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7 days: Arenal and Guanacaste (fly into LIR)
- Days 1–3: La Fortuna (about 2 h 50 min from LIR*)
- Days 4–7: Playas del Coco or Tamarindo
7 days: Arenal and Manuel Antonio (fly into SJO)
- Days 1–3: La Fortuna (about 2 h 35 min from SJO*)
- Days 4–7: Manuel Antonio (about 3 h from SJO*; allow 4 h+ from La Fortuna)
10 days: Caribbean and Central Pacific
- Days 1–2: San José
- Days 3–4: Tortuguero (road to La Pavona dock about 2 h*, then boat)
- Days 5–10: Jacó then Manuel Antonio (Jacó–Quepos about 1 h 20 min*)
South Pacific add-on
Manuel Antonio to Uvita is about 1 h 15 min*; it pairs well for whales (in season) and Caño Island.
| From | To | Road distance | Drive-time estimate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| SJO airport | La Fortuna | 130 km | 2 h 33 min |
| SJO airport | Jacó | 86 km | 1 h 42 min |
| SJO airport | Manuel Antonio / Quepos | 151 km | 2 h 59 min |
| SJO airport | Monteverde | 127 km | 3 h 08 min |
| SJO airport | Puerto Viejo | 232 km | 3 h 43 min |
| SJO airport | Uvita | 211 km | 4 h 04 min |
| LIR airport | Tamarindo | 65 km | 1 h 24 min |
| LIR airport | Playas del Coco | 23 km | 27 min |
| LIR airport | La Fortuna | 183 km | 2 h 50 min |
| LIR airport | Nosara | 92 km | 2 h 11 min |
| LIR airport | Rincón de la Vieja | 37 km | 1 h 06 min |
| La Fortuna | Monteverde | 113 km | 2 h 37 min |
| La Fortuna | Tamarindo | 248 km | 4 h 14 min |
| La Fortuna | Río Celeste (Tenorio) | 74 km | 1 h 18 min |
| Monteverde | Tamarindo | 166 km | 3 h 39 min |
| Jacó | Manuel Antonio / Quepos | 67 km | 1 h 22 min |
| Manuel Antonio / Quepos | Uvita | 63 km | 1 h 13 min |
| San José | Tortuguero (La Pavona dock) | 104 km | 2 h 01 min |
| Tamarindo | Playas del Coco | 51 km | 1 h 25 min |
| Nosara | Sámara | 27 km | 37 min |
| San José | Jacó | 99 km | 1 h 49 min |
*Drive-time estimates calculated on November 5, 2026 with the OpenStreetMap OSRM routing engine (router.project-osrm.org) between town centres or the named dock/airport. They assume no traffic, weather, roadworks or stops. Real journeys in Costa Rica often take 20–50% longer, especially on weekends and in the rainy season. Confirm in a live maps app on the day.