If you’re coming from San Jose and are planning to visit Montezuma, Tambor, Santa Teresa, Malpaís, Paquera or any beach on the Nicoya Peninsula, taking the ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera is one of the best options for transportation. It will save a lot of time compared to driving all the way around to the peninsula and the views are beautiful.
In this article, you will learn exactly how to take this ferry. We’ll give step by step instructions for buying tickets, how to cross with a car or by foot and how long the ferry is. There is also an instructional video at this end of this post.
**This post has been updated as of February 2019***
Taking the Ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera
Since 1992, Naviera Tambor has been in charge of operating this route of 11 nautical miles that connects Puntarenas from Paquera. They have 2 big ferries that can hold up to 175 average sized cars and more than 1000 passengers. These ferries are named Ferry Tambor II and Tambor III and they have done an excellent job so far.
The ferry is first come first serve so it will be good to know how the process works for a stress free ferry ride.
Click on the section below to skip to it.
- Puntarenas Ferry Location
- The route
- The schedule
- Buying tickets
- If you have a car
- Foot passenger
- The ferry ride
- Getting off the ferry at Paquera
- Puntarenas ferry video
- Naranjo ferry
Puntarenas Ferry Location
The Puntarenas ferry is at the very end of “Paseo de los Turistas,” the main road that goes through Puntarenas town. You will go past the lighthouse and on the left hand side, you will see the ferry and the docks.
If you’re driving from San Jose, the drive is very easy and is about 2 hours.
The Route
This is the ferry route from the Puntarenas ferry to Paquera.
You will go through the Gulf of Nicoya past some islands into the bay.
Puntarenas Paquera Ferry Schedule and Ticket Prices
Here is the schedule for the ferry from Puntarena to Paquera and vice versa as well as ticket prices. Prices are quoted in Costa Rican currency.
Buying the ticket
***You can now purchase tickets online at the Quickpay CR website. (This is the company’s website, we are not associated or are affiliated with them. This is purely for information. Please contact them if you have any questions). They only sell Puntarenas – Paquera tickets. Website is in Spanish but you can install the Google Translator to translate it. Do note that they only sell a certain number of tickets online so if it says sold out for your dates, the allotted amount of online tickets are sold out and you will have to purchase them at the dock in person. Make sure to arrive at least 1 hour early at the ferry during holidays and December – April and July. For car rentals, they’ll ask for your license but you can put in rental car***
To purchase your ticket, you will need to go to the ticket office across the street from the ferry dock. It’s on the right hand side and you can’t miss it, there’s a large blue sign that says “BOLETERIA.”
When we took the 2 pm ferry, the ticket office didn’t open until 12:45 PM since the workers were on lunch but for other times, the ticket office will be open.
Tell the cashier how many adults and children and if you have a car. I bought tickets for me, Yeison and our car so I told the lady “Dos adultos y un carro por favor.”
Prices are quoted in Costa Rican colones so you need to pay in colones. They will have change but colones only. They will give you two pieces of paper per ticket, a green and white one. Hold onto both because you will need to give the green ticket to the ferry officer as you board. If you have a car, they will put the car and the driver on one ticket.
Taking the ferry with a car
If you have a car, you will need to drive onto the car loading area by the dock. They have drawn lines and there is an officer there that will tell you where to go to wait in line. Once you park in the waiting area, the attendant will hand you a ticket which you need to present to the ticket office when purchasing tickets.
Remember, the ferry is first come first serve so if you have a car, we recommend getting there at least an hour early, especially in high season. When we took the ferry in February, we arrived at 12 PM and there were already cars waiting in line.
Once you park your car and buy your tickets, you can get food, hang out and wait around the dock area. The loading time starts about 45 minutes before departure so make sure you are close to the car around that time. There is a loud speaker that will announce when it’s time to load the ferry and it is in English and Spanish.
If you’re renting a car, make sure to check out our special car rental discount and extra benefits!
Click here to get your Costa Rica car rental discount
If you are a foot passenger
For those traveling without a car, the process is the same. If you’re arriving by bus, you will get off the bus right at the ferry ticket office.
Purchase tickets (at least 30 minutes before) and hang onto your tickets. There is a nice waiting area under a large white tarp in the dock loading area (you can see in the photo above).
When they start loading the ferry, you will hand the green ticket to the ferry attendant and walk on board. Foot passengers go first and then cars.
The ferry
Inside the ferry, you can find everything you need to be comfortable. They have bathrooms, a cafeteria that sells snacks, food, water, coffee and drinks, air conditioning and flat screen TVs.
There are open areas on the top deck with benches so you can enjoy the ocean breeze. All announcements and information are announced when they are about to depart and when they are about to arrive (in Spanish and English).
