Puntarenas Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Land

Bus

Buses for San José depart from the large navy blue building on the north corner of Calle 2 and Paseo de los Turistas. Book your ticket ahead of time on holidays and weekends.

Buses for other destinations leave from across the street, on the beach side of the paseo.

Cañas & Tilarán US$2.50, 1½ hours, departs 11:45am and 4:30pm.

Costa de Pájaros US$0.50, 1½-two hours, 5:50am, 10:45am, 1:15pm and 5pm.

Jacó/Quepos US$1.50/3, 1½/3½ hours, 5am, 11am, 2:30pm and 4:30pm.

Liberia US$1.50, 2½ hours, 4:40am, 5:30am, 7am, 8:30am, 9:30am, 11am, 2:30pm and 3pm.

Nicoya, Santa Cruz & Filadelfia US$2.75, three to five hours, 6am and 3:45pm.

San José US$2.50, 2½ hours; every hour from 4am to 9pm.

Santa Elena, Monteverde US$2, three hours, 1:15pm and 2:15pm.

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Boat

Car and passenger ferries bound for Pa­quera and Playa Naranjo depart several times a day from the northwestern dock (Av 3 btwn Calles 31 & 33). (Other docks are used for private boats.) If you are driving and will be taking the car ferry, arrive at the dock early to get in line. The vehicle section tends to fill up quickly and you may not make it on. In addition, make sure that you have purchased your ticket from the walk-up ticket window before driving onto the ferry. You will not be admitted onto the boat if you don’t already have a ticket.

Schedules change seasonally and can be affected by inclement weather. Check with the ferry office by the dock for any changes. Many of the hotels in town also have up-to-date schedules posted. The free publication Península de Nicoya includes the schedule, or you can check online at www.peninsuladenicoya.com.

To Playa Naranjo (for transfer to Nicoya and points west) Coonatramar (661 1069; northwestern dock) departs at 6am, 10am, 2:20pm and 7pm (passenger/car US$2/9, twohours).

To Paquera (for transfer to Montezuma and Mal País) Ferry Peninsular (641 0118, 641 0515; northwestern dock) departs at 4:30am, 6:30am, 8:30am, 10:30am, 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm and 8:30pm (passenger/car US$2/9, 1½ hours).

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