Driving from Puerto Viejo 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 Puerto Viejo to Caño Blanco

Total Driving Time: 3-4 hours depending on traffic
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: Do not stop on the Puerto Viejo - Limon stretch of road or Siquirres – Caño Blanco stretch. As with any other place in the world, DO NOT, pick up hitch hikers. 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. Watch for people walking or riding their bikes on the side of the road. Also watch for tractors with trailers turning onto the road with a load of pineapple, oranges or sugar cane.

Driving Instructions:

1. Starting at the Bank of Costa Rica in downtown Puerto Viejo, drive north heading towards Limon.

2. Be aware that there are many one way bridges on this road and you have to yield to oncoming traffic.

3. Drive 4.9KMS on paved road until you come to an intersection where you have a Stop sign.

4. Continue straight ahead following the green signs to Limon.

5. 0.5 KMS after the stop sign you will come to the Hone Creek gas station, if you need to refill this is a good place to stop.

6. Drive 10 KMS and you will pass the entrances to Cahuita National Park, keep going.

7. Drive another 6.1KMS and you will come to a police check point. You may or may not need to stop. If the wave at you, stop and show them your passports. They will usually look in the windows of your car and let you go. They are looking for contraband from Panama and drugs. If they ask to look in your bags, smile cooperate and let them see whatever they want to see. Do stay with them and your belongings at all times.

8. Continue for 1.9KMS until you come to a Y in the road.

9. Take the Right Fork and drive 22.7KMS until you come to a second Y in the road.

10. Take the Right Fork in the road and drive 7.2KMS until you pass the Limon airport on the right side of the road.

11. Keep going another 3.1KMS and you will come to an intersection with a stop light, you are now in Limon.

12. Turn Left at the intersection. Total Distance: 56.8KMS Total Driving Time: 1.23 hours.

13. You are now on route 32 heading towards San Jose. You will drive on this road for 56.4 KMS, watch for the signs for the town of Siquirres which is where you turn off. When you cross the bridge over the Pacuare River, continue for 2 KMS, on the left hand side of the road you will see a gas station, Servicentro Siquirres, this is the last gas station before the next leg of your drive. If you haven't filled your tank already, you should do so here.

14. After Servicentro Siquirres, continue for 1 KM, you will start to see brown signs pointing the way to Parque Nacional Tortuguero.

15. Turn Right off of route 32 and into the parking lot in front of the Caribbean Dish restaurant. This is a good place to use the restrooms and get a snack. You are in the town of Siquirres. Total Distance: 57.4KMS, Total Driving Time from Limon: 1.15 hours.

16. 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.

17. Turn Right at the T and drive 0.1KM.

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

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

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

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. 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.

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Driving from Caño Blanco to Puerto Viejo

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 Puerto Viejo

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. Watch for people walking or riding their bikes on the side of the road. Also watch for tractors with trailers turning onto the road with a load of pineapple, oranges or sugar cane. Do not stop on the Caño Blanco - Siquirres stretch of road or on the Limon – Puerto Viejo stretch and as with any other place in the world, DO NOT, pick up hitch hikers.

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 Left onto route 32; follow the green signs that lead to Limon.

14. Your first opportunity to refuel is 1KM after turning onto route 32 on the right side of the road.

15. Drive a total of 58.6 KMS on route 32 heading to Limon. You will pass the entrances to many small towns on the way, stay on the main road. As you get closer to Limon you will start to notice big lots with semi trailers stacked up to 4 rows high. Continue towards Limon, you will reach an intersection with a stop sign, a few meters before the intersection you will see a green sign indicating the way to Puerto Viejo and Cahuita.

16. Turn Right at the intersection. Total Distance from Caribbean Dish 58.6 KMS, Total Driving Time: 1:15 hours.

17. Stay on this road, after 3.2 KMS you will pass the Limon airport on the left. Next you will see the Atlantic Ocean on the left.

18. Be aware that there are many one way bridges on this road and you have to yield to oncoming traffic.

19. Continue for 7KMS until you come to a Y in the road, take the Left Fork and continue for 23 KMS until you come to an intersection.

20. Turn Left, at this intersection there is a gas station if you need to refuel. There will be one more opportunity to refuel after this.

21. Continue 1.9 KMS and you will come to a police check point. You may or may not need to stop. If the wave at you, stop and show them your passports. They will usually look in the windows of your car and let you go. They are looking for contraband from Panama and drugs. If they ask to look in your bags, smile cooperate and let them see whatever they want to see. Do stay with them and your belongings at all times.

22. Continue for another 6 KMS and you will pass the entrance to Cahuita National Park.

23. Continue for another 10.1KMS and you will come to the Hone Creek gas station, this is your last opportunity to refuel. You will most likely be driving quite a bit when you are in Puerto Viejo so it's a good idea to go in with a full tank.

24. 0.5 KM after the gas station you will come to an intersection where you go straight following the green signs to Puerto Viejo.

25. Continue 5 KMS to the town of Puerto Viejo.

26. From here follow your directions to your hotel. Total Distance: 58.10KMS, Total Driving Time: 1.23 hours.