The ferry ride from Puntarenas to Paquera is just a little over an hour, about one hour and ten minutes. You will cruise through the Gulf of Nicoya and the views are beautiful. You’ll see a few islands and other boats.
Getting off the ferry
When the ferry is close to Paquera, you will hear an announcement for drivers to get into their cars. Once the ferry is docked, foot passengers will get off first and then cars.
Once you get off, you can take a taxi (lots of taxis waiting), take the bus or if you have a car, drive to your next destination. There are buses from Paquera to Cobano, Montezuma and Santa Teresa.
The bus from Paquera to Montezuma and Santa Teresa is at 6:15, 8:15, 10:15, 12:15, 3:15 PM, 4:30 PM and 6:15 PM.
Puntarenas Paquera Ferry Video
Watch a video of us taking the ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera below. You’ll see where the ticket office is, what the ferry is like and how the roads are.
Naranjo Ferry
If you are taking the Puntarenas ferry to Naranjo, the process is the same (same location) to board. The ticket office is not the same, it’s a little bit down the street from the Paquera ferry and the loading area is right next to the Paquera dock. Here is the schedule and prices.
The complete guide to getting around Costa Rica
Take the Naranjo Ferry from Puntarenas is you plan to go to Playa Naranjo or to Samara since this will bring you to the paved road of the north part of the Nicoya Peninsula. You can now purchase tickets online for the Naranjo Ferry here. (This is the ferry website, we aren’t associated with them. Please contact them if you have any questions).
If you’re in Puntarenas for a day or two, you can take the Tortuga Island cruise which departs from Puntarenas. Read our experience of the Isla Tortuga cruise and get $10 off the tour here!
More posts on how to get around Costa Rica
Jim Clement says
Which beach has more services like restaurants and hotels either Moctezuma or Tambor? Thank You
Sammi says
Montezuma, Costa Rica as it has an actual town, make sure to stop by the Soda Las Palmeras, it’s one of our favorites.
Jan Layton says
We are in Carrillo and want to take the ferry to Puntarenas would you suggest the Naranjo ferry or the Paquera ferry?
Sammi says
Naranjo is better if coming from the Samara area
Craig says
Hi Sammi,
I plan to take the ferry on New Year’s day (January 1st), but the official website does not say whether or not they operate on holidays. Would you happen to know? Thanks!
Sammi says
I am not 100% but I would assume so! You can try to contact them on their website.
Karen says
Hi Sammi, We are thinking of going roundtrip (one day) from Punta Arenas to Paquera and back. Are the rates shown roundtrip or do we have to buy tickets in Paquera to return. Can seniors ride for free on the ferry? That’s what it looks like! Can we just stay on the ferry for the return trip? We like riding ferries as passengers, so we won’t have our car on the ferry. Any specific parking lots in Punta Arenas that you can recommend where we can leave our car?
Sammi says
Hi Karen, rates are one way, seniors don’t have a charge and you will need to get off and purchase tickets for going back but you can ask the ticket office in Puntarenas to see if you can purchase the way back since you just want to ride in one day.
For parking, we recommend to park at Cabinas Frank, it’s an official parking lot and they charge 6000 colones for a day over 5 hours. You can find them on Google Maps.
karen says
Thanks a million!!!! Looking forward to our trip!
Karen says
Hi Sammi, Your advice was “spot on”!!!!!! Cabinas Frank was easy to find and the parking was perfect – and they were really nice!!!! Just a hop, skip and a jump and we were on the ferry. The ride over and back was great!!!!
Thanks for being such a big help – we had a great time in Costa Rica thanks to you!!!
Mel says
I took Paquera-Puntarenas ferry with car. Always come 1hr early. Buying tickets online was available charged my card but did not work. Ferry is 1.5 hr. It is worth it.
Herb says
how long will it take to drive from Pacquera to Playa del Coco
Sammi says
3 hours: https://goo.gl/maps/f51CQ8QnG7mTRE8Q9
Guilherme says
Hei, the car tickets to take the ferry from Naranjo to Puntarenas are still not sold online? Tks
Sammi says
Not that we know of so far, only Paquera – Puntarenas
Jesus says
Is there parking at the ferry just in case I decide not to take the rental car.
Sammi says
Hi Jesus, not one from the ferry company itself. There are some small hotels and houses that have private parking lots in Puntarenas for around $5-10 a day.
Patrick says
Just to make sure, tickets to take the ferry to Naranjo are still not sold online – therefore we have to buy them at the location, correct? We are traveling from Jaco to Tamarindo and wanted to take the scenic ferry. Is your recommended timeframe of getting there one hour early still a good reference for a Saturday (the 19th)? Lastly, what is the crossing time for this ferry? Thank you so much!
