This is the information we share with clients who try to provide driving times based on Google Maps, so they can better understand real travel conditions in Costa Rica.
UPDATED MARCH 24, 2026
Many travelers planning trips in Costa Rica rely on Google Maps to estimate driving times. While it is useful for understanding routes and distances, its time estimates are often not realistic due to several local conditions that are not fully accounted for:
Mountain Roads – Routes such as San José to La Fortuna or Monteverde involve steep, winding mountain roads with sharp curves and limited visibility. Even short distances can take much longer due to slow driving conditions.
In addition, the weather plays a major role in these areas. Conditions can change suddenly—clear skies can quickly turn into heavy clouds, fog, or rain. This reduced visibility makes driving even more challenging and requires extra caution, especially on narrow or curvy sections of the road.
Traffic & Road Conditions – Costa Rica has many narrow two-lane highways, frequent construction zones, and regulated one-lane bridges (such as the Tarcoles River Bridge). In addition, heavy traffic—especially around San José and coastal destinations during high season—can cause significant and unpredictable delays.
Ongoing Road Construction – Infrastructure improvements, such as the widening of the Inter-American Highway between Barranca and Limonal, APRIL – NOVEMBER 2026, can create temporary slowdowns, detours, and traffic congestion that are not reflected in Google Maps.
Road Closures & Unexpected Delays – Accidents, road maintenance, protests, or landslides can lead to temporary road closures or detours. These situations are common and are not reflected in Google Maps estimates.
Weather Conditions – Heavy rain, fog, and occasional flooding—particularly during the green season—can slow traffic or even make certain roads temporarily impassable. Travel times can easily increase by 1–2 hours or more.
Speed Limits & Driving Reality – Although the maximum highway speed is 80 km/h (50 mph), most roads require much slower speeds due to curves, towns, and road conditions. Google Maps often assumes average speeds that are simply not possible in Costa Rica.
Rural & Coastal Routes – Destinations like Puerto Viejo de Limón, Ojochal, or the Nicoya Peninsula involve passing through small towns, local traffic, speed bumps, and occasional police checkpoints. Google Maps do not accurately calculate these frequent slowdowns.
For these reasons, actual travel times in Costa Rica are usually longer than Google Maps suggests, and it is always best to plan with extra time—especially when coordinating tours, transfers, or flights.
👉 In short: While Google Maps might say 3.5 hours, the real travel time could be 5–6 hours depending on the route and conditions. At SJOShuttle.com 🇨🇷, we provide realistic transfer schedules based on our daily driving experience across Costa Rica, so you’ll always know what to expect.