading to La Fortuna for a couple nights and then up to Papagayo for remainder of our stay. I would like to rent through Adobe but can’t figure out if I should get GPS or Wifi in car. I figured with Wifi I can use my phone (Waze) and apps like Viber, etc. to make calls. Thoughts?
Sammi says
The Wi-Fi hot spot is great because you will always have Internet. GPS is just GPS and to be honest, the Waze app works much better for GPS so I would go with the hotspot. It’s very nice to always have Internet on your phone.
Toladette Kem says
Hi,
My group and I are planning to drive from SJ to La Fortuna area and then La Fortuna to Jaco. I see information on driving from SJ to Fortuna, but I don’t see anything for La Fortuna to Jaco (unless I missed it). Can you tell me what the road/driving condition is like for that route?
Thank you,
TK
Sammi says
Hi, it is the same route except exit at the Jaco/Orotina exit from the highway and then go straight down south on the Costanera Sur highway for about 30 minutes until Jaco.
Sammi says
Hi Wade, so when you arrive at SJO Airport, an Adobe agent will be waiting for you outside the airport when you finish immigration and customs. They are wearing a blue shirt and will be holding a sign with your name on it so look for him. He will bring you to the Adobe shuttles where they will bring your group to their airport office to pick up the cars and finish paperwork. And then from there, you can head to La Fortuna right after so your whole group will go to the Adobe office and you can leave directly to La Fortuna when you get the cars.
Their airport office is only a mile or so down the street from the airport so it’s very close. Then for return, it will be the same process. You’ll return the car to their airport office and they will shuttle you to the airport via their complimentary shuttle.
Wade says
Thank you for all your help
Sammi says
Hi Wade! You can actually get the car delivered to your hotel in San Jose if you are staying a night in the city, this is free for Mytanfeet readers so that way, your group doesn’t have to go back to Adobe office. If you are staying in San Jose, can you please let us know what hotel you are at and we can modify your reservation. I do have your flight information already from Nick and normally, Adobe picks up their clients from the airport and takes them to their airport office to get the car. But if you’re staying a night in San Jose and don’t want to drive or have the car in the city, you can taxi/shuttle to your hotel and have Adobe deliver the car to your hotel the next morning. Adobe can deliver the car between 8 30 AM and 430 PM.
For customs, you have to put all your luggage and bags through the scanners so backpacks, purses, carry ons, check ins, everything.
Wade says
Hi Sammi. We are going to drive to La Fortuna as soon as we arrive. We just didn’t know if the whole groups goes in San Jose or just Nick & Wade to pick up the cars?
Wade says
I am sorry Sammi but I just reread your last response and it looks like we don’t have to travel into San Jose? Our cars will be at the their office at the airport?
Wade Merrett says
Hi Sammi. We are travelling to La Fortuna from SJO and our flight arrives at 11:15am. Should we arrive in La Fortuna before dark? Your website has been very helpful and we can’t wait to visit Costa Rica.
Sammi says
Hi Wade, it gets dark at 6 PM in Costa Rica and it’s about a 3.5 hour drive depending on how long it takes for you to get out of San Jose so you should make it there by night. I recommend getting out of San Jose asap and then stopping in San Ramon (another local town about 45 minutes from San Jose) for lunch/break because there isn’t as bad traffic there. I also recommend using Waze, the GPS app to help you get out of San Jose to La Fortuna because the traffic in San Jose is awful and driving is not nice there. Glad you like the site and thanks for reading!
Wade says
Hi Sammi. Thank you for the reply. We are renting our cars through you with Adobe and was wondering if the whole group should go to San Jose or just the drivers of the rental cars? We thought it may save some time if we didn’t have to go back to the airport after we got the cars? Also when arriving in Costa Rica if we only have carry ins do we still have to go through customs for checked bags?
Kirsten Borrink says
Hi Sammi,
Great info and video! Would you recommend taking dramamine for the drive? We have two kids ages 10 and 16 and will be renting an SUV. I just don’t want them to feel nauseous through the winding roads.
TIA,
Kirsten
Sammi says
Hi Kirsten, I would if they get really carsick. The views are really nice and you can drive with the windows down to help. There is just one section through San Ramon that is a bit curvy and then it straightens out but if you are driving from La Fortuna to Liberia/Guanacaste, it is very curvy around the lake.
Sammi says
Hi Vicky, I’m glad you like the site and it’s been helpful! If you are going into the La Paz waterfall park, you will probably spend a good couple hours there so that’ll be an all day from San Jose to Arenal. Poas used to be a good stop combined with La Paz but unfortunately it is closed. On the way to La PAz, I recommend driving through the small town of Poasito and stopping at the little stands on the side of the road, you can try local treats and candies there and it’s a good place to buy souvenirs.
If you had more time (like not going inside the gardens, just the free entrance), I would recommend stopping at Catarata del Toro instead. This waterfall is supposedly the tallest in CR and it is amazing, you can stop there on the way from San Jose to Arenal. It does require a bit of a detour but you drive through some gorgeous country side and small towns and the waterfall is about a 15-20 minute walk down and it is stunning.
Vicky says
Hi Sammi, you have an AMAZING site! I’m planning our trip to Costa Rica this March and getting so much info from your site! THANKS!!!
We are planning to arrive at 8pm and I booked a hotel Chalet Tirol at San Rafael de Heredia (which is supposed to be about 40min drive from the airport). We want to see La Paz Waterfall before we get to La Fortuna Waterfall and Arenal area. Are there any other places that you can recommend to see on the way from Chalet Tirol to Arenal, La Fortuna?
Delilah says
Thank you so much for the information. We are arriving in San Jose at 3:00 PM and have reservations in La Fortuna already but now are wondering if we should stay in San Jose with the driving. Going through customs and picking up rental car. We are hoping to be out of San Jose by 4:30 if all goes well.
Sammi says
Hi Delilah, 4:30 PM is right at the worst time of traffic in San Jose and it could take you anywhere from 1 -2 hours just to get out of the city so I recommend staying a night in San Jose and leave early in the morning to La Fortuna because without traffic, it’s about a 3.5-4 hour drive but with traffic, it could easily turn into 5 hours or more and that’d be suuuuuper tiring after a flight. I also recommend using Waze, the GPS app as that will help you navigate through San Jose much better than Google Maps. The airport isn’t in San Jose center luckily so you can pick a hotel close to the airport, that way you don’t need to drive all the way to downtown San Jose. There are hotels just 5 -10 minutes from the airport.
Aaron says
Hi Sammi, thank you so much for providing so much free information. I have learned a great deal from what you’ve provided through your site and emails! This will be our first time visiting Costa Rica, and we have decided to rent a car due to exploring several different places while we’re there. We will have Google maps and waze while we’re there, but do you suggest we rent a GPS as well? We will be coming in through SJO, traveling to La Fortuna, then Jaco, then Manuel Antonio, then back to SJO for departure. Thanks for your help in advance!
Sammi says
Hi Aaron! Waze will be just fine, it works great in Costa Rica! And all the routes you are going are on well paved roads with plenty of signs. Thank you for reading our blog and glad that is has been helpful with your trip! One tip, when you are going from Fortuna to Jaco, go back through San Ramon. We have gone this route a few times and our Waze took us via a different route which was not on as nice of a road as the main route so just check that before hitting go on Waze. Have a great time!
Agness of eTramping says
These tips are simply awesome, Sammi! Would you recommend any hiking trails along the way worth hiking?
Sammi says
There’s not too much that’s right on the way, you’ll have to detour and drive to other points of interest.