San José to the coffee farms
The closest coffee farms to San José and Juan Santamaría airport (SJO) are in Heredia and Alajuela, from about 20 minutes away; Britt Coffee Tour sells transport from hotels in San José, Heredia and Alajuela. Tarrazú, Monteverde and La Fortuna are day trips or overnight stops on Route 2, Route 1 and its branches.
| Airport | Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), in Alajuela |
|---|---|
| Finca Rosa Blanca from SJO | About 20 minutes by car (the inn's FAQ) |
| Sibö Chocolate from San José | About 30 minutes north of downtown, off Route 32 (the company's site) |
| Hotel transport | Britt Coffee Tour: main hotels in San José, Heredia and Alajuela; Hacienda Doka: tour package, pickup areas not listed |
| Monteverde | Route 1, then Route 606 (Carretera a Monteverde) |
| La Fortuna | Route 1, then Route 702 from San Ramón or Route 141 from Naranjo |
| Sarapiquí | About two hours from San José (Tirimbina) |
From the airport and San José
Juan Santamaría International Airport is in Alajuela, west of San José. Finca Rosa Blanca's FAQ puts the inn about 20 minutes by car from the airport and offers pickup for guests.
Route 1 runs from San José to Alajuela, where the stretch is called the Autopista General Cañas, and on west through Grecia, Naranjo and San Ramón. Route 126 runs north from Heredia through Barva, where there are many coffee plantations, toward Varablanca and Sarapiquí.
Heredia
Britt Coffee Tour is on the road to Barva de Heredia and describes itself as a short drive from the airport. It sells its Classic Coffee Tour with transport from the main hotels in San José, Heredia and Alajuela.
Finca Rosa Blanca is in Santa Bárbara de Heredia, 800 meters north of the Café Britt distribution center. Its coffee tour runs at 8:30 AM and 1:00 PM.
Sibö Chocolate's tasting workshop is in San Isidro de Heredia, about 30 minutes north of downtown San José and one mile off Route 32.
Britt Coffee TourCoffee
Barva, Heredia
Café Britt's coffee farm and roasting plant in Barva de Heredia, open to visitors since 1991.
Finca Rosa BlancaCoffee
Santa Bárbara de Heredia
An inn on an organic coffee farm in the hills of Santa Bárbara de Heredia, with 14 rooms and a restaurant.
Sibö ChocolateChocolate
San Isidro de Heredia
A Costa Rican chocolate maker with a workshop, shop and restaurant in San Isidro de Heredia.
Alajuela
Hacienda Doka is in Poás, Alajuela; its combined tours add Poás Volcano and La Paz Waterfall Gardens, and one package includes transportation. Hacienda Alsacia, Starbucks' coffee farm, is in Sabanilla, Alajuela; Route 120 runs through Sabanilla toward Poás.
Hacienda DokaCoffee
Poás, Alajuela
A coffee estate on the slopes of Poás in Alajuela; its coffee was sold as Café Tres Generaciones before the Hacienda Doka name.
Hacienda Alsacia (Starbucks Coffee Farm)Coffee
Sabanilla, Alajuela
Starbucks' coffee farm, research hub and visitor center in Sabanilla, Alajuela.
Naranjo and the Valle Occidental
Naranjo is on Route 1 west of Alajuela. ICAFE gives coffee altitudes there of 800 to 1,700 meters. No Naranjo producer is listed yet: the coffee tour there had no working website of its own when this page was written.
Monteverde
Route 606, the Carretera a Monteverde, leaves Route 1 in Puntarenas province and climbs to Monteverde. Don Juan Tours Monteverde runs coffee, chocolate and sugarcane tours there and sells transport from Monteverde hotels at extra cost.
Don Juan Tours MonteverdeCoffeeChocolate
Monteverde
A coffee, cacao and sugarcane tour center in Monteverde.
La Fortuna and Sarapiquí
Route 702 runs from San Ramón to La Fortuna; Route 141 runs from Naranjo through Zarcero and Ciudad Quesada toward La Fortuna. Rainforest Chocolate Tour is 1 km south and 1 km west of the Rosvil supermarket on the road to La Fortuna waterfall.
Tirimbina, in La Virgen de Sarapiquí, says it is about two hours from San José on paved roads.
Rainforest Chocolate TourChocolate
La Fortuna
A hands-on chocolate tour in La Fortuna, near Arenal Volcano.
Tirimbina Rainforest Lodge and ReserveChocolate
La Virgen, Sarapiquí
A biological reserve and lodge in La Virgen de Sarapiquí.