By road, Parismina and Malpais are about 252 miles (405 km) apart, or roughly 8 h 36 min of driving.
Full advisory: Costa Rica. Advisory issued: Costa Rica April 02, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Costa Rica: “Do not drive through water if you can't see its depth.”
| Distance by road | 252 mi (405 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 8 h 36 min |
| Provinces on the route | Limón, San José, Heredia, Alajuela, Puntarenas, Guanacaste |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
How the Parismina to Malpais drive plays out
It runs through 6 provinces: Limón, San José, Heredia, Alajuela, Puntarenas, Guanacaste. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Parismina to Malpais, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–21 | 21 | Limón |
| connecting roads | 21–22 | 1 | Limón |
| local roads | 22–115 | 93 | Limón, San José, Heredia, Alajuela |
| connecting roads | 115–117 | 2 | Alajuela |
| local roads | 117–252 | 135 | Alajuela, Puntarenas, Guanacaste |
- Mile 54 of this route: Limón → San José (province line)
- Mile 72 of this route: San José → Heredia (province line)
- Mile 80 of this route: Heredia → San José (province line)
- Mile 92 of this route: San José → Alajuela (province line)
- Mile 125 of this route: Alajuela → Puntarenas (province line)
- Mile 154 of this route: Puntarenas → Guanacaste (province line)
- Mile 213 of this route: Guanacaste → Puntarenas (province line)
- Mile 220 of this route: Puntarenas → Guanacaste (province line)
- Mile 236 of this route: Guanacaste → Puntarenas (province line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Parismina and Malpais
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Las Mercedes (mile 29), Braulio Carrillo National Park (mile 59), Museo La Salle (mile 84)
- Nature and outdoors: Turrialba Volcano National Park (mile 41), Braulio Carrillo National Park (mile 59), Irazú Volcano National Park (mile 71), Palo Verde National Park (mile 183), Barra Honda National Park (mile 192)
- Museums and history: Las Mercedes (mile 29), National Theatre of Costa Rica (mile 80), Museo La Salle (mile 84)
Las Mercedes
On Costa Rica's Caribbean slope, between the foothills of Turrialba Volcano and the alluvial plain, Las Mercedes is an archaeological site with platforms, plazas, terraces, ramps, funerary areas and paved roads.
Turrialba Volcano National Park
Turrialba Volcano National Park covers the area around Turrialba Volcano in Cartago Province, within Costa Rica's Central Conservation Area. Major eruptions took place between 1864 and 1868.
Braulio Carrillo National Park
Braulio Carrillo National Park spreads across parts of Heredia, Cartago, Limón and San José provinces in central Costa Rica and forms part of the Central Conservation Area.
Irazú Volcano National Park
Established in 1955 in Cartago Province, Irazú Volcano National Park (Parque Nacional Volcán Irazú) encompasses Irazú Volcano and the Prusia Forest Reserve.
National Theatre of Costa Rica
Costa Rica's national theater sits in the central part of San José. It opened to the public on October 21, 1897, with a performance of Goethe's Faust.
Museo La Salle
San José's La Salle natural history museum has three main halls with exhibits on insects, fish, reptiles and amphibians, birds, mammals and anthropology.
Palo Verde National Park
Palo Verde National Park covers 18,400 hectares of the Tempisque River valley in Guanacaste, about 30 km west of Cañas, as part of the Arenal Tempisque Conservation Area.
Barra Honda National Park
Created in 1974 to protect its cave systems beneath Barra Honda Peak, Barra Honda National Park sits about 12 km from the Tempisque River in western Costa Rica.
More drives to Malpais
From Parismina to other places in Costa Rica
- Parismina to Manuel Antonio
- Parismina to Santa Elena
- Parismina to Finca Sonador
- Parismina to Uvita
- Parismina to Brasilito
- Parismina to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Parismina to Malpais?
About 8 h 36 min of driving without stops, over 252 miles.
How far is Malpais from Parismina by car?
About 252 miles (405 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Is it safe to drive from Parismina to Malpais?
The U.S. State Department rates Costa Rica Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Where can you stop on the way from Parismina to Malpais?
Closest to the road: Las Mercedes (archaeological site, mile 29, 0.6 mi from the route); Braulio Carrillo National Park (national park, mile 59, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo La Salle (museum, mile 84, 0.5 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.