Sammi says
Hi Patrick, the Naranjo tickets aren’t available to purchase online, I’d get there an hour early to purchase them. I posted a schedule of the Naranjo ferry at the end of the post 🙂
Michael says
We tried to purchase tickets today 31.12.18 for a ferry on 03.01.19 and it is not available. Does that mean it is sold out, or if we arrive one hour early can we still get our car on?
Sammi says
Hi Michael, that is supposed to mean it’s sold out, but I would contact the Ferry company to be sure because they just put up their online system so I would definitely reconfirm with them directly.
Carmel Hiebert says
Hi Sam, I’m trying to purchase the tickets online and the options for a vehicle are lightweight or two axle (liviano, carga liviano and 2 ejes)
I rented a Tucson from adobe, would this be considered lightweight or 2 axle?
Sammi says
Hi Carmel, that is liviano (lightweight) heavy is for like trailer trucks.
Ryan says
This is great info! Is it recommended to buy tickets online? I don’t seem to be able to because I can’t enter a plate number. I’m worried I will arrive (by 3pm) planning to take the 5pm ferry west and be stuck. I wonder if it would be better to just plan to drive up and around?
Sammi says
Hi Ryan, it depends on when you will be traveling. If you can arrive at least a couple hours before, generally it’s OK but if you’re traveling over the Christmas or New Years holiday, it’s pretty busy and it seems that New Years Day and Christmas is already sold out. If you were traveling during that time of year, I would just enter a random license plate number (they usually aren’t very strict on this, they don’t even ask you this when you buy tickets at the office in person) to secure your spots.
Lorette says
Thank you, this is great information! I’ve taken the ferry once before (2017), however will be traveling by rental car to Santa Teresa next week with my son for surf.
I heard from another travel blog that the ferry is scheduled to CLOSE on 11/23 for 2 weeks for maintenance :O
Can you tell me if this is correct?
Maybe only 1 boat will be use and the other in maintenance? H-E-L-P
thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Lorette, yes the Puntarenas – Paquera will be closed for 2 weeks, the Naranjo ferry is still open though. You can get more info on the Naviera Tambor ferry website: http://navieratambor.com/horarios-y-tarifas
Lynn Baumeister says
thank you, incredibly helpful!!!
Sammi says
You’re welcome 🙂
Liz Forgione says
My husband and daughter need to get from Montezuma to San Jose airport on August 10th for a 2 pm flight. Is it feasible to think that they could leave Montezuma that morning, drive to the ferry – take ferry across and drive to SJO in time for flight?
Sammi says
Hi Liz, they’ll have to be at the airport by 12 PM. I recommend taking the earliest ferry from Paquera (530) AM to make sure they get there in time and account for traffic, getting food and returning the car.
Wedge says
This is excellent!
Sure could have used this in 1989!
Pip says
This is just brilliant! You are SO HELPFUL and I love the way you put information together with photos and explanations. We own a B&B (Casitas Tenorio B&B) and we have just used this to helps some of our guests wit their planning! THANKS!!!!
Sammi says
Thanks Pip! Glad it’s helpful! 🙂
Tara says
Hi Sammi! I’ll be in Puntarenas for one day and one night, with a rental car. Is there anything worth taking the ferry over to check out for the day? Or should we just enjoy our day in Puntarenas? Thank you for creating such a great blog with so much information!
Sammi says
Hi Tara! If you take the earliest ferry, you could check out the Curu Wildlife Refuge that’s a bit past the Paquera ferry dock. I’ve heard it’s a really nice place to see animals or you could drive to Montezuma and check out the beach town there. Just make sure on your way back to get to the ferry and buy tickets at least 30 minutes before. I’m glad you enjoy the blog and thanks for reading!
Sammi says
Hi Kim, make sure you take the route through Nicoya, that is the good road and it’ll be only a couple of hours, the route that goes along the beach is on a very not nice road and will take a lot longer. There’s not too much to see for the first half once you get to Puntarenas back up to Guanacaste, you can stop by the Catarata Llanos de Cortes near Bagaces: Catarata Llanos de Cortes. In PUntarenas, you can stop and get a churchill (a famous ice cream treat from Puntarenas).
Kim says
We are currently staying in Playa Hermosa and looking at driving to Playa Naranjo and taking the ferry to Puntarenas and driving back up the Interamericana back to Playa Hermosa. Do you have any suggestions or hints about this route? Love your blogs!
lisa says
Hello,
We are a group of 8 adults. We are on a cruise with a 12-hour stop in Puntarenas.
We looked into going into Jaco, but are also considering taking the ferry.
What sort of things are there to do/see if we do take ferry to Paquero? Are their taxis available?
