Directions
Use the map to the right, and the directions are simple:
From the airport drive west, and then north to CANAS. Take a right to TILARAN, and then a left to NUEVO ARENAL toward Fortuna and Volcano Arenal. We are 3.5 hours from the airport, all on paved roads.
PLEASE DO NOT LISTEN to the advice the car rental and hotel employees give you on your way from San Jose. They will tell you to turn off at San Ramon, and then go to Fortuna and then Arenal. Instead, the best way is to come through Canas, and then spend a day at the Arenal Volcano area when you car is empty and you can take your time. It is worth a full day to see both the waterfall and the hot springs.
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FROM THE SAN JOSE AIRPORT
Drive on the Inter-American Highway (Route 1), West, then North, to the town of Canas, (it's takes about 2.5 hours).
Upon entering Canas, you will pass over a concrete bridge, over the River Canas, and 200 meters further you will pass a gas station on each side. 300 meters more, you will see a red, circular Bullring. Take a right here and go about 8 blocks, to a fork in the road. Here, you will make the first of 3 lefts. Bear left at the green and white sign for Chalet Nicholas, go up the hill to the very top of the continental divide (20 minutes). At the top before entering Tilaran, you will see a sign to Arenal and take a very sharp left, almost a U-Turn towards Arenal.
At this turn on the right you will see a gas station and on the left corner, you will see a triangular shaped tourist restaurant/gift shop with glass windows covered with murals of rainforest scenes. There is also a bank cash machine in front......Here, take a sharp left toward Arenal. Go around this to the left and continue for another 10 minutes, past a gas station on the left and another of our signs on the right.
When you get to the fork in the road where Lake Arenal starts, you will bear left and be on the upper lake road. You will continue on this road for about 10 minutes when you will see a sign for Mystica Lodge. Stay to right of this fork along Lake Road. It will then be 15 minutes or less until you see Chalet Nicholas signs and a flower-covered archway entrance to Chalet Nicholas on the left.
We are just one mile past the Ecolodge entrance signs on the same road.
We have been here since 1991 and everyone knows Chalet Nicholas.
If you have any problems, call us at 2694-4041.
FROM THE NEW LIBERIA AIRPORT
USE THE SAME directions as above. Starting at CANAS where you will turn "left" instead of "right" since you will be coming from the north.
From the Liberia airport, drive 10 minutes to the main intersection in Liberia (the only overhead traffic light "semaforo"), which is the Inter-American Highway route #1, and turn right. Drive for about 45 minutes to the red two-story bullring at Canas and turn left. You will see a sign directing you to Tilaran. Use the above directions for the rest of your trip.
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