Getting around Costa Rica is a big concern for travelers especially for those who are here for a short period of time and on a budget. Without an efficient transportation system and adequate infrastructure, getting around Costa Rica can be a bit of a headache. It seems like it’s either super expensive or takes forever.
But don’t fret! Plenty of travelers have found a way to get around Costa Rica that fits with their travel style. In this article I’m going to outline the different ways and their cost and efficiency. You can also find our Costa Rica transportation discounts too!
This post has been updated January 2019.
Click on the section to skip to it.
- Driving
- Shuttle
- Tour Interconnections
- Flying
- Bus
- Taxi/Uber
- Motorcycle/Scooter
- Ferry
- Which One is Right For You?
- How to Get Around Articles
How to Get Around Costa Rica: Driving, the Most Flexible Way
Driving is in our opinion, the best way to get around Costa Rica. I know a lot of people argue for taking public transportation and I would too if the bus system was more efficient for those who are here for just a few days.
Driving gives you the flexibility and freedom that you can’t get with any other method of transportation. Leave when you want, where you want. Simply stated, having a car is the best way to explore Costa Rica since many of the less touristic areas require a 4×4 or don’t have many buses.
If you want to rent a car in Costa Rica, check out our car rental discount. We partnered with Adobe Rent a Car, a Costa Rican car rental company to give our readers a discount with extra benefits like 2 free drivers, surf racks, cell phone and cooler.
Get your Costa Rica car rental discount here
Worried about driving in Costa Rica? Check out our tips for renting a car in Costa Rica post, Costa Rica driving tips article and an driving in Costa Rica guide. You can also check out our Costa Rica road conditions guide or popular types of cars to rent in Costa Rica.
Shared and Private Transportation in Costa Rica: Shuttles
Taking a shuttle is an excellent Costa Rica transportation method for those who don’t want to drive. It’s faster than taking the bus, they offer door to door hotel service and you don’t have to stress out about driving in a foreign country.
Here are some things to know about booking a shuttle in Costa Rica.
- There are private and shared shuttles. Shared usually have up to 10-15 passengers depending on the company.
- Private shuttles are more expensive but this is the best option for groups of 4 or more.
- Private shuttles can pick you up directly at the airport, take you directly to your Airbnb and stop anywhere along the way. Shared shuttles can’t.
- On the other hand, shared shuttles are excellent for solo travelers who don’t want to take the bus.
Read our tips for taking shuttles in Costa Rica and contact us for a quote or to book a private shuttle.
Tour Interconnections
Want to know how to make a boring transfer more fun? Take a tour and book an interconnection!
Here’s how it works.
You will book a tour like normal. The only exception are your pick up and drop off locations. The company will pick you up in one place and drop you off in another after the tour. Skip sitting on a bus or shuttle all day! Go on a fun tour and get dropped off in your next destination.
Rios Tropicales and Exploradores Outdoors offers a 1 day white water rafting trip where they pick you up in San Jose, La Fortuna or Puerto Viejo, take you to the tour and drop you off in one of those three destinations. Exploradores Outdoors also offers Tortuguero + Pacuare rafting packages. Super fun way to get around Costa Rica!
Want to do this 1 day tour and book the interconnection? Get $10 off with our Rio Pacuare white water rafting discount.
Flying around Costa Rica with Local Airlines
Taking a domestic flight is the quickest way to get around Costa Rica. What would take you 4 hours driving will take 30 minutes flying!
There are several local airlines in Costa Rica: Sansa, Aerobell, Green, TAC and Skyway (get our 10% discount and extra 10 lbs of luggage). They fly from San Jose International Airport and Liberia International Airport to local airports throughout the country.
It is important to note that it is much more expensive to fly around Costa Rica. High season (December through April) is more expensive than low season (May through November). The price also depends on your destinations so flights can range anywhere from $50 to $300 one way per person.
But it all comes down to time vs money. You spend more by flying but you save an incredible amount of time and erase the stresses of driving. What’s even better is that you get amazing views from the plane!
Costa Rica Public Transportation
Taking the bus is the cheapest way to get around Costa Rica. Costa Rica public transportation is actually very good if you’re going to popular tourist destinations and major areas.
From San Jose, there are direct routes to nearly every main tourist destination and big town. It’s cheap and a fun way to immerse into local life. You can read our article on taking the bus in Costa Rica for more information.
The downside is that it takes much longer. For example, from San Jose to Playas del Coco takes around 4 hours driving but 6-7 hours on a bus. Buses also tend to run late or super early, so you need to be flexible in time.
