Manuel Antonio is one of the top places to visit in Costa Rica and many people have it as their first destination in Costa Rica after landing at San Jose International Airport.
There are many ways to get there and here is our guide on getting to Manuel Antonio from San Jose and other places.
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Disclaimer: Any prices listed in this post may not reflect current prices of present. It is the readers responsibility to research and consult for current pricing. Prices are quoted in USD and are an estimate. Transfer quote prices depend on various factors such as but not limited to: size of company, number of units, number of passengers, pieces of luggage, if drivers are bilingual, pick up time.
How to Get to Manuel Antonio from San Jose
Something you should know first is that Quepos is the main local town near the touristic area of Manuel Antonio. They call Manuel Antonio the area of the hill above Quepos to the national park which is down by the beach on the other side.
You have to go through the town of Quepos to get to Manuel Antonio and the national park which is at the bottom of the Manuel Antonio hill.
By Driving: ~3 hours
The route from San Jose to Manuel Antonio is a very popular driving route for tourists and locals.
Distance: Manuel Antonio is 156 kilometers (97 miles) from San Jose International Airport. It is 264 kilometers (164 miles) and a 4.5 hour drive from Guanacaste Airport.
4×4 required? No. A high car, 4wd or 4×4 is not necessary to drive to Manuel Antonio, Quepos or the national park from San Jose.
Best route: Route 1, 27, 34 and 618.
Read our guide to renting a car in Costa Rica and get our Costa Rica car rental discount to save some $$.
How Long is the Drive from San Jose to Manuel Antonio?
The drive from San Jose to Manuel Antonio is about 3 hours with no traffic or stops. However, do note that San Jose and the San Jose International Airport has bad traffic in the mornings and afternoons (rush hour) so it can very well take longer.
We don’t recommend to drive this route late at night night. It gets dark at 6 PM everyday in Costa Rica so plan accordingly.
Furthermore, customs and immigration may take awhile if you are visiting during peak tourism times, such as the week of Christmas, New Years and Easter.
If your flight lands after 2-3 PM, we recommend to book a hotel near the airport or somewhere halfway for your first night. Then leave the next morning so that you can drive in the daylight hours.
Want to stay somewhere halfway? Some cool options are Villa Lapas and Villas Caletas.
Toll Booths
There are 3 toll booths coming from San Jose with costs ranging from 180 to 900 Costa Rican colones. It is best to pay in Costa Rican colones in cash or credit card.
Although they accept USD cash (small bills only), they do not use a good exchange rate and they will give you your change back in colones. Credit card is accepted (Visa/Mastercard and it is tap to pay).
If you aren’t able to get some local currency beforehand, you can use your credit card or you can exchange about $5 USD to use for the toll booths at the airport.
Car rental agencies do not offer toll booth passes.
The Drive: Places to Stop Along the Way
There are a couple of nice places to stop along the way to make this drive more enjoyable. I will list them below starting with the ones closest to San Jose.
Safety tip: When you stop, always make sure to lock your car doors and roll up your windows when leaving the car. Make sure your luggage and belongings are in the trunk or at least fully covered and not visible. Always park where there are lots of other tourists and tourist vans. If possible, we recommend one person staying at the car at all times.
Crocodile Bridge: This is about 1 hour and 15 minutes from San Jose. It’s a bridge that goes over the Tarcoles River, home to a large of population of crocodiles. There are also souvenir stores, an ice cream shop, restaurants, bathrooms and convenience stores. You can walk on the bridge to see the crocodiles.
Jaco: Jaco is the most developed beach town in Costa Rica, about a 1 hour and 30 minute drive from San Jose. It is a surfing beach so you can stop by the beach to check it out and watch the surfers. We like to stop by Jaco Walk as they have a secure parking lot and lots of restaurants.
Jaco viewpoint: About 5 minutes south of Jaco, you will see an observation point area where lots of shuttles and people will pull over on the main road. There is a cool Jaco sign and very nice view of the town from there. Also a popular place to see Scarlet Macaws.
Hermosa: Playa Hermosa is known as the surfing stadium of Costa Rica and if you happen to pass by on a Saturday, you can watch the local surfing competitions. The road to Hermosa runs parallel to the beach so you can drive there to check it out.
Esterillos Town Center: Although this town center isn’t very busy, there are a couple of cafes/restaurants. It’s right off the main highway on your left.
By Plane: 20 minutes
Quepos has its own local airport, located just 10 minutes outside of town. A one way flight from San Jose to Quepos costs around $150 USD one way per person and a 20 minute flight. Sansa Air and Green Airways fly from San Jose to Quepos.
