A Road Guide to Costa Rica´s Coffee Country.

Costa Rica is famous for many well-deserved reasons.  Not only is it one of the most biodiverse countries in the world and has the best coffee in the world, but it also boasts a myriad of landscapes making it very picturesque.  Driving over mountains, up volcanoes, along coastal roads, through rich farmland and quaint rural towns are just some of the scenic routes you can take while traveling around Costa Rica.  Explore the country with this road guide to Costa Rica´s coffee country.  Every drop of this golden bean and its surrounding beauty is worth it.

Costa Rica´s colonial history revolves around coffee production and exportation and many places around the country continue to harvest the benefits of this beautiful red bean.  While there are 8 coffee regions dotted around Costa Rica, each one also is worth visiting for their unique natural landscapes, cultures, and history. So, your Poas Rental car is ready for the ride to take you to visit 5 of Costa Rica´s coffee regions and their treasures.  Let´s go!

1.Central Valley Cup of Excellence

 

The western side of the Central Valley includes the Poas Volcano and the agricultural areas around the hilltop rural town of Naranjo.  Both these areas are an easy day drive away while staying in the Central Valley and grow some of the best coffee in the country!

As you wind your way up the slopes of the Poas Volcano, you will pass by coffee plantations galore and depending on the time of the year, may have the aromatic white flowers, unripe green beans or the iconic red beans just waiting to be handpicked by the agile coffee pickers.

Don´t miss a visit to the Poas Volcano, Costa Rica´s most visited volcano where you can actually look down into the crater, and of course your rental car´s namesake too!  You can also do a tour in a working Poas coffee plantations before leaving the Naranjo region too via the famous town of Sarchi to pick up wooden souvenirs and see who the famous ox cartwheel is hand-painted.   These cartwheels once transported the coffee beans around the country and symbolize Costa Rican coffee.

Route Recommendations: Start your drive early in the morning with a visit to the Poas Volcano and then onto Naranjo, via Sarchi before driving back to the comfort of your city hotel along the Pan-American Highway.  A perfect day drive full of rural colors, sights, and flavors.  A coffee-lovers dream day.

2. Brunca Best Beans

 

The Brunca coffee region is on the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica.  This mountainous area extends down to the Panama border and is also home to some of the most beautiful beaches and of course, the world-renowned biodiversity-rich Osa Peninsula.

This could well be one of the most picturesque drives you will experience while exploring Costa Rica and well worth making stops along the way, one of the many benefits of renting a car.  Coffee plantations, waterfalls, rainforests, whale watching, the Golfo Dulce, and of course the Corcovado National Park.

Route Recommendations: Take the scenic drive from San Jose over the mountains to the thriving city of San Isidro del General and then down onto the coast to the surfing town of Dominical.  Whale watching, lush rainforest, and boutique hotels are also favorites in this beautiful part of Costa Rica.  It is easy driving too along the coastal road that hugs the coast and the secluded beaches.

3.Turrialba Brew

 

Turrialba is home to delicious coffee, a live volcano, white water rafting river, tasty cheese, and the Guayabo National Monument, an archaeological site of prehispanic structures. A small city to the south of San Jose, your drive will take you through the city of Cartago and its iconic Basilica and through the lush, rural countryside down into the valley where Turrialba sits.

Overlooking the thriving town of Turrialba is the impressive volcano of the same name. After a period of activity, the national park has recently been reopened. For nature lovers and hiking enthusiasts, a walk up the slope of the volcano is an experience worth living!

Route Recommendations:  Turrialba is a two-hour drive from San Jose so it can be visited for a day.  To further explore this beautiful city and valley, Turrialba has a number of small, rural hotels so stay a night. You will love the coffee and sugar cane laden mountainsides too!

4.Tarrazu Roast

 

The rural town of Tarrazu belongs to the region called The Saints or Los Santos in Spanish. Coffee production is the main activity in this mountainous area that is also a favorite destination for the avid birdwatchers as it is home to the elusive Resplendent Quetzal. The mountain tops are covered by the misty, cloud forest, perfect for exploring and inhaling the fresh, crisp air and its serenity.

Tarrazu is located to the southeast of San Jose and your drive will take you up into the Talamanca Mountain Range that extends to the south of Costa Rica.  Quaint, rural towns sit on the valley floors that are embraced by coffee plantations on the steep walls.  Driving through the area is beautifully scenic as you roam the winding roads through this quintessential coffee region.

Route Recommendations:  Tarrazu is a two hour drive along the Pan-American Highway from San Jose making it a perfect one-day trip to explore one of the prettiest areas close to the Central Valley.  It is a favorite destination for nature and bird lovers, so time permitting, stay a night and enjoy waking up to a freshly brewed Tarrazu coffee in your mountaintop chalet.

5.Guanacaste Golden Bean

 

Last by not least is the province of Guanacaste.  Best known for its white-sand beaches, stretching savannas and cowboy culture, Guanacaste is located in north-western Costa Rica and is about a 4 hour drive up the Pan-American Highway.  Unlike the other coffee regions, the Guanacaste bean is grown at lower altitudes and is the plantations are dotted over a large area and temperatures are higher.

Guanacaste province is found on the Nicoya Peninsula that is home to the Guanacaste International Airport where Poas Rent-a-car has an office.  This makes picking up your car simple and seamless if your car trip through the coffee regions of Costa Rica starts here.

Route Recommendations: Guanacaste is easily drivable with good roads to all the major beaches, national parks, and volcanoes.  The most popular coastal towns are Tamarindo Beach, Nosara, Hermosa Beach and hotels range from the all-inclusive resorts to boutique beachside hotels so do some beach-hopping and explore the culture and the natural beauty of this beautiful region.

Poas Rent-a-car invites you to explore the coffee regions of Costa Rica and while doing so, see the very best of Costa Rica at your own pace and on your terms.  With offices in both international airports, picking up your late-model car is a breeze and means you will be sipping on your delicious Costa Rican coffee at your first stop off in no time.