The Wayro route from Tortuguero to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica is 245 miles (395 km), about 8 h 29 min of driving without stops.
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 | 245 mi (395 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 8 h 29 min |
| Provinces on the route | Limón, San José, Heredia, Alajuela, Puntarenas, Guanacaste |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 9.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
On the road from Tortuguero to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
It runs through 6 provinces: Limón, San José, Heredia, Alajuela, Puntarenas, Guanacaste. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Tortuguero and Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–77 | 77 | Limón, San José, Heredia |
| connecting roads | 77–78 | 1 | San José |
| local roads | 78–112 | 34 | San José, Alajuela |
| connecting roads | 112–116 | 4 | Alajuela |
| local roads | 116–210 | 94 | Alajuela, Puntarenas, Guanacaste |
| connecting roads | 210–211 | 1 | Puntarenas |
| local roads | 211–245 | 34 | Puntarenas, Guanacaste |
- Mile 52 of this route: Limón → San José (province line)
- Mile 70 of this route: San José → Heredia (province line)
- Mile 77 of this route: Heredia → San José (province line)
- Mile 90 of this route: San José → Alajuela (province line)
- Mile 122 of this route: Alajuela → Puntarenas (province line)
- Mile 152 of this route: Puntarenas → Guanacaste (province line)
- Mile 210 of this route: Guanacaste → Puntarenas (province line)
- Mile 218 of this route: Puntarenas → Guanacaste (province line)
- Mile 234 of this route: Guanacaste → Puntarenas (province line)
Stops between Tortuguero and Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Braulio Carrillo National Park (mile 57), Museo La Salle (mile 81)
- Nature and outdoors: Tortuguero National Park (mile 7), Braulio Carrillo National Park (mile 57), Irazú Volcano National Park (mile 69), Palo Verde National Park (mile 180), Barra Honda National Park (mile 189)
- Museums and history: Pre-Columbian Gold Museum (mile 78), Museo La Salle (mile 81)
Tortuguero National Park
Tortuguero National Park lies in Costa Rica's Limón Province, within the Tortuguero Conservation Area in the northeast of the country.
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.
Melico Salazar Theatre
Concerts, recitals and plays fill the schedule at the Melico Salazar Theatre, a performance venue in San José, Costa Rica.
Pre-Columbian Gold Museum
Set in an underground building beneath the Plaza de la Cultura in San José, the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum is owned and curated by Costa Rica's central bank.
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 Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
- Cartago, Costa Rica to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
- Parismina to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
- Limón to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
- Bribri to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
- Sixaola to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
From Tortuguero to other places in Costa Rica
- Tortuguero to Manuel Antonio
- Tortuguero to Santa Elena
- Tortuguero to Uvita
- Tortuguero to Finca Sonador
- Tortuguero to Las Catalinas, Costa Rica
- Tortuguero to Parismina
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Tortuguero to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica?
About 8 h 29 min of driving without stops, over 245 miles.
How far is Santa Teresa, Costa Rica from Tortuguero by car?
About 245 miles (395 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 Tortuguero to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica?
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 Tortuguero to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica?
Closest to the road: Braulio Carrillo National Park (national park, mile 57, 0.5 mi from the route); Pre-Columbian Gold Museum (museum, mile 78, 1 mi from the route); Museo La Salle (museum, mile 81, 0.6 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.