One of the most popular routes for tourists is from San Jose to La Fortuna. Many visitors go to La Fortuna as their first destination in their Costa Rica itinerary. If you plan to rent a car and drive to La Fortuna from San Jose, here is our guide to help you have a fun and safe drive and to make the most out of this road trip.
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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 kilometers or 72 miles.
The drive time from San Jose to La Fortuna is about 3 hours. The drive from San Jose International Airport to La Fortuna is about 2.5 hours.
These are times without any traffic or stops. We always recommend to estimate at least 1 hour more, to account for traffic, stops and delays.
Is a 4×4 Required?
No, a 4×4 is not required for La Fortuna. However, we recommend a high clearance SUV for the most comfort, as there may be some big pot holes and poor sections in the remote part of the drive.
Furthermore, if you take the routes to stop at Poas Volcano National Park , Catarata del Toro and/or La Paz Waterfall Gardens, it is extremely curvy and steep.
You will need to have a stronger engine, in case you are traveling with a fully loaded car with lots of luggage. In the rainy season, a 4wd will be the best option.
Even if you are only two or three adults, a high clearance SUV will be much better in case each person is bringing a full 50 lb check in, backpacks, purses and carry ons. If you are only one or two adults traveling light with just carry on, a sedan can work, in the drier months like February and March.
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San Jose to La Fortuna Routes
There are a few routes from San Jose to La Fortuna and there are many different places to stop at. Below are some of the most popular routes and stops.
Please click here to go to our map of the routes mentioned in this blog post, as well as places of interest, food, gas and more.
Most Common Direct Route: Route 1 and Route 702
This is the most common route that Google Maps and Waze will show you. Route 1 and Route 702 is the direct route from San Jose to La Fortuna.
If you do not want to make any long stops or detours and just want to get to La Fortuna right away, you should take this route. This route takes around 2.5 hours or 2 hours and 40 minutes, without traffic and stops.
**Sometimes Waze and Google Map will take you via Route 1, Route 702 and Route 141 through Santa Clara, depending on your final destination in La Fortuna, which you should enter as your hotel. This is pretty much the same as Route 1 and Route 702 as it takes the same time, give or take a few minutes. The road is in good condition and you will arrive La Fortuna from the east, as opposed to the south.**
There are a couple of toll booths you need to go through as you leave San Jose/San Jose International Airport. They are small amounts, like 200-800 Costa Rican colones (20 cents to $1.50 USD). You can pay in Costa Rican colones, credit card or small bills USD.
Road Conditions
The Route 1 and Route 702 San Jose to La Fortuna road conditions are in good shape. You’ll start off on the highway and then it goes through San Ramon and several small towns up in the cloud forest.
It is paved nearly the entire way, save for some pot holes here and there and a section up in the cloud forest that is in poor condition.
IMPORTANT. There is a section of this route after you exit San Ramon that is up the mountains, through cloud forest and goes through some tiny rural towns.
This is from around Angeles Sur to Bajo Rodriguez. It can get VERY foggy up here so please drive slowly, carefully and cautiously with low beam lights.
Along this section, there are some road side restaurants and mini markets. The views are beautiful here, and many of the restaurants have a nice view.
If you see a sign that says MIRADOR, that means there is a nice view and that establishment has a sort of lookout point.
This route has a lot of these small, one lane bridges. When you approach this, if you see the triangular sign that says CEDA el Paso on it, then that means yield. You are required to yield to oncoming traffic.
This drive is very beautiful and is not terribly difficult. It takes around 2 hours and 40 minutes, but if you include a couple of stops and run into a bit of traffic, plan for at least 3.5 hours, especially if you are driving during the day on a long weekend or holiday.
La Fortuna to San Jose Route Video
Here is a video of us driving from Arenal to San Jose on this route.
See what the road is like and some places we stopped.
Can I Drive to La Fortuna at Night?
Yes, but we say this with lots of caution. Even though the roads are paved, it is recommended not to drive from San Jose to La Fortuna late at night due to lack of street lights, no side walks, the curviness of the road and extreme fog in the section up by the cloud forest.
Furthermore, many restaurants on this route close by around 8-9 PM. Additionally, if you are arriving late at night, many hotels in La Fortuna do not have reception open that late. Sometimes reception is only open until 10 PM. You will have to contact your hotel to see if late check in is possible.
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. You can make it a longer road trip and take your time to enjoy.
Check our post for recommended hotels near SJO Airport. We have a 10% discount for Adventure Inn which includes a free airport shuttle and hot breakfast.
It is much nicer and easier to drive in the day light, especially if you are visiting during the rainy season (May through December).
Typical rainy season weather are clear and dry mornings, and then it will start raining in the early afternoon.
Learn more about driving to La Fortuna after landing and read our recommendations for all different scenarios (time of visit, flight arrival time, etc.).
If you are landing in the morning, before noon or early afternoon, you can drive to La Fortuna right after landing.
