Late Night Driving from SJ Airport to Hotel Linda Vista del Norte in Arenal
 

Our flight arrives in San Jose at 7pm, next Tuesday. We rented a Suzuki Jimny, and my husband wants to drive straight from the airport to Hotel Linda Vista del Norte in Arenal. Is it dangerous to drive from the airport to this hotel at 7pm? How long is the drive? Is the route dangerous? What are our best options? Thanks for your help!

The drive from San Jose to Arenal is about 3 hours. It gets dark around 5:30, so you would be driving in the dark. It's a pretty drive during the day, and the roads seem to be in pretty good shape, but I would not want to drive it in the dark - too easy to get lost. If I were you, I'd stay the first night at a place like Grano de Oro in San Jose and then set out first thing the next morning, but it depends on your own comfort level.

I wouldn't do the night drive myself.
The roads are curvy with drop offs and no shoulders in sections. They also go through some elevations that can be rainy/foggy even in the "dry" season.
Then there is the possibility of bandits though probably unlikely.
I'd stay nearer the airport closer to Alajuela and get my auto early in the morning.

I agree with vocano girl and in part with earthtraveler...in part because she mention BANDITS!!?? I travel that route almost 3 times a week...night, day...afternoon!! I spend about 5 years of my life living in Arenal area...and until TODAY I hear about bandits!! That I am missing something??

If you can stay in San Jose that night is good idea...many good options around the airport...Garden Court about $95.00 and free shuttle to and from airport...I will not stay in any hotel in San Jose...next morning is going to be a headacke to get out of there...I just do not like to drive in San Jose!!

R.A Luis

roadadvisor - There is crime pretty much everywhere and if you aren't a local, you are more of a target to petty theft.

Yes, bandits. Several years ago my cousin was hiking with his fiance around the La Fortuna waterfall area and was approached by bandits, and in the scurry he was shot. He is ok, and in the end he still loves Costa Rica and would return. But, things do happen and you need to be aware of your surroundings (which may hard to do on a dark, windy road, while getting lost and with possible language barriers).

lilin29 -- I don't mean to scare you with that story! I've been to Arenal and had a great experience and felt completely at home and comfortable while we were there!

Also, there is a nice little place called Hotel Villa Bonita, especially sweet owners and a comfortable place to stay for the night. Around $55 including breakfast about 5 min. from airport.

The mention of bandits was in relation to the night time holdups on highways which have been reported in the CR news. Sorry if I was misleading in mentioning them in relation to the drive to La Firtuna. I have no specific info concerning bandits along that specific stretch of hiway.
When it comes down to it the bandits are active in the day time also. How many stories have we read of punctured tires and "kind" helpers who run of with the tourist's luggage, etc after they stop to help. Sometimes at gun point.

Haveing said all that I will say we have ventured in Costa Rica five times of two weeks each time driving ourselves, and sometimes at night, with no problems. Except the time I drove into an axle deep pothole in Dominical town at night. Thankfully I was moving at a crawl and was able to back out with no auto damage. :-)

My daughter lives in Costa Rica and she wouldn't drive from SJO to Arenal after dark. We were there for three weeks last August and we followed her advice. Potholes are prevalent and you wouldn't want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere all night. Not worth it.

It's been several years ago, but we were driving during day, I think between Monteverde and the PanAm highway. Anyway, there were lots of small bridges over small creeks. Some of them had sort of 'caved away' on the edges. If it had been at night, it would have been very easy to have a tire go off the edge. Costa Rica was fun to drive in, but not unknown roads at night.