Private shuttle · door-to-door
Private Shuttle from Los Chiles (Nicaragua border) to La Fortuna
Coming from Los Chiles or the Caño Negro area to Arenal? We collect you in town or at your lodge and drive you south on Route 35 to your hotel in La Fortuna. The fare is per vehicle, not per person, and taxes are already in it.
- Private vehicle
- Door-to-door
- Taxes & tolls included
- Child seats free
- 24/7
The service
Your private transfer from Los Chiles to La Fortuna
A private transfer means the vehicle is reserved for your group alone. We collect you at your accommodation in Los Chiles at the time you choose and drive straight to the door of your hotel in La Fortuna, with stops only when you ask for them.
Prices are per vehicle, not per passenger, and nothing is added later: taxes, tolls, fuel, insurance, bottled water, WiFi and child seats come with every booking. Go Standard for the fastest trip or VIP (+$80) to stop along the way.
Leaving Los Chiles
From Los Chiles to La Fortuna: the logistics
Los Chiles is a small town on the Río Frío, a few kilometres from the Nicaraguan border, in the far north of Alajuela province. It is the main access point by boat to the Caño Negro wildlife refuge, a seasonal lake and wetland famous for birdwatching, caimans and river wildlife.
We collect you at your hotel or at the dock in Los Chiles. If you are arriving from Nicaragua, tell us roughly when you expect to clear the border; times at the crossing vary, and we will agree a meeting point and a contact by WhatsApp.
The trip ends at the entrance of your hotel in La Fortuna or around Arenal. Town has restaurants, supermarkets and tour offices within a few blocks, and many hotels on the volcano road have their own thermal pools for your first evening.
We confirm the pickup time with you when you book. With approximately 1 h 45 min of driving, a pickup after breakfast in Los Chiles gets you to La Fortuna for lunch or the early afternoon.
Before you go
Before you leave Los Chiles
Book the early boat
Wildlife is most active at first light; the earliest boat trips are the most rewarding.
Passports at hand
If you have been across to Nicaragua, keep entry stamps and documents handy for checks on the road.
The route
What to expect on the drive
- Distance
- about 100 km between the town centres (our measurement, approx.)
- Driving time
- approx. 1 h 45 min without stops (our fare table)
- Main roads
- Route 35 south from Los Chiles to Muelle, then Route 142 west to La Fortuna
- First stretch
- Route 35 south through the northern plains
From Los Chiles the van takes Route 35 south, a wide, flat highway across the northern plains towards Muelle. It is one of the easiest drives in the country.
With no mountain passes, the drive is gentle and predictable. On a clear day Arenal appears on the horizon long before you arrive, a perfect cone rising out of the flat land.
Along the way
What you'll see between Los Chiles and La Fortuna
The scenery changes more than once on the way to Arenal. This is what passes the window:
Orange groves and sugarcane
Route 35 crosses one of the main citrus and cane areas of the north, flat and green to the horizon.
Lowland rivers
Wide, slow rivers cross the plains; herons, egrets and sometimes iguanas sun themselves along the banks.
Pineapple and sugarcane
The northern plains are one of Costa Rica's big farming areas; you will see pineapple fields, cane and grazing land on both sides of the road.
Tropical Experts VIP
VIP stops on this route
Prefer to sightsee on the way? Tropical Experts VIP costs $80 more per vehicle and includes one to two hours of stops, a bilingual driver who acts as your guide, a welcome kit of local beers, soft drinks and snacks, and sparkling water. We offer it on every route; here, you can ask for. Tell us what you would like to see and we will plan it: VIP stops are not limited to a fixed list.
Extra hours of stops cost $35 each, up to 4. Tell us what you would like to see when you book and we plan the timing around it. Standard goes direct, with a restroom break whenever you need it.
Before you travel
Road conditions and 2026 roadworks
Heavy rain is common in the northern lowlands for much of the year and can flood low spots for a few hours. When that happens we take a detour or wait for the water to drop; we tell you if it changes the timing.
Should a closure or severe weather stop the transfer altogether, you can reschedule or get your money back in full, as our terms set out.
From the road
Driver's tips for this route
- Wetland boat trips start early; a mid-morning pickup still gets you to La Fortuna for lunch.
- Keep binoculars at hand: the roadside wetlands near Los Chiles are good for herons and storks.
- Keep a rain jacket handy: showers in the lowlands come and go quickly.
- Keep water, sunscreen and a light jacket in your hand luggage, not in the boot: the weather changes on the way.
Fares
Prices for this route
Per vehicle, in US dollars, taxes included.
| Vehicle | Passengers | Large bags | Standard | VIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Hyundai Staria1–5 passengers |
1–5 | 5 | $240 | $320 |
 Toyota Hiace6–9 passengers |
6–9 | 9 | $295 | $375 |
 Maxus V9010–12 passengers |
10–12 | 12 | $380 | $460 |
Extra hour of stops: $35, up to 4. Hotels with a surcharge are listed below.
Google reviews
What travellers say
Short excerpts from real Google reviews of Tropical Experts Costa Rica.
“We had a great experience… our driver John… very professional, friendly, and drove safely… shared so much interesting information about Costa Rica… Highly recommended!”
Read all our reviews on Google and TripAdvisor.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: Los Chiles → La Fortuna
How long is the drive from Los Chiles to La Fortuna?
Approximately 1 h 45 min of driving according to our fare table, for about 100 km. Stops, rain and traffic come on top of that.
How much is a private shuttle from Los Chiles to La Fortuna?
$240 in a Hyundai Staria (1–5 passengers), $295 in a Toyota Hiace (6–9) and $380 in a Maxus V90 (10–12). Prices are per vehicle, in US dollars, with taxes included. VIP adds $80 per vehicle.
Is the road flat, or are there many curves?
Mostly flat. This trip crosses the northern plains, so there are far fewer curves than on the routes to the Central Valley or Guanacaste. The slow points are towns, one-lane bridges and farm traffic.
Can we combine the transfer with a Caño Negro boat tour?
Yes. Book the tour with a local operator and tell us the times; we drop you at the dock and, if you need it, pick you up again later with a second transfer or extra hours.
Why is the drive so quick for the distance?
Because Route 35 is flat and straight. Our fare table gives approximately 1 h 45 min for about 100 km, faster than most routes of that length in Costa Rica.
Can you collect us at the dock after the boat trip?
Yes. Give us the operator and the expected return time, and the driver waits at the dock in Los Chiles.
Pick-up and drop-off
Hotels we drive to in La Fortuna
Any hotel in the La Fortuna area, door to door. A few examples, plus every hotel with a surcharge:
Every private transfer
What's included
- Pickup at your door at the time agreed when you book
- A private vehicle for your group only, door to door
- Professional driver and full-cover insurance
- Fuel, tolls and taxes (VAT) — nothing to pay the driver
- Child seats at no cost, on request
- Free cancellation up to 48 h before pickup
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