Additionally, it is difficult to get around for long distances. Another example is Tamarindo to La Fortuna which requires 3 buses, taking around 7 hours (driving is around 4). La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio takes 4 buses and around 9 hours (driving is around 5).
The bottom line is that we don’t recommend taking the bus if you’re here for a short vacation or if you are going to multiple destinations far apart from one another. But if you have the time, are keen on a bit of adventure or are on a budget, the bus is an excellent option for major destinations.
Taxis
Taxis are good for short trips like from the supermarket to the hotel, especially if it’s raining, it’s late out or you’re carrying a lot of stuff. However, it’s best to book a shuttle for long trips instead of taxis.
The most important thing to know is to take an official taxi and not a pirate one. Why? Well pirate taxis don’t have insurance and their cars are usually old and not in good condition. That can cause a lot of problems if you get into an accident or if they get caught by the police.
Read more tips for taking taxis in Costa Rica.
Uber
Good news! Uber works in Costa Rica and has been a gift to travelers. Uber only exists in San Jose right now (a few in Jaco and Manuel Antonio) but it makes getting around the city so much easier.
It’s cheaper than taxis and more efficient and faster than buses. Perfect for getting around San Jose or to and from the airport.
Read our tips to using Uber in Costa Rica and get $10 credit for your first ride!
Motorcycle/Scooter/ATV
Getting around Costa Rica by motorcycle isn’t very popular due to the road conditions and infrastructure. Some people have done a motorcycle trip around the country though and we recommend buying or bringing a motorcycle.
You can buy a brand new motorcycle around $2000 and up depending on the brand and size. Also note that you do need to have a separate motorcycle license to legally drive one here and it goes by CC’s.
ATVs are a very popular way to get around in more rural areas. It’s the main mode of transportation in Santa Teresa actually! You can rent the by the day, week or month down in that area.
Ferry or Boat Rides
If you’re planning on going to the Nicoya Peninsula from San Jose or Puntarenas, the ferry is what you should take. It’s faster than driving all the way around, cheap and a fun way to get around Costa Rica via water. Check out our tips for taking the Puntarenas Paquera ferry.
There is also a taxi-boat-taxi from Arenal to Monteverde and vice versa that takes you across Lake Arenal, a boat from Sierpe to Drake Bay, Jaco to Montezuma boat and a ferry across the Golfo Dulce.
Which Costa Rica Transportation Method is Right For You?
To help answer your question of “How to get around Costa Rica?” you will need to figure out what your priorities are and what you’re willing to spend in terms of both aspects.
Costa Rica transportation methods summary:
- Most comfortable and flexibility: renting a car.
- On a budget: the bus.
- In between car and bus: shared shuttles.
- For big groups: private shuttles or renting a car.
- With kids: private shuttles or renting a car.
- No tight budget & short trip: flying.
- Solo travelers: shared shuttles or bus. Rent a car if not on a budget.
Destinations
If you’re going to major touristic destinations like La Fortuna, Tamarindo, Puerto Viejo, San Jose, Manuel Antonio, Puerto Jimenez, Samara, Tambor, Santa Teresa, Montezuma, Jaco, and Monteverde, you can get there via car, bus and shuttle. All of them also have their own local airport except Jaco, Samara, Montezuma, Santa Teresa and Monteverde.
For Drake Bay, the best way is to fly or take the boat from Sierpe. You can drive too but that road is treacherous and requires a 4×4 in dry season. Not recommended to drive in rainy season even with a 4×4.
For Tortuguero, it is boat or plane access only. You can fly directly there or take the boat from La Pavona or Moin dock to Tortuguero. You can read about how to get to Tortuguero here.
If you are going to non-touristy places like Atenas, Grecia, San Ramon, Boca de Tapada, San Isidro de Perez Zeledon, San Vito, San Gerardo de Dota, Santa Cruz and Nicoya or any remote beach, then a car would be the best way. You can also get there via bus but then it will very difficult to visit places, you’ll have to taxi since tour companies don’t pick up in those areas.
Extra Things to Take into Consideration
Tours require a minimum of 2-3 passengers so if you are a solo traveler, you will need to see if you can join an open group or make friends. If you rent a car, you can drive yourself and not worry about not being able to join a tour. In low season, rates are fairly reasonable.
For groups for 9 or more, you will have to rent two full size SUV’s or a H1 van (seats up to 9 with luggage) and a second car. For private transfers, companies will recommend a coaster in order to fit everyone and luggage which will be quite expensive. If you’re less than 9, they can get a H1 which is cheaper for private transfers.
If your hotel or Airbnb/vacation rental is outside of town or far away from the main tourism hub, then it is best to rent a car. Tour companies don’t pick up at Airbnbs and shared shuttles can’t drop off at vacation rentals. Usually these rentals are far from the supermarket and things like that so it will be much better to have a car.
