Getting to Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails
Latitude: 10.434215 / Longitude: -84.701500
There are many ways to get to Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails at Arenal Volcano, including driving your own vehicle, domestic flights, shared shuttle vans, private car and driver, and public bus. See our Transportation Services to Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna, Costa Rica for all of the options.
Driving yourself
Many of our guests choose to drive their own vehicle or a rental car to get to the Arenal Volcano. 4×2 vehicles can easily reach our property, however we recommend a 4×4 vehicle for better driving, this vehicle is higher and will serve you for any other destination in our country. Adding a GPS will definitely be your best travel guide for driving in Costa Rica.
There are several routes that will take you to our destination. The route from San José passes through several of the most beautiful regions of Costa Rica: Mountains and meadows, lush cloud and tropical forests, picturesque Costa Rican towns, dairy farms, coffee plantations, sugar cane plantations, fruit trees and ornamental plants in their natural environment.
Traveling from Liberia and the Guanacaste Province, the beautiful scenery will take you skirting Lake Arenal through the towns of Tilarán and Nuevo Arenal.
Road to the hotel
When you turn off the main route onto our access road – also the way to get to the main entrance of Arenal Volcano National Park, your adventure is just beginning!
Our nine-kilometer-long (5.6 miles) gravel access road lets you slow down to see the rainforest. See if you can spot toucans, monkeys, or sloths in the trees. Drive carefully to not run over any coatis crossing the road – which they do frequently. Stop to take that perfect photo of the Arenal Volcano up close. Making it easy, the road ends at Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails.
When you get to our Arenal lodge, you will be rewarded with the most amazing views of the massive Arenal Volcano towering over the hotel, and the deep blue Lake Arenal stretching west into the sunset. Huge trees stand watch over the hotel, and our gardens and surrounding rainforest are full of wildlife.
Arenal Observatory Lodge’s location is part of the adventure. Yes, our Arenal lodge is 22 km (13.6 miles) from La Fortuna, about a 30-minute drive, and it is so relaxing to be out of the frantic hustle and bustle of big tourist crowds. Here, there is no noise outside your hotel room from busy roads or a congested town center. It is quiet. You can hear the wind, the trees, the birds, the monkeys, and maybe even the volcano. Welcome to peace in beautiful nature!
From San José:
The most popular route heads out of San José along the Inter-American Highway (Hwy 1) to the town of San Ramón, where you turn off into the hills, passing through La Tigra on the way to La Fortuna. Even without a map, La Fortuna is easy to find. Once you reach La Fortuna, continue through town toward Tabacón Hot Springs, Lake Arenal and the Arenal Volcano National Park. Just before reaching Lake Arenal, you will come to a police station on the right and a marked turn-off on the left for the National Park entrance. We share the same route to the main entrance of Arenal Volcano National Park.
From the turn-off, it is 9 km (5.6 miles) along a somewhat bumpy gravel and dirt road. Continue on past the park entrance following signs for the Arenal Observatory Lodge. The road ends at our entrance gate.
| Estimated travel time | Distance |
|---|---|
| 3 hours approximately | 125 km (77.6 miles) |
From Liberia, Guanacaste:
| Estimated travel time | Distance |
|---|---|
| 3.5 hours approximately | 160 km (99.4 miles) |
From Tortuguero National Park:
| Estimated travel time | Distance |
|---|---|
| 3.5 hours approximately | 151 km (93.8 miles) |
From Manuel Antonio National Park:
| Estimated travel time | Distance |
|---|---|
| 4.5 hours approximately | 229 km (142 miles) |
From Monteverde:
From Santa Elena in Monteverde, take the very scenic Route 606 to the village of El Dos and then Route 145 to the town of Tilaran; the route is unpaved and very mountainous. This route is only drivable using a 4×4 vehicle; please call our lodge in advance to check road conditions for this route. Continue around Lake Arenal, passing through the town of Nuevo Arenal, heading toward La Fortuna. After you pass the lake dam, you will come to a police station on the left and a marked turn-off on the right for the Arenal Volcano National Park. We share the same route to the national park main entrance. This 9 km (5.6 miles), somewhat bumpy gravel and dirt road will take you directly to the Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails.
| Estimated travel time | Distance |
|---|---|
| 3 hours approximately | 106 km (142 miles) |
Important information for getting to Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails
When heading to Arenal Observatory Lodge & Spa, it is a good idea to call us to check the current road conditions (+506-2479-1070). Weather in Costa Rica can change fast, especially in the rainy season.
For security reasons, the Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails main gate is open from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.