Best Ways To Travel From La Fortuna To Monteverde (Or Vice Versa)

Hello Kay Underwood Ortiz!

Yes, absolutely! It will require a fair bit of driving and you will want to fit in as much as possible in both locations to make the most of your visits while at each, but it is possible. If you plan to spend one night in the La Fortuna area, our best recommendation would be to depart from Playa Flamingo early in the morning and drive directly to La Fortuna. Once there, participate in the tours/activities that interest you, then spend the night at your desired La Fortuna hotel. The next morning, wake up very early and drive around Arenal Lake to Monteverde (no need to take the taxi-boat-taxi here as you will have the rental car). Plan to participate in the tours/activities that interest you in Monteverde, then depart later in the day for Playa Flamingo. 🙂

Pura vida!

Hi Lindsay!

That’s not a silly question, that’s an important and practical question! 😊 Unfortunately, there aren’t scheduled bathroom breaks along the route. The route consists of a drive from the departure destination to the lake, a boat trip across the lake, and a drive to the arrival destination, and there aren’t bathrooms at the stops you’ll make along the way. 🙁

Pura vida!

Hey Jessica!

The jeep-boat-jeep takes about 3 hours (3.5 during busy periods) in total, including ground transport, boat transport, and ground transport again.

Pura vida!

Hi Jordan!

Thank you so much for your kind comment! 😊 We always recommend booking in advance, and this goes for everything you plan to use for your trip—accommodations, tours/activities, and transportation services, including the van-boat-van service. In a pinch, though, you can usually find spaces on one of the boats since there are usually always boats available to cross the lake.

Pura vida!

Hey Cathy!

Not at all! The road requires some slow and cautious driving, as several sections have curves and some parts of the road can get bumpy as you arrive at Monteverde, but there’s usually very little traffic, regardless of the time of day you plan to visit. For more information about driving to La Fortuna and driving to Monteverde, don’t miss our related blog posts:

Driving to La Fortuna / Arenal: Photos, Road Conditions, Routes, Drive Times, and More!
Driving to Monteverde: Photos, Road Conditions, Routes, Drive Times, and More!

Pura vida! 😊

Thank you, Shannon! 🙂

Hi Breanne!

Several companies operate the van-boat-van trip across Arenal Lake. A few of the more popular companies to do so from La Fortuna are Desafio Adventure Company, Ride Costa Rica, and Aventuras Arenal.

Pura vida! 😊

Hi Max!

The van-boat-van costs about $30-50 these days. Please see the websites for Desafio Adventure Company, Ride Costa Rica, and/or Aventuras Arenal for exact pricing.

Pura vida! 😊