Upala Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Upala is connected to the Interamericana north of Cañas by Hwy 6, an excellent paved road, and also to La Fortuna and Laguna de Arenal by the somewhat more potholed Hwy 4. A rough, unpaved road, usually passable to all cars, skirts the Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Caño Negro on the way to Los Chiles, the official border crossing with Nicaragua.

Other dirt roads cross the Nicaraguan border, 9km away, but these are not official entry points into either Costa Rica or Nicaragua. Sometimes there’s a passport check by the bridge at the south end of Upala (coming from San Rafael de Guatuso) and another near Canalete (coming from the Carratera Interamericana on the paved road from Cañas). Make sure you have your passport accessible, though most times foreigners are simply waved through since the police are here primarily to stop illegal immigrants from Nicaragua.

The bus terminal is right off the park; a ticket booth (4:30-5:15am, 7:30am-1pm & 6:45-8pm Mon-Sat) has information and can store bags for US$1. Taxis congregate just outside the Upala bus terminal, by the park.

Caño Negro US$1, one hour, depart 11am and 4pm.

Los Chiles US$2.50, two hours, 5am and 4pm.

San José, via Cañas US$6, four hours, 5am, 2pm and 4:30pm.

San José, via Ciudad Quesada/San Carlos US$6, four hours, 9am and 3:30pm.