Costa Rica

Arenal Getting There

Air:

Nature Air operates daily flights to Arenal from San Jose, Manuel Antonio, Tamarindo, Tortuguero, the Osa Peninsula, and other popular destinations. From San Jose, the flight lasts approximately 30 minutes and departs from Nature Air's airport in Pavas (20 minutes from the international airport). The Nature Air office in La Fortuna is located on Avenida Central.

Bus:

From San Jose: $5.05; 6:15 a.m., 8:10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.; 4 hours. Departs from the intersection of Calle 12 and Avenida 7. 2255-0567.

To San Jose: departs at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.; four hours. Buses leave from the bus station in La Fortuna. 2255-0567.

Car:

From San Jose take Highway 1 north and follow signs for San Ramon. Continue for 19 miles and turn right into San Ramon. Continue straight and drive through the town, following signs to Arenal Volcano. Turn left and continue to Los Angeles del Sur. At the green church there is a Y; turn left, following volcano signs. A bit farther there is a restaurant on your left called El Mirador; this is a great spot for a light snack. Next door is a souvenir shop that sells the usual and has clean bathrooms that are free for travelers. Continue on this curvy, mountainous road.

You will cross several bridges over Rio La Balsa and Rio Catarata. Continue through the town of Las Tunas. After this town, you'll see an old tollbooth—veer left at the Y and follow volcano signs to La Tigra. Pass through La Tigra and go over the La Tigra Bridge that spans the Penas Blancas River. Only one car is allowed to cross at a time. Continue through the town of Chachagua and arrive in La Fortuna. The trip takes approximately 3.5-4 hours from San Jose depending on traffic and road conditions.

Shuttle Transfer:

Private shuttle buses are also available to the Arenal area. Air-conditioned vans will pick you up in the country’s most popular towns, including San Jose, Conchal/Flamingo, Playa Hermosa, Papagayo, Jaco, Manuel Antonio and Monteverde. The journey costs approximately $45 per person each way, and 24-hour advance reservations are required. Contact 1-800-517-7893 for reservations.

Additionally, private transfers are available as an add-on to day trips on the Balsa and Toro Rivers. Your bags will be transported to La Fortuna for retrieval after whitewater rafting and a late lunch. Pickup can be arranged from several tourist hotspots throughout Costa Rica.

Trips to / from Monteverde and Arenal:

Visitors can travel to Arenal via a jeep-boat-jeep, taxi-boat-taxi or by a horse-boat-horse combo journey from the cloud forest town of Monteverde. All of these trips transport your luggage separately and offer a scenic journey between the two towns. Horseback riding trails can be slippery, especially during the green season, May through November. Trips to Monteverde from La Fortuna are popular as well. The transfer can be booked at several hotels and tour operators in La Fortuna.