Road Conditions, Route & Stops

If you’re planning on driving to Arenal from Guanacaste, we’ll show you what it’s like in this post. We’ve driven this exact route quite a few times and it is one of our favorite drives in the country with beautiful views and fresh weather.

You can watch our video below or read on to find out if what kind of car you need, see what the road is like and why it’s such a beautiful drive! Don’t forget we also have a Costa Rica car rental discount which you can get in the link.

*This post was updated Sept 2020.*

Driving to Arenal from Guanacaste

Whether you are staying in Gulf of Papagayo (Playas del Coco, Hermosa, Ocotal, etc.), resorts like RIU, Four Seasons, Planet Hollywood or coming from Tamarindo/Flamingo, the route is about the same.

You need to go to Liberia, get on the Interamericana highway 1, exit at Cañas, drive to Tilaran, go around Nuevo Arenal and the lake and finally reach La Fortuna. The distance is about 130 kilometers or 80 miles.