Any suggestions for a day trip from Puntarenas?
Sammi says
The ferry ride is very nice but there’s nothing really to do on the other side unless you go to one of the nearby beach towns like Montezuma. Since you have only 12 hours, I would recommend not taking it because the ferry also only has set times and I’m not sure when you land/leave Puntarenas. If you guys rent a car or hire a shuttle, you can go to Jaco and go surfing, you can even take a short walk through Carara National Park which is nearby.
phuong mai says
Hi Sammi,
Would it save us a lot of time if we take a ferry from Monte Verde to Santa Teresa? Even though, we have to come early, wait in line to get in, buying ticket…Please let me know your thought.
Sammi says
It wouldn’t be hours of time saved and it doesn’t take too long to load the ferry and get off if you’re not coming in holiday or peak season. Driving would take around 5-6 hours and the ferry is way more fun in my opinion.
Sylvie Watteny says
Hey Sammi & Yeison,
We’re coming to Costa Rica in some months and your blog and IG-feed have been helpful for planning, thanks for that! 😉
I’ve got a question, we’d be driving from our hotel in La Fortuna to Montezuma, would you recommend taking the ferry in Puntarenas or is Route 18 also doable if we leave early in La Fortuna?
Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Sylvie! Personally if you can, I do recommend taking the ferry. It’s such a nice ferry ride with some great views and it’s a nice break from the drive which is super long. You can drive it if you leave early as it’ll take around 6 hours driving but I do really enjoy the ferry ride and recommend it 🙂
Ellen Saling says
This is awesome!! I am so grateful for people like you who do stuff like this for people like me. Pura Vida and Muchisimo Gracias!
Ellen
Sammi says
You’re welcome and thanks for reading Ellen!
Niall says
Hi, we’re planning on getting the ferry and then public bus to montezuma, do you know if we’d have to book in advance or just pay after leaving the ferry? Thanks
yeison says
Hi! you do not need to pay in advance if you are taking public transportation, and the buses are usually very big.
Murray Hurst says
Are dogs allowed on the ferry from Puntarenas and can they be taken outside of the car on a leash while the ferry is traveling ?
Sammi says
Hi Murray, I’m pretty sure I remember seeing a couple dogs on the ferry. I’m pretty sure dogs are allowed as long as they are on a leash and always with a human. There is an area for the dogs under the passenger deck that they must stay during the whole ferry ride and there’s seating for humans.
Poppy says
How much did it cost for the car on the ferry?
Sammi says
On the ferry website, it says vehiculos livianos (lightweight vehicule) is 11,400 colones which is about $23
Mina says
Thanks for the tips, do you know how long the ferry trip lasts from Puntarenas to Paquera? Im taking local buses, so need to know when I have to take the ferry to reach the bus on the other side 🙂
Sammi says
I would say about an hour 🙂
Emilya Tal says
The ferry ride is about 75 minutes. The bus to Cobano/Montezuma will be waiting for the ferry (except the last ferry of the day, when there is no bus). You can switch buses to Santa Teresa in Cobano.
There are 2 direct buses from San Jose to Santa Teresa. One leaves San Jose at 6am and takes the 9am ferry. The other leaves at 2pm and takes the 5pm ferry. If you are on one of those, you can take the direct bus from Paquera to Santa Teresa.
Lucy says
Do/ you know if there is a Holiday Ferry Schedule? We are planning to take the ferry on New Year’s Day.
Sammi says
Hi Lucy, not sure but don’t think so. Didn’t see any signs or notes about a holiday schedule (but not 100% sure)
Daniela says
Awesome. Great advice. I am wondering how you got from Paquera to Playa Carmen. Are there shuttles available once you land in Paquera? I am asking bc we would like to rent a car once we get there….only place to do so is in Tambor. What would be the best way to get there?
Sammi says
We had rented a car already so we drove straight from Paquera to Mal Pais. Once you get off the ferry in Paquera, there should be a public bus that goes to Montezuma which drops you off in Tambor. Should be about a 30 minute ride or so.
Mandy Thomson says
Hello there,
I was wondering if you knew of a place to leave our car in Puntaneras while we go to Montezuma for three days? My sense is that the roads are quite tricky from Pacquera to Montezuma.
Thank you
Mandy
Sammi says
Hi Mandy, actually from Pacquera to Montezuma is very straightforward on the main road around Nicoya Peninsula. Don’t go the shortcut routes or the backroads but if you go on the main paved highway around the peninsula from the ferry, it is almost all paved. I recommend keeping your car in Montezuma since it’s a small town and you’ll be able to visit nearby places like Mal Pais/Santa Teresa or the Curu Wildlife Refuge. The public transportation down there is not great.