Ruta 1: San José to the Nicaraguan border
The main north-south highway of the country. It leaves the San José area, passes Alajuela, San Ramón and the Puntarenas junction, then runs up through Cañas, Bagaces and Liberia to the border at Peñas Blancas.
About 286 kmMap data from OpenStreetMap, Oct 9, 2026
Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Country outlines from Natural Earth. The line shows the road as mapped; distances are approximate.
- Runs from
- San José
- To
- Peñas Blancas (Nicaraguan border)
- Length
- About 286 km along the mapped road
- Also known as
- Interamericana Norte, Autopista General Cañas, Autopista Bernardo Soto
- Passes
- San José, Alajuela, Naranjo, San Ramón, Esparza, Barranca, Cañas, Bagaces, Liberia, Peñas Blancas
Where Ruta 1 fits on our drives
These are the drives in our 10-day route. The scarlet line is the part of Ruta 1 that drive uses; the paler line is the rest of the drive.
Roads you connect with
This map is a planning aid, not turn-by-turn navigation. Road conditions change, so check Waze or Google Maps on the day you drive.