How to Get Around Articles
We wrote articles on how to get to certain destinations which you can read below.
How to get to Playas del Coco/Gulf of Papagayo from Liberia Airport
How to get to Tamarindo from Liberia Airport
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Dave says
My family and I start our Costa Rica vacation Monday 7/8 and can’t wait. We are renting an SUV, spending 3 nights in La Fortuna, and 3 nights in Quepos. For the long drive from La Fortuna to Quepos, any suggestions on where we should stop for a quick excursion or something we shouldn’t miss out on? Google Maps says it’s about a 5 hour trip. Is that fairly accurate? Your website has been incredibly helpful for us to get a feel for our first trip to Costa Rica!
Sammi says
5 hours is around the drive time (without stops). A popular stop is the Tarcoles crocodile bridge and you can drive through Jaco to check it out or have lunch there since there are some nice restaurants. Have a nice time!
michelle says
Hi there,
We are flying into San Jose and renting a car, driving to La Fortuna then to Tamarindo. What type of insurance is recommended for renting a car? What are some stops we MUST make along the drive? We would love to hike to waterfalls.
Sammi says
Hi, the type of insurance you get varies depending on the company but there is a mandatory insurance in Costa Rica. You can read more about Costa Rica car rental insurance in this post and Costa Rica car rental tips.
You can read about driving San Jose to Arenal and Driving Guanacaste to Arenal here.
Glenda Belnap says
I was so frightened to rent a car after reading all the comments in this blog and others. People described the roads (especially from La Fortuna to Monteverde) as being treacherous, risky, etc. We rented a car and hoped for the best. The roads aren’t paved like you are use to in the USA, but the driving is extremely doable. Follow your GPS. Know your routes before you leave. Drive during the daytime. We didn’t run into anything I would describe as difficult. It was bumpy, rocky and had lots of dust and pot holes. We didn’t feel unsafe. And…the suggested times were longer than we took to get to our locations by about 1 hr on every route. Don’t worry.
Vanessa Talley says
We rented a car for our upcoming trip, but someone just told us that driving in Costa Rica is very dangerous and we will likely get lost or coupd end up in a bad area.
Sammi says
Hi Vanessa! Driving in Costa Rica can be stressful but it’s really only in the city. We wrote a couple of posts about driving in Costa Rica that you can read here: Tips for driving in Costa Rica and Driving in Costa Rica guide. Many tourists in Costa Rica rent a car and drive for their trip and you just need to be a defensive driver, use common sense and use Waze the Gps app!
Jill Smart says
My husband and I will be flying into San Jose Costa Rica and then making our way to our hotel near Punta Arenes. I am very interested in taking a shuttle from the airport to our hotel. I am also very interested in figuring out if we can get a shuttle from our hotel to various popular tourist destinations. I am, however, finding the shuttle websites difficult to understand. It is not clear to me if I can get shuttle service from my hotel or hotel area. How does one determine shuttle schedules? I don’t need to have a private shuttle but wonder if this is my only options. Any pointers are appreciated.
Sammi says
Hi Jill, I wrote a post on taking shuttles you can read here: https://mytanfeet.com/costa-rica-travel-tips/tips-for-taking-shuttles-in-costa-rica/
It will depend on which hotel you’re staying at in Puntarenas but most of them can provide a shuttle for you for an extra charge. For shared shuttles to other destinations, shared shuttle companies should have their schedule on their website. We have a 10% discount with Interbus, a shared shuttle company and they have many routes throughout the country. Please let us know if you would like get a quote for the shuttles or book one, you can contact us here: https://mytanfeet.com/contact-us/
Sammi says
Hi Desaree, private shuttles can pick up and drop off at the airport, shared shuttles can’t pick up at the airport, they normally have to ask passengers to go to another location since they can’t wait at the airport in case of delay or for passengers to get out of immigration/customs since they have other passengers to pick up as well. You can read more tips for taking shuttles here: Costa Rica shuttles
We have a 10% discount for all shuttle transfers for Mytanfeet readers with Interbus. Interbus will pick up passengers at the Denny’s across the street from SJO airport at their scheduled time (usually one around 8 AM and another around 3 PM). You can email us if you would like to book the shuttles at hello@Mytanfeet.com. A shared shuttle is $54 per adult and $48.60 with our discount 🙂
Desaree says
Hi. Do most shuttle services offer pick ups and drop offs to and from the SJO airport? I’m traveling with 3 friends and we need a shuttle service that will get us from the SJO airport to our hotel in arenal and another shuttle from playa flamingo to the SJO airport.