Alternative Route to Stop at Poas Volcano National Park
If you leave the next morning, you have a full day to make this drive from San Jose to La Fortuna. You are able to stop at some places along the way if you wish. One popular stop is Poas Volcano National Park.
This national park is home to one of the world’s largest crater lakes. The park has an easy and a couple moderate hiking trails to view points of the crater lake, an inactive lake and through the cloud forest.
If you visit this national park, I would plan for at least 1 hour to the view point below. If you want to continue to Lake Botos, that would add another 45 minutes at least.
IMPORTANT. You must purchase park tickets on the SINAC website beforehand to visit Poas Volcano National Park. They do NOT sell tickets at the door. Each park ticket is valid for an allotted time slot. If you miss your entry time, they usually do not let you go in.
The extra time if you stop at Poas Volcano National Park brings the total drive time to around 3 hours and 15 minutes. If you stay around 1.5 hours at the park, your entire drive will take at least 4.5 hours depending on if you leave from downtown San Jose or the airport area.
Enter your route in Google Maps as “Poas Volcano Parking Lot” for the national park destination. The national park has a secure parking lot with a guard.
We still recommend to bring your valuables with you (passport/wallet/etc) and try to hide/cover as much of your stuff as possible in the car. Do not leave any valuables visible in the car.
Alternative Route to La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park
If you don’t want to stop at Poas Volcano National Park, another popular stop is the La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park. This nature park has a large animal sanctuary and five waterfalls with a 3 kilometer trail and view points.
It is a gorgeous park with beautiful views of the forest. The waterfalls are absolutely spectacular to see!
The park has their own restaurant so you can get lunch there. If you stop at the park, we recommend at least 3 hours for the park if you get lunch included. Your entire drive with the visit to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park can take you around 6 hours.
We offer a small discount for La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park tickets. Click the link to get your entrance ticket with or without lunch included.
The park has their own parking lot and many tourism vans and tours stop here. Take your valuables with you and do not leave any valuables visible in the car.
On a budget? Then skip the park and stop by the free view point of La Paz Waterfall! It is called “La Paz Waterfall” on Google Maps. There is a pull out spot by the bridge and you can walk down to take photos and see this waterfall.
Poas Volcano National Park and La Paz in One Day?
It is possible to visit both places on your way to La Fortuna but you will need to leave early. We recommend to get to Poas Volcano National Park at 8 AM and arrive at La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park by 11 AM.
That way, if you leave La Paz Waterfall Gardens around 2-3 PM, you can still make it to La Fortuna before it gets dark.
Alternative Route to Catarata del Toro
The third alternative route in this post will be a stop at Catarata del Toro in Bajos del Toro. This is one of the tallest waterfalls in Costa Rica, inside an extinct volcano crater. You can just stay by the view point or you can walk down a trail and some steps to the bottom of the waterfall. No swimming.
This is one of our favorite places in Costa Rica, this waterfall is truly impressive!
If you stop here, the entire drive will be around 3 hours. We recommend at least 1 hour at Catarata del Toro because the walk down is SO worth it!
You should rent a 4wd if you plan to visit Catarata del Toro, due to the roads in and around Bajos del Toro.
Driving from Guanacaste (Guanacaste Airport)
Driving from Guanacaste? (Liberia, Tamarindo, Playas del Coco, Flamingo, Brasilito) Check out our guide to driving to Arenal from Guanacaste!
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Kristen says
Hello! We are planning to drive from the San Jose airport area on a Sunday in January to La Fortuna. We’d like to stop at Poas and Sarchi (for the oxcarts) on our way. I’m also debating visiting La Paz waterfalls but don’t think we’ll have enough time for it all so that we arrive in La Fortuna before nightfall. What do you think? Also, it would be cool to stop at one of the coffee farms on our way up to Poas since it seems that they’re right on the route, but not sure we would have time for a full tour, is it still worth it to stop?
Thanks!
Sammi says
I would do one or the other (either La Paz or Sarchi/Poas) due to time and driving distances. But if you leave really early and plan your day out well to arrive at the first stop right at 8 AM, you could do Poas + La Paz (just walk to main observation point at Poas and then quick La Paz stroll, no more than 3 hours with lunch there) to get to La Fortuna before nightfall.
Kitty says
We will be driving a rented vehicle from San José to La Fortuna in late December. We would like to be able to stop at ta couple of places en route, but have been warned not to ever leave the car unattended, as anything left in the car is likely to be stolen within minutes of us turning our backs. Is this true, or are there certain places with secure parking lots where we could stop for lunch (& more) along the way?
Sammi says
Hi Kitty, rule of thumb while driving with luggage here is to never leave your car with belongings inside unattended…there are some places that have a parking lot with guards but this is not very common, this is at like supermarkets like Walmart or Pequeno Mundo and very few restaurants. For stopping for lunch, it’s best to park your car right in front where you can see it from the restaurant if you can and do not ever leave like your phone/purse/backpack/ipad visible just sitting on the dashboard/backseat/floor/passenger seats, always take those valuables with you and try to cover as much of your luggage and other stuff in the car (roll up windows and lock doors). Don’t go to empty places, dark unlit places, etc.
