Driving from San Jose to Caño Blanco

By far the easiest way to get to Tortuguero is to buy a complete package that includes round trip transportation, lodging, excursions and meals. If you are interested in booking a complete package, please click here, Complete Packages.

If you are driving on your own to the Caño Blanco dock en route to Tortuguero, driving instructions are below. Even with these directions, there is a good chance you will get lost if you do not have a GPS. By far the best is EZ Find. There are no addresses in Costa Rica. The GPS operates by points of interest. Go to the Points of Interest on the menu and put in where you want to go. For example, "Caño Blanco".

Driving instructions are below, please print them out and after you've used them, let us know how it went. We'd love to make it easier for the next guest to follow these instructions.

From San Jose to Caño Blanco

Total Driving Time: 3-4 hours depending on traffic
Type of Vehicle: Best done in a 4x4 vehicle
Recommended Time to Drive: Early morning
Fuel: Leave San Jose with a full tank, there are several places where you will be able to fill up on the next leg of your trip.

Driving Recommendations: You will be driving on a highway that is one of the major points of transit for heavy trucks going back and forth from the Limon dock. Drive carefully and expect large trucks to be traveling at high speed either in oncoming lanes or behind you. If it is raining heavily when you are leaving San Jose, call us before hand to make sure the road is open.

Driving Instructions:

1. Leave San Jose on route 32, heading towards Limon, this is the main highway that accesses the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. There is a gas station on the right hand side of the road 0.8 KMS after the four way intersection. This is a good place to refuel if you haven't already.

2. Drive 13 KMS on this road until you get to the first and only toll booth that you will pass on this drive. You will need to pay ¢250 colons.

3. After passing the toll, continue 5.6 KMS and you will arrive at the Zurqui tunnel.

4. Continue on this same highway for another 29.3 KMS, at this point you will have crossed the Continental Divide and arrived at the Atlantic lowlands. Stay on this road.

5. Continue on this same highway for another 12.2 KMS. Watch for people walking on the sides of the road or riding their bikes and also for tractors and trailers turning onto the road with a loads of pineapple, oranges or sugar cne. You will see the entrance to the town of Guapiles on your left. Continue for 8KMS, on your left you will see a sign for a restaurant, Restaurante Toro Macho. This is a good place to stop to use the restrooms, stretch your legs and get a bite to eat.

6. Continue on highway 32 for 13.2 KMS on the right hand side you will see a gas station, Gasolinera Pocora, this is the last place to fill your tank before your final destination.

7. Continue for another 12.8 kilometers, after passing the bridge over the Reventazon River, watch for a restaurant on the left hand side of the road, The Caribbean Dish, Turn Left into the parking lot. Total Distance so far: 95 KMS Total Driving Time: 2 hours. If you would like to use the restroom on buy something to drink or eat, the Caribbean Dish is a good place to do that. You are in the town of Siquirres.

8. Pull out of the Caribbean Dish parking lot and Turn Left onto the side street heading away from the highway. Drive 0.2KMS until you get to a T in the road.

9. Turn Right at the T and drive 0.1KM

10. Turn Left and drive 0.3 KM and turn to your left again, drive 0.1 KM, Turn Right and cross the train tracks.

11. You will come to another intersection where you Turn Left.

12. From this point on, follow the brown signs that say Parque Nacional Tortuguero.

13. Continue 3.5 KMS and you will see the Cocal School on the right hand side of the road. Continue for another 1.5KMS until you come to a Y in the road where the asphalt ends and the gravel road begins. Take the Right Fork; here you will begin to see the brown signs, Parque Nacional Tortuguero, again.

14. Continue for 3.3KMS, you will pass a banana packing plant on the left had side of the road and a small airstrip on the left. You will come to another Y in the road, take the Right Fork.

15. Follow the brown parks signs for 0.5 KMS and Turn Right. You will go over a bridge that doesn't have any railing on it and immediately after you will see a Del Monte airstrip on the right side of the road.

16. Keep following the brown parks signs for 1.3KMS until you come to another Y in the road. Turn Left and follow the brown parks signs for 2.2KMS, here the banana plantations that you have been driving through will end.

