Blue River Costa Rica Resort & Hot Springs Directions
To ensure traveling here goes smoothly we’ve prepared maps, directions, GPS coordinates and some helpful tips. Blue River Resort & Hot Springs is in north-west Costa Rica, just north of the national park, Rincon de la Vieja, just beyond the province of Guanacaste in Alejuela. Getting here, whether driving yourself or arriving with our shuttle short, is part of the holiday because the scenery is spectacular. Upon turning-off the highway the ride ascends through rolling farmland and past a wind farm with mountain ranges on either side. Then the geography gradually transforms from dry hot Savannah into a lush rain forest, with views of the smoking volcano crater and past a real blue river, the Rio Azul. You’ll also notice the pastoral lifestyle here, so watch out for the cattle on the road and locals on horseback!
Time to Get Here
- About 90 minutes from Liberia Airport (LIR) (Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport), which is the gateway to the beach resorts of Guanacaste,
- About an hour from Liberia
- About an hour, from La Cruz (by Nicaragua) and
- About an hour, from Upala.
Getting to Blue River Costa Rica Resort & Hot Springs is a big part of your vacation fun. Try to travel during the day, so as not to miss out on the spectacular scenery. Guanacaste is a dry hot savannah until you turn off the main highway (#1 Inter American Hwy), when the scenery will transform. You’ll be ascending toward the rain forest as the geography will slowly transform and there will be mountain ranges on either side, a windmill farm, many on horseback and locals living a very simple life.
Below is our GPS location, directions and maps to help you find Blue River Resort & Hot Springs.
Helpful Links
More on our blog:
Hotel Blue River Resort & Hot Springs – on map programs
When inputting the name on mapping programs like Google maps please use the above name or the longitude and lattitude coordinates. Unfortunately, people have inputted other locations for Blue River Resort and some of our guests end up at the wrong location.
Address:
Del puente de Río Azul en Gavilán, 500 metros al norte, Fraccionamiento IDA. Parcela 34 El Gavilan 21306, Costa Rica
Longitude and Latitude (for GPS):
10.902282, -85.331203
Directions
Blue River Costa Rica Resort Hot Springs & Spa is located within the district of Dos Rios, just inside the province of Alajuela. There are several villages in close proximity; chief among them, Dos Ríos.
From Liberia, Costa Rica
From the Liberia International Airport (Daniel Oduber) to Blue River Costa Rica Resort & Hot Springs, signs have been placed at key locations along the road, indicating directions and distance to the resort. This makes getting here easy. The road network is well-paved except for the final 20 km, which is gravel. The scenery along the way is spectacular! Along your drive the environment will gradually change from dry hot pastures to cool, tropical and lush rain forest, with gorgeous mountain views.
These directions begin from the Pan American Highway, at the major traffic light intersection in Liberia with a McDonald’s restaurant on the northeast corner. Please note that many current maps incorrectly show Quebrada Grande as Garcia Flamenco (its former name) and do not include the road network that extends past the town. See the map below.
- Travel north 24 km (towards Nicaragua). Watch for and follow signs leading to Quebrada Grande and Blue River Costa Rica Resort & Hot Springs.
- Turn right (east) toward Quebrada Grande, driving past Potrerillos and through Quebrada Grande.
- The road follows past a park on your right and abruptly turns left. You’ll continue through a few villages and through a section of the Guanacaste Conservation Area (ACG) which leads to the town of Dos Rios.
- Come to Dos Rios, drive to the end of the road and turn right. Go one block and turn left. Again, follow the signs to Blue River Resort and Hot Springs.
- Drive through the village of El Gavilán and cross-the bridge, over the river, Rio Azul – one of two volcanic blue rivers here, and worth a look.
- A little further down on the other side of the bridge, come to a corner with a sign pointing out the left turn required to reach to Blue River Resort & Hot Springs, 600 meters down that road.
By car, the drive takes approximately 1 ½ hours from Liberia’s airport or an hour from Liberia, depending upon traffic, your vehicle and how you drive.
From Nicaragua / La Cruz / Dreams Las Mareas
If coming from the north, head south along the Pan American Highway. Turn east (left) toward Quebrada Grande and follow the above directions.
From Upala, Alajuela
Upala, Alajuela is a less traveled, scenic route. The final 24 km are along a gravel road. There are fewer well-marked signs showing the way to Blue River Resort & Hot Springs, so don’t hesitate to stop and ask locals for directions.
Need help planning the rest of your Costa Rica Vacations?
Imagine a rainforest in your backyard and a national park as your neighbor!