Itinerary tip: Many people like to fly from San Jose to Quepos and then rent a car from when they are in Quepos/Manuel Antonio. Then they return the car in Manuel Antonio and fly back to San Jose.
By Bus: 4.5 hours
There are direct buses from San Jose to Quepos everyday. If you’re on a budget, the Costa Rican public bus is a good way to travel.
The public bus does not pick up from the San Jose International Airport. You will have to taxi or Uber to the Tracopa bus station in downtown San Jose first. On Google Maps, it’s called Bus Terminal – Tracopa Ltda.
You will need to first bus from San Jose to Quepos, and then Quepos to Manuel Antonio National Park and stop along the way close to your hotel.
If you’re staying at a hotel on the hill from Quepos to the national park, you can take this bus. You can also grab a taxi or Uber from the Quepos bus station to your hotel.
There is a direct public bus from San Jose to Quepos everyday. You can find schedules on the Moovit website, Rome 2 Rio or the Tracopa bus company website.
These bus prices are around 5510 Costa Rican colones one way (~$11 USD). Purchase your bus tickets at the terminal. We recommend to get there at least 30 minutes – 1 hour before departure time to buy tickets.
How to get to Manuel Antonio National Park
By bus, there is a bus from Quepos to Manuel Antonio National Park that runs about every 30 minutes or so from 530 AM until 930 PM leaving from the Quepos bus station.
This bus costs approximately 335 Costa Rican colones one way which you pay when you get on the bus in cash. Only CRC and try to use small bills or as close to exchange change as possible, since the driver will calculate your change.
You can grab a taxi or Uber to your hotel or Manuel Antonio National Park from the Quepos bus station.
By Shuttle
You can take shared and private shuttles to Manuel Antonio. You can quickly read about shuttles in Costa Rica.
Shared shuttles: These have set schedules with usually one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Shared shuttles carry anywhere from 10-15 people and have one scheduled stop along the route. They only pick up and drop off at hotels and if you need pick up from San Jose International Airport, you will need to go to the Denny’s Restaurant or Rostipollos Restaurant down the street (2 minute taxi ride).
Get 10% off your shared shuttle to Manuel Antonio in the link!
Private shuttles: More expensive but drivers pick you up directly at the airport and you can ask them to stop anywhere along the way for food, bathroom, etc. It is the best option for families with young kids or seniors or big groups. A private shuttle from San Jose to Manuel Antonio costs around $220 USD one way for 1-5 people. This price varies depending on number of passengers, company, pick up time, etc. Please contact us if you’d like to book a shuttle!
How to Get to Manuel Antonio from Other Places
How to get to Manuel Antonio from Jaco
This is super easy by public bus or driving. It’s 1 hour driving, 2 hours on bus. You can read this post on how to get to Manuel Antonio from Jaco.
From the Jaco bus station, take the direct bus to Quepos. It makes several stops along the way and the final stop is at the Quepos bus station.
From the Quepos bus station, you can grab a taxi or Uber to your hotel. Or take the public bus to the Manuel Antonio National Park and get off close to your hotel as the bus route continues on the main road. It does not turn into any of the small roads.
How to get to Manuel Antonio from Monteverde
You need to take the bus to Puntarenas first. Then from Puntarenas, there is a direct bus from Puntarenas to Quepos with Empresarios Unidos, Transportes Quepos. This takes 3.5 hours.
Driving takes around 3 hours and it is recommended to have a high car for Monteverde. You can read more about Monteverde road conditions here.
By private shuttle, it costs approximately $350 USD one way for 1-6 people.
How to get to Manuel Antonio from La Fortuna
Take the 530 AM bus from La Fortuna to San Ramon (2 hours). Transfer to the bus going to Puntarenas which takes 1 hour and 15 minutes. Then in Puntarenas, get the bus to Quepos (2.5 hour ride). Then from Quepos, take the bus to Manuel Antonio National Park or taxi to your hotel. Total of about 9 hours.
There are shared shuttles from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio. Shared shuttles costs between $59-77 USD one way per adult. Get 10% off your shared shuttle here!
You can check with Sansa Air if they offer domestic flights from La Fortuna – Manuel Antonio. You most likely will need to go La Fortuna – San Jose – Manuel Antonio.
Driving takes around 5 hours. No 4wd required but a high clearance car would be more comfortable.
By private shuttle, it can cost around $390 USD one way for 1-6 people.
How to get to Manuel Antonio from Liberia/Guanacaste
Take the bus from Liberia to Puntarenas (3 hours) then Puntarenas to Quepos. If you are going from the beaches, you need to get to Liberia first.
