By Car
Driving from San Jose to Monteverde takes about four hours via the Interamericana - two hours to the turn-off (there's a choice of three; see below), then another two hours to make the final mountainous ascent. One route, sometimes called the Sardinal route, takes the Interamericana north from Puntarenas towards Liberia, branching off at the Rancho Grande turning to Monteverde. Buses go a shorter route, continuing past Rancho Grande to the Rio Lagarto turn-off - just before Rio Lagarto itself - which is signed to Santa Elena and Monteverde. The least well-known route, which local taxistas swear is the best, is via Las Juntas de Abangares , a small town reached from a small road, labelled "145" on some maps, off the Interamericana. Once you've reached Las Juntas, drive past the main square, turn left and continue over a bridge; turn right, and follow the signs. The first 7km of this 37-kilometre road, via Candelaria, are paved, but have some spectacular hairpin bends - drive slowly. You can also reach Monteverde from Tilaran , near Laguna de Arenal. The road (40km) is often very rough, but provides spectacular views over the Laguna de Arenal and Volcan Arenal. Whichever route you take, you'll need 4WD in the rainy season, when some agencies refuse to rent regular cars for the trip.
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