Road to Maquenque Lodge
There are two main routes to reach Maquenque
Option 1 – Route 32
When you leave San José, take Route 32, which leads from San José to the city of Limón. On the way, you will pass through the Braulio Carrillo National Park, where, with a bit of luck, you can enjoy wonderful views of the endless cloud and rain forests of this beautiful national park. During this trip it is important to drive carefully, because sometimes it is cloudy and there are many sharp bends.
After crossing the national park for about 1 hour, you will finally reach the Caribbean plain. Continue driving for about 10 minutes until you reach the Rancho Roberto junction, where you should turn left. This road leads to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui. The drive from San Jose to the intersection Rancho Robertos takes 70 minutes or 53 kilometers. In about 45 minutes or 33 kilometers you will reach Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, where you should turn left if the gas station is on your left. Continue on the road to La Virgen. First you will pass a town called Chilamate, which is 15 minutes or 8 kilometers from the center of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, and 2 kilometers further on you will have to turn right to take the North Atlantic Corridor, a new road that leads to the village of Muelle.
About 13 kilometers further on, you will find the exit on the right that leads to Pital. Turn right and after 3 kilometers you will find Pital de San Carlos.
Continue north and look for the village of Saino, which is about 30 minutes or 17 kilometers away.
Once in Saino, a road will take you to Boca Tapada, which is about 10 miles or 50 minutes away. This road from Saino to Boca Tapada is paved at the beginning, and after 4 kilometers it becomes a dirt road, but in good condition.
When you arrive at the village of Boca Tapada, follow the road for 4.5 kilometers, where you will find the Maquenque Eco Lodge park on your left. There you will find the parking lot where you can leave your car for the duration of your stay.
Option 2 – Route 126
This alternative route is a bit longer, but is an alternative if Route 32 is closed.
This route starts in the city of Heredia, a few minutes from San José. Once in Heredia, you must take Route 126, which runs from the center of Heredia to San Miguel in the Sarapiqui Plain. During this trip you will pass through equally beautiful landscapes with mountains and cloud forests.
When you leave the center of Heredia, Route 126 leads directly to San Miguel de Sarapiqui. This trip takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes or 55 kilometers. During the drive you will pass the waterfall of La Paz, an ideal place to take a break. From San Miguel you have to turn very steeply left at the police station of San Miguel. After that you should continue on this route from San Carlos for 20 minutes or 16 kilometers to Venice.
Once in Venecia, the road turns slightly right and you should follow this road until Pital de San Carlos, which is 27 minutes or 14 kilometers further on. When you reach the Pital gas station, turn right and continue north to the village of Saino, which is about 30 minutes or 17 kilometers away.
Once in Saino, a road will take you to Boca Tapada, which is 16 kilometers or about 50 minutes away. This road from Saino to Boca Tapada is paved at the beginning, and after 4 kilometers it becomes a gravel road, but in good condition. When you arrive at the village of Boca Tapada, follow the road for 4.5 kilometers until you find the Maquenque Eco Lodge park on your left. There you will find the parking lot where you can leave your car for the duration of your stay.
