Directions to UGA Costa Rica
UGA-CR campus address: 700 metros este de la Escuela de los Altos de San Luis
Read below for general directions, or download the self-guided tour for a more detailed explanation of the trip to the UGA Costa Rica Campus, intended to help you understand and enjoy the areas you travel through en route to the Monteverde/San Luis area. A little background information of this kind should transform the trip from a rather time-consuming prelude into part of the adventure itself. Especially if you travel by ox-cart!
Feliz viaje! / Happy traveling!
BY BUS:
There are two direct buses daily from San José to Monteverde, leaving at 6:30am and 2:30pm. We recommend the early bus, in order to travel during daylight hours and thus see more along the way. Buses leave on the same schedule (6:30am and 2:30pm) from Monteverde to San José. The buses leave from the "Parada de Monteverde" in San José, in a district known as "Barrio Mexico". Taxi drivers usually know the place, or can find out where it is. Keep a close watch on all your belongings while waiting for the bus, as well as during the trip, as people frequently have luggage or valuables stolen on this route or while waiting at the bus station. Once you arrive in Santa Elena, you can get a taxi in front of the bus stop. The taxi ride to San Luis costs about US $14.00. Tell the taxi driver to bring you to "Ecolodge San Luis."
BY HIRED CAR:
If you are interested, we can arrange for a vehicle and driver to pick you up and bring you here directly from either of the airports or from wherever you are in Costa Rica. Transportation to/from the airport generally runs about $145 for up to 4 people, but please ask us for a quote (reservCR@uga.edu).
BY CAR - FROM SAN JOSÉ
Take the Interamerican Highway west past the airport, Alajuela, San Ramón, Esparza, and then north past Puntarenas until you reach the Sardinal (Rancho Grande) turnoff on your right. Turn right at the Rancho Grande gas station. **Fill up here- although there is finally a gas station in Monteverde, it's best to arrive with a full tank!** From here, continue 2.3 km to the small town of Sardinal - turn left at the soccer field.
From Sardinal, you will begin the climb into the Tilarán mountains toward Monteverde and the Continental Divide. You'll see the mountain peaks and clouds in the distance--that's where you're heading! The first part of the road, between the towns of Sardinal and Guacimal, is recently paved. Please be careful as you drive up this winding mountain road! You will reach a crossroads in the small town of Guacimal, at the "El Sol" restaurant - turn right. This is where the pavement ends: from here you will be on unpaved roads until you reach UGA Costa Rica.
Follow all signs toward Monteverde and Santa Elena until you reach a painted concrete kiosk (a covered bus-stop) on the right-hand side [Note, August 2011: this bus stop is in extremely poor condition.] This is the entrance to the San Luis Valley (about 12 km before Monteverde, and about 8km above Guacimal). Turn right at the kiosk ("el cruce de San Luis" if you want to ask along the way) and begin your descent into the San Luis Valley. Drive over the Rio San Luis, past the village of Bajo San Luis that includes the Monteverde Coffee Beneficio (4 km). You'll pass the Bajo San Luis school and church on your left as you head uphill toward Alto San Luis and the head of the valley. At the cemetery (on your right), follow the fork to the right and continue climbing until you reach a small fenced schoolhouse on your right ("la escuela de Alto San Luis") (7.5 km from the "cruce"). Turn right onto the road after the school and continue 700 m (half a mile). The first entrance on your left is the main entrance to Ecolodge, the Student Union, (the second entrance is for service vehicles). Total travel time from San José: 3.5 - 4 hours.
BY CAR - FROM LIBERIA AND NORTHWEST COSTA RICA
Take the Interamerican Highway east past Cañas and Las Juntas until you reach the Lagartos or Sardinal turnoff (on your left). At both Lagartos and Sardinal, there are numerous signs for Monteverde and Santa Elena. At the Sardinal turnoff (just west of the Rio Aranjuez, at the large gas station) or the Lagartos turnoff (just east of the Rio Lagartos), begin the climb into the Tilarán mountains toward Monteverde and the Continental Divide. You'll see the mountain peaks and clouds in the distance--that's where you're heading! Please be careful as you drive up the winding and unpaved mountain roads.
Follow all signs toward Monteverde and Santa Elena until you reach a painted concrete kiosk (a covered bus-stop) on the right-hand side [Note, August 2011: this bus stop is in extremely poor condition.] This is the entrance to the San Luis Valley (about 12 km before Monteverde, and about 8km above Guacimal). Turn right at the kiosk ("el cruce de San Luis" if you want to ask along the way) and begin your descent into the San Luis Valley. Drive over the Rio San Luis, past the village of Bajo San Luis that includes the Monteverde Coffee Beneficio (4 km). You'll pass the Bajo San Luis school and church on your left as you head uphill toward Alto San Luis and the head of the valley. At the cemetery (on your right), follow the fork to the right and continue climbing until you reach a small fenced schoolhouse on your right ("la escuela de Alto San Luis") (7.5 km from the "cruce"). Turn right onto the road after the school and continue 700 m (half a mile). The first entrance on your left is the main entrance to Ecolodge, the Student Union, (the second entrance is for service vehicles).Total travel time from Liberia: 2.5 - 3 hours.