17. Continue for 7.1 KMS you will pass three different schools. You will come to a pronounced curve in the road, Stay Left and you will see the brown parks signs again.

18. Continue on this same road for 10.2KMS and you will arrive at the Caño Blanco dock. Here there are restrooms and a convenience store. Leave your car inside of the Caño Blanco parking lot and pay the fee. Do not leave any luggage or belongings in your car take all of your things to Tortuguero with you. This will decrease the chances of having your car broken into. Look for your uniformed Tortuga Lodge & Gardens Boat Captain, he will be happy to assist you. Total Distance: 35.26 KMS, Total Driving Time: 1.40 hours.

Driving from Caño Blanco to San Jose

By far the easiest way to get to Tortuguero is to buy a complete package that includes round trip transportation, lodging, excursions and meals. If you are interested in booking a complete package, please click here, Complete Packages.

If you are driving on your own from the Caño Blanco dock en route to Tortuguero, driving instructions are below. Even with these directions, there is a good chance you will get lost if you do not have a GPS. By far the best is EZ Find. There are no addresses in Costa Rica. The GPS operates by points of interest. Go to the Points of Interest on the menu and put in where you want to go. For example,"Caño Blanco".

Driving instructions are below, please print them out and after you've used them, let us know how it went. We'd love to make it easier for the next guest to follow these instructions.

From Caño Blanco to San Jose

Total Driving Time: 3-4 hours depending on traffic
Type of Vehicle: Best done in a 4x4 vehicle
Recommended Time to Drive: Complete this drive in daylight, leaving Caño Blanco no later than 2pm.
Fuel: Leave San Jose with a full tank, there are several places where you will be able to fill up on the next leg of your trip.

Driving Recommendations: You will be driving on a highway that is one of the major points of transit for heavy trucks going back and forth from the Limon dock. Drive carefully and expect large trucks to be traveling at high speed either in oncoming lanes or behind you. If it is raining heavily before you begin to cross the mountain, call us before hand to make sure the road is open.

Driving Instructions:

1. Leaving the Caño Blanco dock, drive 10.2 KMS passing a school and the Tropical Garden on the way.

2. You will come to a pronounced curve in the road, Stay Right.

3. Drive 7.1 KMS you will pass three schools; here you will have entered the banana plantations.

4. Continue for 3.6KMS at the end of this stretch you will come to the Del Monte airstrip and a bridge without railing.

5. Turn Left for 0.5 KMS, until you come to another intersection; here there will be a white sign that says Siquirres, Stay Left for 0.8KMS until you get to a banana packing plant.

6. Continue on this road for 4.2KMS until you come to another intersection, keep going straight ahead for 0.6KMS and you will see the San Alberto airstrip on your right.

7. Drive 2.7KMS and you will come to another intersection where you Continue Left, at this point the banana plantations and the gravel road end and the asphalt road begins.

8. Take the asphalt road on the Left for 1.5 KMS and you will come to the El Cocal School.

9. Continue for 3.5 KMS and you will arrive at a business on the right, the Almacen Jerusalem, Turn Right for 0.1 KMS and cross the railroad tracks.

10. Turn Left 0.1 KMS and then Turn Right for 0.3KMS and you will come to a T in the road.

11. You will see the Siquirres cemetery ahead of you.

12. Turn Right 0.1 KMS and then Turn Left 0.2 KMS and you will have arrive at route 32, the main highway connecting San Jose with the Caribbean coast. On your right is the Caribbean Dish, a restaurant that is a good place to use the restrooms and get a snack. Total Distance: 35.5KMS, Total Driving Time: 1.40 hours.

13. Turn Right onto route 32; follow the green signs to Guapiles or San Jose.

14. Drive 2 KMS an you will pass the bridge over the Reventazon River, continue for 10.8 KMS, on the left hand side of the road you will see a gas station, Gasolinera Pocora. This is the first opportunity to refuel after turning onto route 32.

15. Stay on this road without ever leaving this route for 82.2KMS. Signs will let you know the distance from your location to San Jose. You will arrive at a four-way intersection before entering the city of San Jose. Follow directions to your hotel from here.