You can also take local flights from Liberia to Manuel Antonio although you may have to fly from Tamarindo – Liberia – San Jose – Manuel Antonio or Liberia – San Jose – Manuel Antonio.
For shuttles, RideCR has shared shuttles from Guanacaste (Flamingo, Tamarindo, Coco, Liberia) to Manuel Antonio.
Driving takes around 5-6 hours depending on where in Guanacaste. Tamarindo to Manuel Antonio can cost around $520 USD one way for 1-6 people.
Manuel Antonio Hotel Recommendations
Here are some of our recommended hotels in Manuel Antonio.
- Tulemar: Has bungalows and vacation rental houses. Huge property with their own beach access, pools, restaurants and spa. Has a lot of wildlife.
- Tico Tico Villas: Cute apartments, adult only. Good option for long term rentals.
- Hotel Mariposa: Nice hotel with infinity pool and gorgeous view of Manuel Antonio National Park.
- Hotel San Bada: for the closest location to the national park with a nice pool and restaurants.
- Parador: luxury hotel with ocean views, nature trails, fitness room, spa, restaurants and pools
- Hotel La Colina: Good budget/mid-range option. Has a good pizza restaurant.
Costa Rica Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Click the link to get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List so you know what essential items to bring.
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica.
- Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica.
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals for tours and hotels. Save more money with our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
Ms Carolyn Seeley says
We are flying from LAX to San Jose. and then would like to fly from San Jose to Quepos. If we book a flight from SJ to Quepos and our flight. from LAX is delayed or we have delays getting through customs, how difficult or expensive is it to rebook the flight? How long should we allow between scheduled arrivial in SJ and flight to Quepos? Thanks
Sammi says
Hi Carolyn, you’ll have to check the policies of the airline, we only have a couple local ones: Sansa and Green. For domestic flights, you have to check in about an hour before, and the domestic terminal is very close to the international terminal, but customs and immigration at SJO can take longer depending on the time of day/year you land. I’d aim for at least 2 hours at SJO and then 1 extra hour at the domestic terminal, so around 3 hours in between the flights if you’re visiting during high season.
Elizabeth Nieto says
Hello. I am landing in San Jose Airport around 2pm per the airlines. They it takes time to go through customs, immigration, etc. Plus I am going to pick up a rental car. I am driving to Quepos. Should I do this same day or not risk it and stay in San Jose for the night and leave early the next morning?
Sammi says
Hello Elizabeth, we’ve sent you an email to assist you
Richard Brunelle says
Enjoying your site and appreciate the time and effort you two put into this.
Just one question, do the express buses have bathrooms?
Sammi says
Hello Richard, no, public buses don’t have bathrooms on board
Bobby says
Thank you for all of this great information.
I am traveling with a tour company through Costa Rica for 7 days but it does not include Manuel Antonio. At the end of the tour, I have 1 day (a Monday) before my non-refundable flight returns to the states at 10:29pm. I was planning to rent a car and drive early that morning around 5am to MA and return when the park closes at 4pm. That will give me 8 hours at the Park for hiking and some beach action and roughly 4 hours to get back to the airport at a decent time before my flight. Do you think this is a wise itinerary? Any suggestions or advice is welcomed. Thanks
Sammi says
Hello Bobby, we’ve sent you an email
Barbara says
If I am planning to go from Manuel Antonio National Park to see wildlife and then want to go surfing nearby, where do you recommend we go?
Also if we think of going from Manuel Antonio to Nasara, where do you suggest we stop and stay to break up the long drive?
Thank you.
Sammi says
You can surf at Manuel Antonio, the beach outside the national park. Lots of surf shops there.
Andrea Smith says
We are arriving at San Jose late at night, getting an airport hotel and then have 3 days to arrive in Tamarindo for a 6 day stay before flying out from Liberia.
We are considering Manuel Antonia, Arenal/ La Fortuna and Monteverde before arriving at Tamarindo and NW coast beaches. We want to see some of the wildlife and interior before the beach, but given our time not sure which direction to go. We are seniors, so not as adventurous as we used to be.
We are planning on either shared or private shuttles, which sounds like we can book through your site.
Please make a recommendation
Sammi says
Hello Andrea, in case you’d like to book private shuttles, please Contact Mytanfeet and our team will be happy to help. We don’t book shared shuttles.
Angela Spoja says
Hello! I’m feeling overwhelmed! We fly in to Liberia and are staying in Pinella ( near the JW marriot in Guanacaste). We have ten days. How easy is It to get to Manuel Antonio? What about La Fortuna? It looks like in a car it’s 6 hours. I think that is going to be too far for just a ten day trip with everything we want to do. Please advise!
