Manuel Antonio Driving Instructions

From the Quepos Airport – about 10 minutes

Turn right toward town (toward the paved road). Once you get to a crossroads, you will turn left and follow about 4 kilometers. After going down a hill (coming into town) you will take the first left in front of Cabinas Cisne, across from the Palí grocery store. Follow to the end of the road. (You will see Iguana Tours in front of you) and turn left.

You are now leaving Quepos and are on the road to Manuel Antonio.

After about 3.5 kilometers, you will see Café Milagro on your left. Then you will see a two-story yellow building on your right with a sign for Cafe Agua Azul, which is on the second floor. There is a Coldwell Banker sign on the first floor, and that is where our office is located.

When you arrive in Quepos, please your host on his cell phone (6039 0305) or call the office (2777-5258). He will come to the office to meet you. If you arrive on a Sunday, call him on the cell phone since the Escape Villas office is closed.

From San Jose – about two hours and 15 min

The drive from the San Jose airport to Manuel Antonio is fully paved with the new highway in place. We suggest exchanging at least $5 U.S. dollars into Costa Rican colones for the tolls on the highway. Ask the rental car agent to send you off in the right direction, which should be west on Route 1, past the airport. Drive defensively and be aware when two lanes become one.

The first 13 km uses the same “old” route to Manuel Antonio. GPS devices might not be updated and will likely still have the “old” route so do not rely on them to follow the complete recommended route.

Once on Route 1 – follow signs to San Ramon, and continue straight ahead for about 10 km. After the second bridge crossing, get in the right lane and take the next exit (Route 3) for Jaco / Quepos / Manuel Antonio. There is also a sign here for Punta Leona and Atenas. Turn left at the stop sign, crossing back over Route 1

Follow Route 3 for about 3 km. Look for a large Christian church on the left and then a soccer field and make a left on the road immediately after it. You are on the road to Turrucares. There are no signs and it’s a secondary road, so don’t think you’ve made a mistake. It’s currently the best connection to the toll highway from the airport

Drive for another 3 km through this somewhat winding road. Once you arrive at the highway intersection turn left BEFORE the highway. Again, there are no signs here yet. Be careful as it’s a narrow two-way gravel access road. After some 300 meters you will arrive at a roundabout. Make a right following the highway signs to Orotina / Atenas.

Drive on the highway through 2 toll booths. Then, take the next right exit to Route 34, follow signs for Jaco / Quepos. This exit forms a loop and then you bypass a roundabout to continue straight to Jaco (another 36 km).

Follow Route 34 (also called Costanera) for a while and you will cross over the Tarcoles River Bridge – there are usually a few cars parked before/after the bridge since it is a popular viewing point for the crocodiles lurking in and around the river.

Shortly after this you will see the ocean on your right hand side. Pass Punta Leona and Herradura – you will see the Automercado supermarket on the right hand side of the road.

Follow the signs to Jaco and Manuel Antonio. You will pass through one rotunda, then the road leads directly to Quepos.

Once in Quepos, you will drive past many small shops. The road becomes one lane and you need to turn left just after passing a small park. You will see signs pointing to Manuel Antonio.

You are now leaving Quepos and are on the road to Manuel Antonio

After about 3.5 kilometers, you will see Café Milagro on your left. Then you will see a two-story yellow building on your right. That building has a sign for the restaurant Cafe Agua Azul on the second floor, and a Coldwell Banker sign on the first floor. Our office is the Coldwell Banker on the first floor.

When you arrive in Quepos, please call the host on his cell phone (6039-0305) or call the office (2777-5258). He will come to the office to meet you. If you arrive on a Sunday, call him on the cell phone since the Escape Villas office is closed.

When calling within Costa Rica, no area code is required, just dial the 8 digit number.

Our guests share their Costa Rica travel experiences…

“I don’t know if I can say it’s good to be back home because we enjoyed Costa Rica tremendously. Your country is so clean, the weather is great, and the people are hospitable and warm.

The tour companies you chose for us were reliable and professional. From the tour guides (Kudos to Eric and Eduardo) to the cooks who prepared the meals, everyone did a fantastic job.

If you need a driver, request Harold. He drove the 19 passenger van like it was a sedan. I hope Harold enjoyed the Beatles music as he calmly and patiently drove for 3 ½ hours to San Jose airport. It probably did not help Harold that the whole gang was singing–boy, that was a major distraction! Thanks, Harold, for getting us to our destination safely. You’re the best. We still have Costa Rica in our minds and we are not ready for California.

Memories were built and friendships were made. We’ll definitely be back! Thanks for everything.”

Army of 18
Long Beach, California
Casa de las Brisas, July 2007