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I'm planning on driving to La Fortuna this Monday to spend a couple of days at Arenal. It's been six years since I made this drive from San Jose. I was wondering which is the best route to La Fortuna: 1) through Naranjo or 2) San Ramon ? Thanks, for your help.

Naranjo is quicker
San Ramon is a better road and better marked

Difference between the two 30 minutes

Thanks, Matt....

I think the exact opposite. San Ramon is quicker but the road is a bit scarier to take...lot of hairpin turns and such. Naranjo usually ends up being slower in my opinion because of the bus/truck traffic and the total lack of places to pass them...

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The only thing that matters is happiness in all it forms...

+1 though Matt may have a point, not sure which one is better marked which may be important.

When I drove to La Fortuna 6 years ago, I took the road (702), that passes by the hospital in San Ramon, to La Fortuna. It was a beautiful drive. I went with the Naranjo route (141) on the way back and went through some nice towns like Quesada and Zarcero. Although, I was not timing my drive, the latter route seemed a bit longer. I was also wondering if anything changed in the last 6 years that may have helped or hindered these routes.

Thanks, for your help, guys. I'll buy both of you a beer at La Amistad this weekend.

I use 702 out of San Ramon exclusively on trips to Arenal now. Tried the other route and think between the towns you pass through and the traffic, 702 is the way to go but you have to be careful on that road. It takes me about an hour from downtown San Jose to San Ramon then another 2 hours to get to La Fortuna.

It hasn't changed much since your trip 6 years ago. They did repave and remark the first 10-15 miles out of San Ramon so that helps as that is the part of the trip that can get a lot of fog/cloud and make it difficult. There is a Bailey bridge on the road where a landslide took out the previous bridge about 20 miles outside San Ramon. Outside those two changes, nothing new/different.

_________________
The only thing that matters is happiness in all it forms...