Thank you
Sammi says
Manuel Antonio from JW Marriott is around a 6 hour drive.
La Fortuna is around 4 hours.
You can check our post Things to do in Guanacaste for ideas!
Stephen says
Hi. We want to stay both in Arenal/ La Fortuna and also Manuel Antonio. Arriving at San José airport, which area would you visit first to do the round trip or is there not much difference. Is one way more practical way?
We would be using a private taxi to connect us between all these places.
We would be flying back from San José.
Many thanks
yeison says
Hello Stephen,
It all depends of the rest of your itinerary if you are only going to la Fortuna and Manuel Antonio, I personally prefer the beach destination last… also if you have extra 2 days I will definitely add Monteverde and add the van boat van transfer.
We also work with local transportation companies if you want another quote, just email us the information to web@mytanfeet.com
Kate Munn says
Hi,
What would you say is the best route from La Fortuna to Manual Antonio? Looking on Waze and Google and there are a few different options, so would be good to get a personal opinion.
Many thanks
Kate
Sammi says
From Fortuna to San Ramon through Route 702 and then keep going down south to ROute 34.
Tasha says
Hi I love your blog it’s so helpful! I am planing a big trip with my teenage sons in late July early August we are heading to Tortugero, Arenal and then either head down to Santa Juana Lodge then Manuel Antonio to relax on the beach for a few days or alternatively after Arenal we could go to Montverde and then Nosara or Samara for beach time. Which itinerary would you do for late July/ early August?
We are all wildlife fanatics so want to make sure we get in as much of it as possible.
Sammi says
Manuel Antonio has more wildlife than Nosara/Samara
Carole Knipe says
I think you might consider taking the boys fishing out of Quepos. World class fishing in Costa Rica is a really great experience.
Anne says
Your blogs have been so helpful in planning my first trip! I’m planning on flying from Quepos to SJ and was curious how far in advance do I need to be at the airport since it’s small, I imagine, not the usual 2-3 hours?
Also, I’m catching a flight when I get into SJ to Limon. What should I expect since I’m flying Sansa all the way?
Thank you!
Sammi says
For international flights, it is recommended to be 2-3 hours before your departure
Robin says
Hello,
I’m heading to Costa Rica in a couple of days and read that Manuel Antonio Park is closed on Tuesdays, and on another site they said it’s closed on Mondays. Do you know which is the correct day?
Thank you!
Sammi says
Its closed Tuesday (used to be MOnday)
kperson says
Hello!
We are planning to drive ourselves in our rental car from Jaco to Manuel Antonio.
Are there places inside the park to hike to the beach, etc?
Thank you!
Sammi says
You have to park your car outside the Manuel Antonio National Park. No parking inside the national park, only hiking trails.
Julie Mateu says
Hi..
Love your blog. We are flying into SJO on June 18 and need to fly to Manual Antonio that day. On sansa airlines, they don’t fly into XQP that day, but do fly into LLG. On their site it reads: From San Jose (SJO) To Manuel Antonio (LLG). I cannot find out what airport is LLG? I assume it is not the same as XQP. What do you know about this? Thanks
Sammi says
Hi Julie, LLG I think is either the old or the new airport in Quepos but it’s in Quepos. I would contact Sansa directly to check.
Tp says
Hi there,
Love your travel blog and your you tube videos. I wanted ask which places to visit first. We are flying into SJO and want to go to Manuel Antonio, La Fortuna and Tamarindo since we will be flying out of Liberia. We will have a rental 4×4. Should we go to MA first or La Fortuna.
Thank you,
Tp
Sammi says
Hi, I would do Manuel Antonio first so you can fit rainforest (La Fortuna) in between your beach destinations. Plus the drive from Manuel Antonio to Tamarindo is really long, just a bit longer than Manuel Antonio to La Fortuna.
Sandy OReilly says
Hi Sammi, We are going to drive or take a shuttle from Manuel Antonio to Playa del Coco. What are some recommended places to check out enroute during our drive? And what shuttle companies do you recommend for this route? Thank you kindly, Sandy
Sammi says
Hello Sandy, we sent you an email answering your question (please check your spam/junk if not in your inbox)
Caroline says
Hi, is possible to book a shuttle to go from Tortugero to Manual Antonio?
I know that i may need to take possibly 2 shuttle but would like to know which companies can do this?
Thanks Caroline
Sammi says
I would check with Caribe Shuttle, Easy Ride or Interbus, you will probably need to get off in San Jose and then take another shuttle to Manuel Antonio.