Basma says
We land in SJO at 11:15am, we want to drive to La Fortuna and stay a few days and return the car there. Is it possible to return a car there, I didn’t see La Fortuna as an option on Adobe.
Sammi says
Hello Basma, the closest office is Ciudad Quesada and we can help you arrange your car return with Adobe in La Fortuna, just leave a note in the comment section of the reservation
Sydney Shaw says
We will be travelling from San Jose to La Fortuna on a Saturday, with our flight landing at noon. I think going through immigration and customs, plus the rental car will put us at 1pm leaving the airport. What is your estimated drive time once we leave the airport?
Sammi says
SJO Airport to La Fortuna is approximately 3.5 hours.
Sammi says
Hi Art, we have sent you an email with more information
Lisa says
Hello! Thanks so much for all the great info on this blog. We will be arriving early morning in SJO in July and driving to La Fortuna. I would love to stop for breakfast at one the restaurants you recommended in San Ramon but I was just wondering how we can do that if we have all of our luggage in the car? Do we bring the luggage in with us? Or can we see our car from the restaurant? Thanks so much!
Sammi says
Make sure you take your valuables with you (passport/CC etc.) and try to cover as much of the luggage you can (get a luggage cover if renting a SUV), park as close to the entrance of the restaurant and choose places that are well lit with lots of other people going in and out – some restaurants may also have a “parking guard” who will watch the cars
Tammy says
Hi, I want to catch a bus to LaFortuna. I will arrive March 1 at 12;45. I have read, to get taxi to 7-10, take a bus from there. Does that sound right, thank you!!
Sammi says
Yes the bus station that goes from San Jose to la Fortuna is the 710 terminal.
Isabelle says
Hi! My husband and I will be flying into San Jose Tuesday, Feb 21st around 2:30 pm. We planned on picking up our rental car around 4 pm after going through immigration and customs and heading to our Airbnb in La Fortuna. I figured we would be okay driving since we would only be in the dark for about an hour but after reading online, I am getting nervous about even doing that. I wanted to get to La Fortuna that night since we’ve already booked our Airbnb and a tour at 8 am the following day. Do you think we would be alright flying in at 2:30 pm, hopefully getting our car at 4:30 pm, and driving to La Fortuna the same day? Or do you think we should stop somewhere for the night and finish the drive early in the morning the next day? I messaged our Airbnb host and they told us we would be fine making the drive but I’m not sure since this is my first time in Costa Rica.
Sammi says
Hi Isabelle, you can make the drive but just be aware that part of the route is curvy with no street lights and can get very foggy. You’re going to be leaving SJO right at rush hour and you’re landing at a very busy time so I’d add at 2-3 hours more just in case because there could be a crazy long line at immigration and then tons of traffic getting out of SJO. Download google maps offline as a backup, make sure to save your route on GPS and go very slow.
If you don’t feel comfortable driving in the dark because by the time it gets dark around 6 PM, you’re going to be around the section that doesn’t have street lights and is more rural, I’d stay somewhere halfway but if you aren’t coming from a super long flight and feel comfortable driving abroad or in kind of remote areas, it is doable, especially as February is dry season so you won’t have to worry about driving in downpours or storms. Just go very slow and make sure you have a GPS and follow it on paved roads only – do not follow it if it wants to detour you to off main roads.
Charlie says
Hi Sammi.,
I’m landing in SJO at 5pm and was planning on driving straight to La Fortuna but am having second thoughts now so thanks for the info.
Our return flight leaves at 6pm and I’m planning on driving up from Manuel Antonio that day, leaving around 10am. Should I have second thoughts on this too?
Thanks
Charlie
Sammi says
I would personally stay a night in SJO the day you land. Better to drive in daylight because by the time you finish immigration/customs and get your car, it’s dark since it gets dark by 6 PM.
For your flight out, earlier is always better if you’re driving long routes for the day you’re flying out since you never know what may happen so if you want to drive that day, I’d leave earlier in the morning in case there is an accident, strikes, road closures, etc.
JoAnn says
Thanks for all the tips! We will be driving from Andaz Guanacaste to SJO airport on a Thursday 2/23 and have a 5:15pm flight. What time should we leave Andaz? Also I assume we should fill up the car before getting to the airport, are there places to do that near the airport?
Thanks
Sammi says
I would leave very very early because the route from Guanacaste to SJO can sometimes take 4 hours, can sometimes take 10 hours if there is an accident, a strike or anything going on…and you just never know. We have driven that route hundreds of times and on average it is now taking around 5-6 hours due to congestion but we have had been stuck before due to accidents and other unexpected occurrences and it took us 10 hours. I would personally leave the day before to stay near the airport.