Rob@Kenyamigration says
You have a great guide here for Costa Rica especially on how to get around the country. I must say I would really like a bus ride in that double Decker bus. it looks awesome.
Sammi says
Thanks Rob
Soňa says
Hello,
Firstly, I really appreciate your all helpful information indicated on your blog, thank you very much for that.
I am going to visit Costa Rica as a solo traveller in May and I will be accomodated in Playa del Coco (M&M Hotel) and due to saving my costs, I would like to visit close beaches (Tamarindo, Flamingo) by public buses from Playa del Coco. I can´t speak Spanish at all yet, but I hope I will learn some basis.
Having said that, could you please advise if it is easy to travel by bus to those beaches and can I find a bus stop at Playa del Coco easy? I have already receive a recommendation for the following bus schedules.
Thank you very much in advance and have a nice day. Soňa
Sammi says
There is a bus station in Coco which is for the longer routes, and there is a bus stop by Tico’s bakery which goes to Liberia. To get to Tamarindo, the easiest (but longer) way is to take the bus to Liberia than Liberia to Tamarindo. There is also another way which requires getting off at Sardinal, and then catching the next bus to Tamarindo from there but you will need to know where to get off at Sardinal so it may be a little bit more complicated for travelers.
Sammi says
The app uses information from the official Costa Rica bus schedule from the transportation ministry but always arrive at least 20 minutes early because buses are not known for being very punctual for the more non-common routes. You can download the schedule in this post: Public transportation in Costa Rica
Alyssa says
Awesome blog and posts! Im headed to Costa tonight, and flying into Liberia. I’m planning on taking the public bus to playa Samara via nicoya and have had a heck of a time locating consistent bus info. I did download the app you reccomended however the info on the app conflicts with other info. Anyfurther suggestions? Essentially trying to confirm it is a daily* and frequent* service. Thanks!
Sammi says
I’d recommend flying to Drake Bay, the bus is not easy to take since there is no straight bus to Drake, you need to get off at a point on the route to Puerto Jimenez and wait for a colectivo – which doesn’t always come at the right time and there is only 1 so if you miss it, your travel plans will get messed up, not to mention you’ll be stuck and need to find a way back to Puerto Jimenez. Flying is more secure and efficient, though expensive but it’ll be worth saving 10 hours on the bus. Then you can pick up your car in San Jose and drive to Fortuna.
Another option is to take the bus from San Jose to Palmar Norte, then to Sierpe and take the from Sierpe to Drake. We wrote a post about it here: Boat Sierpe to Drake Bay
kristen says
Hi!
Love your helpful posts! My boyfriend and I will be traveling to Costa Rica the middle of April and I’m curious if you have any advice on our below travel itinerary. We’re still trying to figure out transportation which is proving to be rather challenging.
April 13 — Land in San Jose at night, spend the night
April 14 — Travel to Drake Bay
April 15-18 — Explore Corcovado and surrounding areas
April 18 — Travel back to San Jose and then La Fortuna
April 19-21 — Explore La Fortuna and Arenal
April 21 — Travel to Santa Teresa and Mal Pais
April 21-April 28 — Spend time working from Santa Teresa/Mal Pais
April 28 — Travel back to San Jose
April 29 — Fly home
We planned on renting a car the entire time as I’ve driven in Costa Rica before and found it incredibly beautiful, however, we’re not sure whether it makes sense to drive to Drake Bay from San Jose and then all the way to La Fortuna. Would you recommend flying or taking the bus from San Jose to Drake Bay and back, then picking up our rental car to drive to La Fortuna? We’d like to be efficient with our travels but are also quite budget conscious.
Thank you in advance!
Sammi says
Hi Jolyn, you can do either. If you don’t want to drive or worry about getting lost, book a shuttle. If you don’t mind driving and would like to have the car to explore and have more flexibility, book a car. The driving times between those destinations are pretty long, San Jose to Fortuna is about 3.5 hours, Fortuna to Manuel Antonio is like 5-6 so it’s going to be long travel days. If you don’t want to drive that long of a distance, shuttles are the way to go. We do offer a car rental discount you can check out here: Costa Rica car rental discount and if you’d like a quote for a shuttle, we offer a 10% discount on Interbus, a shuttle company in Costa Rica. You can send us an email here: Contact Mytanfeet if you’d like a quote.
Jolynn says
Your site is so helpful. Thank you. There will be 8 of us traveling ranging in age from 11 to 60. We will be there in late July and plan to fly into San Jose. Then spend 3 days in La Fortunate and 3 days near Manuel Antonio. Would we be better with a shuttle or car?
