Driving in Costa Rica is definitely a hot topic for many of our guests! Many tourists ask us if it is safe and easy to rent a car in Costa Rica (short answer: yes it is!). We get many locals that live everywhere from San Jose to Manuel Antonio, La Fortuna to Nosara, asking for driving directions and points of interest. With so many questions, we figured we’d write a blog and give you some good information to help you plan your next trip!
Costa Rica Car Rental Tips
Renting a car in Costa Rica is easy these days. You can reserve a car online, or ask your hotel’s front desk what car rental service they recommend. To travel to Volcano Brewing Company, you DON’T need four-wheel drive. Decent Toyota and Hyundai sedans are available starting around $35/day. Often, car rental agencies will let you rent a car at one location and drop it off at another location.
Car rental offices are located in all of these cities:
- La Fortuna
- Monteverde
- Manuel Antonio
- Liberia
- Playa Coco
- Tamarindo
- Nosara
- Samara
- San Jose
Make sure to inspect your rental car with the rental agent prior to driving away. Every scratch, knick, dent and scrape needs to be written down (better safe than sorry!). I also recommend that you pay the additional amount for car insurance unless you are certain that your credit card company will cover any costs in case of an accident.
Let us know if we can help arrange transportation to Volcano Brewing Company.
Driving along the Costa Rican Pan American highway.
Driving Directions and Map
Getting to Volcano Brewing Company is easy. We’re located approximately 1 hour from Liberia and 3 hours from San Jose. You can get detailed driving directions by viewing this map.
Driving to Volcano Brewing Company will allow you to see some beautiful things. As you leave the coastal plains of Cañas and rise up into the mountains, the topography changes. Everything becomes greener. Soon, volcanic rocks begin littering the rolling landscape. Then, as you reach Lake Arenal, the sonic blue water and the many volcanoes rising up above the clouds remind you why you decided to visit this amazing part of Costa Rica.
A majestic landscape climbing the hills above Cañas.
Lake Arenal and the Tenorio Volcano.
Travel times to Volcano Brewing Company:
- 1 hour, 15 minutes from the Liberia Airport
- 1 hour, 30 minutes from La Fortuna and Monteverde
- 1 hour, 45 minutes from Playa Coco
- 2 hours, 15 minutes from Tamarindo and Nosara
A Few General Driving Tips
- Drive slow, take your time and enjoy the scenery. 80 km/hour (50 mph) is plenty fast on the highways, and definitely slower as you drive around the lake.
- Try not to drive at night. Transit police only seem to work during daylight hours, so many local drivers tend to speed faster and drive crazier at night. Costa Rica also has poor street lights, so visibility is definitely limited.
- Watch out for people walking, biking, and sitting on the road. I’m not sure why people sit on the road, but they do. Watch out for livestock, especially horses and cows that occasionally wander into the road.
- Watch out for potholes and speed bumps. The main highways are in great shape, but some of the coastal roads, dirt roads, and less-traveled access roads have potholes and speed bumps big enough to tear your bumper off!
- Don’t rely on a GPS. Yeah, they’re cool, but nothing beats a paper map. At least make sure you bookmark this page!
- Don’t leave your luggage or other valuables in your car unattended.
- If you’re driving through Liberia, make sure to check out the secret Llanos de Cortez Waterfall. There are plenty of hidden gems scattered throughout the region, another great reason to get out on the open road.
If you live in Costa Rica or if you travel here frequently, I’d love to hear any suggestions you’d like to add to this list.
Now What?
As you can see, driving here isn’t exactly rocket science. You can easily make a day-trip or weekend getaway to Volcano Brewing Company regardless of where you’re coming from. People love visiting us because we are:
- A great addition to your vacation. You can finally cross “Costa Rica Microbrewery Hotel” off your bucket list!
- A perfect place to stop, we are literally the Crossroads of La Fortuna, Monteverde, and Guanacaste. Hang out, eat some great food, enjoy some great beer. Play pool, go swim, or check out the skatepark.
- We are an ideal location for group events, weddings, and parties. Your can rent out our entire hotel and brew pub and throw one hell of a party!
Stop by for a brew, a bite, or stay for the night! Contact our Reservations Office Now and let us help you arrange your next stay at Volcano Brewing Company. Drive safe, we’ll make sure to have plenty of cold beer waiting for you!