The Villa is located a few kilometers  south of Playa Dominical. There are two routes from San Jose to Dominical by car:

• From downtown San Jose, the easiest driving route to Dominical is via the mountainous Inter-American Highway south to San Isidro de El General and then west to the Pacific Coast.  

• From the Juan Santamaria International airport, the coast road route via Jaco and Quepos is a good alternative.

This drive is several hours long, normally 3-5 depending on the route.  It is a beautiful drive and most of the roads are in good condition (see below for exceptions).  However, we do strongly recommend you make these drives in the morning when there is plenty of light and little fog in the mountains.

Alternatively, if you wish to avoid a long drive you may consider a Sansa or Nature Air flight from San Jose to either Quepos or Palma Sur, arranging in advance to be met by a car rental agency at the Airport.  The drive from either airport to the Villa is about an hour.  The flight is about 30 - 45 minutes.

DRIVING THE INTER-AMERICAN HIGHWAY ROUTE.

The route is approximately 170 kilometers and takes about 4 hours. It is often rainy and foggy in the afternoons, so it is best to start your journey from San Jose in the morning.

San Jose - Cartago.

Travel south from San Jose, following the "Route 2" signs toward Cartago. After the toll station (60 colones); follow the sign "Tres Rios-Cartago-Panama" through a multiple highway intersection. As you near the town of Cartago, watch for a modern 24-hour Shell gas station on your right. Keep to the right after you pass the gas station. (If you bear left, you will end up in the city of Cartago and have to backtrack.)

Cartago - San Isidro.

You will then pass through pastureland dotted with pinewoods and the Centro Industrial-Cartago. After a few miles you begin to climb into the mountains. The climate, flora and fauna are diverse and the views stunning. The highway climbs to an altitude of nearly 12,000 feet, before descending into the town of San Isidro de El General (about 3 hours). As you enter San Isidro de El General, watch for the sign for the road to Dominical (A McDonald’s fast food restaurant is located on the corner).

San Isidro de El General - Dominical.

The paved road becomes a beautiful rural road that winds up through the coastal mountain range and then down toward the Pacific Ocean and Dominical (about 1 hour).  The coast highway. The San Isidro road ends at the Costañera Sur or coast highway. At that intersection, check the reading on your odometer and turn left (south), onto the coast highway. You will immediately cross a concrete bridge over the Rio Baru, continuing past the side road to Dominical (about .4 kilometers on the right), then the Plaza Pacifica shopping center (on the left).

The Costanera is marked with distance signs every kilometer. After kilometer marker 151, the road curves gradually to the right. Midway through the curve, the roadway begins a gentle rise. At the top of the rise, where the curve ends, you will see a bus shelter labeled “San Martin Sur” on the left of the road. Turn left just past the bus shelter and proceed up the San Martin Road for the final 2 kilometers to the Villa.   At this point you need to engage your 4-wheel drive (low gear). After approximately 2 kilometers, the San Martin Road reaches a crossroads. Follow the “Villa Escaleras” sign and turn right at the crossroads and continue about ½ a kilometer to the Villa (driveway intersects from right).

DRIVING THE COAST ROAD ROUTE

From the airport, this route is a faster alternative because you avoid San Jose traffic.  It is also not as pretty a drive. Saying that, the route does provide incredible mountain and ocean views. However, it includes an early stretch of narrow and winding mountain roads and ends with a 40-kilometer section of gravel road, punctuated by a number of narrow rural bridges, many without guardrails.

This route is recommended only to confident drivers.  If you are traveling during the wet season (June - November), email us just before you travel to get a road condition report.

1. From the Airport to Orotina. Travel northwest on Route 1 for a little over 10 kilometers and then follow the signs for "Route 27", "Jaco" and "Orotina." Soon the road (Route 27) will climb out of the Central Valley. The road is two-lanes and filled with twists, turns and switchbacks. There are few opportunities to pass slower traffic. However, the scenery is a series of breathtaking mountain vistas, punctuated by coffee plantations on hills so steep you will wonder how cultivation can occur. This mountainous section continues for about 30 km until you descend into the town of Orotina.
    
2. Orotina - Quepos. Continue your descent, in a southwesterly direction, following signs to "Jaco", "Jaco Beaches" and "Carara Biological Reserve." The narrow mountain roads are behind you as you approach the coast. Drive carefully across a long, narrow bridge over the Rio Tarcoles, because it is often filled with pedestrians trying to catch a glimpse of the American crocodiles that inhabit the river and the red macaws that fly over the area. Continue through the Jaco resort area, keeping the Pacific coast to your right as you travel to the town of Quepos.  If you feel the need for gourmet-level groceries, stop at the AM Automercado located in the shopping center at Los Suenos, just north of Jaco.
    
3. Quepos-Dominical. Passing through the town of Quepos, leave the coast area and travel east, following signs to "Dominical" and "Airport." At the Quepos Airport, the pavement ends and this portion of the coastal road (about 38 kilometers) is gravel surfaced until the intersection with the San Isidro Road, just north of Playa Domical. This road is under construction, and considerable caution should be used on the route, especially when crossing over some of the older bridges because they are far narrower and rickety than any bridge you would encounter in the United States. Many do not have any form of guardrails.  See photo above right.
    
4. Just before this stretch ends, you will pass a 24-hour gas station on the right, shortly followed by the intersection of the coast highway and the road to San Isidro de El General.  From this point, the coast highway is again paved.
    
5. The San Martin Road. The Costanera is marked with distance signs every kilometer. After kilometer marker 151, the road curves gradually to the right. Midway through the curve, the roadway begins a gentle rise. At the top of the rise, where the curve ends, you will see a bus shelter labeled “San Martin Sur” on the left. Turn left just past the bus shelter and proceed up the San Martin Road for the final 2 kilometers to the Villa.   At this point you need to engage your 4-wheel drive (low gear).
   
   After approximately 2 kilometers, the San Martin Road reaches a crossroads. Follow the “Villa Escaleras” sign and turn right at the crossroads and continue about ½ a kilometer to the Villa (driveway intersects from right).

TIPS FOR TRAVELERS TO THE VILLA

We have provided some helpful hints for those of you who chose to drive.  Please click here to read or print them.

The photos on this page were all taken in and around Dominical, Costa Rica by Tim Lytle and are copyrighted.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved © 2003-2008 Tim Lytle