Khim says
What are the options from La Fortuna to Golfito? Direct shuttle would be awesome 🙂
yeison says
Hello Khim,
I don’t know if any company that goes from La Fortuna to Golfito that is a long drive. Maybe once you are in La Fortuna you can ask to some local companies butI really doubt it that there is a share shuttle from La Fortuna to Golfito. Maybe you can find something from La Fortuna to Quepos and then take the bus that goes down from Quepos (close to Manuel Antonio) to Golfito, I think that will work better.
Josh says
I’d like to get from Liberia to Drake Bay by public bus, I know there would be a bus change in Puntarenas but which bus would head south from there?
Sammi says
From Puntarenas, you can probably grab a bus to Quepos, Quepos to Dominical, then Dominical to Puerto Jimenez where you need to get off at the La Palma (Osa) stop to grab the collective bus to Drake at 4:45 PM. I recommend breaking up the bus ride because there’s no way you can get to La Palma by 4:45 PM (and I have heard that that collective bus isn’t very punctual and sometimes comes, sometimes doesn’t).
yeison says
Hello Kelsey!
We have a deal with interbus the biggest shuttle company here where all our readers save 10% so if you would like us to help you booking your shuttles please email us at https://mytanfeet.com/contact-us/ with the dates and destination we will be more than happy to send you a quote.
Regarding the rent a car question, maybe 95% of the people that rent a car here don’t speak any Spanish so I think you will be fine. We also have a deal for all our readers that want to rent a car: Costa Rica car rental discount
Please let us know if you have any questions 🙂
Kelsey says
Hi – My friend and I are traveling to Costa Rica for about a week, flying into Liberia and out of San Jose. We are looking to do some exploring around La Fortuna/Arenal but also spending some time in San Jose and hopefully a day or two at the beach. Do you have any good shuttle services that you would recommend we look into?
If we were considering renting a car, do you think that it is reliable / safe for people who don’t speak Spanish?
thanks!
Sammi says
I would honestly rent one especially since you have a 6 year old with you. Taking the bus for all those routes and having to deal with all that luggage for 7 people will be really uncomfortable. If you rent a car, it will be wayyyyy more comfortable, you can stop to see the sights on the way and also in Dominical, the bus system is not efficient at all and they don’t stop at any of the points of interests, it just goes straight down the Costanera Sur highway. In fact, most people hitchhike in the Dominical area because of this. There also isn’t a bus all the way to Rincon de la Vieja, so you’ll have to get a large taxi to fit 7 people which will be really expensive or book a shuttle. If your vacation home in Dominical is not in Dominical town, it’ll be hard to get around if you want to visit Uvita, Nauyaca waterfalls and other points of interests, even restaurants. I highly recommend getting a car to make your time more enjoyable and not dependent on the bus system which is not very efficient in Dominical. You can read more about renting a car here and get our discount 🙂 Costa Rica car rental tips
Dawn says
Family of seven (including six year old). Liberia RT, arriving in late May, for ten days:
Liberia > Rincon de la Vieja (one full day), back to Liberia hotel for the night > Puntarenas ( 1 night) > Dominical vacation home (5 nights) > back to Liberia area (one night) > fly home.
We were planning on not renting a car, but would not completely rule out renting one. What would your recommendation(s) be? Thank you ~
jennie says
Have booked a car from San jose, planning to drive our self to Flamingo( first stop ) we are a family of 2 adult 2 kids, Do you Think we manage driving to Flamingo first day in CR? Never been there before or should we take a shuttle to Flamingo and than rent a car 🙂 is it 5 hour driving? Is it trafic-jam i San Jose?
yeison says
Hello Jennie, it all depends at what time you land if you land before 12 PM you will be ok it’s a long drive just you said (around 5 hours) and once you are in Guanacaste there are lots of signs on the side of the road that will take you to Flamingo. You will not need to go to San Jose downtown if you driving from the airport so no worries about San Jose downtown traffic. I hope you enjoy your vacations and please let me know if you any questions
Sammi says
It’s 2 hours, you can read our full guide here: San Jose bus to Playa Jaco
Dee says
How long a bus ride from San Jose to Jaco?
Sammi says
It is 4 hours, you can find the times and the bus station info here: La Fortuna
indira says
How long is the bus ride from San Jose to La fortuna?
Shelby says
This is super helpful! how would you suggest getting from Tamarindo to La Fortuna? Would local buses operate a trip of that length?
yeison says
You will have to take the bus from Tamarindo to Liberia, then to Canas, then Tilaran and then to La Fortuna. You need to be in Liberia by 9 AM to make sure you can get the last bus from Tilaran to La Fortuna in time.