By Plane
- Sansa: Flies to Quepos daily at 7:45,
8:50, and 11am, and 12:50, 2:40, and 4:25pm from San José's Juan
Santamaría International Airport. The
flight's duration is 15 minutes; the fare is $44 each
way. When you're ready to depart, Sansa has daily
flights to San José leaving at 8:30, 9:30, and 11:45am, and 1:35,
3:25, and 5:10pm. Tel. (506) 2221-9414 / (506) 2777-0683, www.flysansa.com
- Nature
Air: Flies to Quepos daily
at 6, 9, and 11am, and 2:30 and 4pm from
Tobías Bolaños International Airport in Pavas. Flight duration is 15
minutes; the fare is $45 each way. Nature Air flights leave for San
José daily at 6:35, 10:50, and 11:35am, and 3:10 and 4:40pm. Tel.
(506) 2220-3054, www.natureair.com
Both Sansa and Nature Air provide airport-transfer service coordinated with their arriving flights. The service costs between $3 to $5 per person each way, depending on where exactly your hotel is located. La Academia de Español D’Amore will help you to confirm your return flight, and a pickup at your hotel for that day, if necessary. Taxis occasionally meet incoming flights as well. Expect to be charged between $8 and $12 per car for up to four people, depending on the distance to your hotel and your bargaining abilities.
By Car
- From San José, the most popular route is to
take the narrow and winding old highway, which turns off the
Interamerican Highway just west of Alajuela near the town of Atenas
and joins the Costanera near Orotina. Just follow the many signs to
hotels in either Jacó or Manuel Antonio. When you reach Jacó, it's a
straight shot and another hour to Manuel Antonio.
You can also take the Interamerican Highway west to the Puntarenas turnoff and head south on the Costanera, the coastal road through Jacó. This is your best bet if heading to Manuel Antonio from Puntarenas or any point north.
Finally, you could try the more rugged route beginning in Ciudad Colón, a western suburb of San José, then heading out to Puriscal, and joining the Costanera near Parrita. This is the shortest route, but has some sections that are not paved and others that are in rough shape. Nevertheless, it is often used by locals, especially during the dry season. Four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended, but normal two-wheel-drive sedans can usually make it.
By Bus
- Express buses to Manuel
Antonio leave San José daily at 6am, noon, and 6 and 7pm from the
Coca-Cola bus terminal at Calle 16 between avenidas 1 and 3. Trip
duration is 3 1/2 hours; the fare is $5. These buses go all the way
to the park entrance and will drop you off at any of the hotels
along the way. Tel. (506) 2223-5567.
- Regular buses to Quepos leave San José daily at 7 and 10am, and 2, 4, and 6pm. Trip duration is 4 hours; the fare is $4.25. These buses stop in Quepos. From here, if you're staying at one of the hotels on the road to Manuel Antonio, you must take a local bus or taxi to your hotel. Tel. (506) 2223-5567.
Grayline has a daily bus
leaving San José for Quepos and Manuel Antonio at 8:30am; fare,
$35. T
el. (506) 2220-2126;
www.graylinecostarica.com
Interbus has a daily bus
leaving San José for Quepos and Manuel Antonio at 8am; fare, $35.
Both companies will pick you up at most San José-area hotels.
T
el. (506) 2283-5573; www.costaricapass.com
Buses leave Puntarenas for Quepos daily at
5 and 11am, and 2:30 and 4:30pm. The ride takes 2 1/2 hours; the
fare is $3. Buses for Puntarenas leave daily at 4:30, 7:30, and
10:30am, and 3pm. Tel. (506) 2777-0743;
www.transportesquepospuntarenas.com
Many of the buses for Quepos stop to unload and pick up passengers in Playa de Jacó. If you're in Jacó heading toward Manuel Antonio, you can try your luck at one of the covered bus stops out on the Interamerican Highway.
From Quepos, buses leave for Manuel Antonio daily, roughly every half hour, from 6am to 7pm, with one late bus at 10pm. The fare is 115¢. The ride takes about 15 minutes.
When you're ready to depart, the Quepos bus station is next to the market, which is 3
blocks east of the water and 2 blocks north of the road to Manuel
Antonio. Express buses to San José leave daily at 6 and 9:30am,
noon, 2:30 and 5:00 pm. Local buses to San José (duration is 4 hr.)
leave at 5 and 8am, and 2 and 4pm. Tel. (506)
2777-0263.
In the busy winter months, tickets sell out
well in advance, especially on weekends; if you can, purchase your
ticket several days in advance. However, you must buy your
Quepos-bound tickets in San José and your San José return tickets in
Quepos. If you're staying in Manuel Antonio, you can buy your return
ticket for a direct bus in advance in Quepos and then wait along the
road to be picked up. There is no particular bus stop; just make
sure you are out to flag the bus down and give it time to stop --
you don't want to be standing in
a blind spot when the bus comes flying around some tight corner. Any bus headed for San José or Puntarenas will let you off in Playa de Jacó.
Orientation
Quepos is a little port town at the mouth of the Boca Vieja Estuary. After crossing the bridge into town, take the lower road (to the left of the high road). In 4 blocks, turn left, and you'll be on the road to Manuel Antonio. This road winds through town a bit before starting over the hill to all the hotels and the national park.
Getting Around
- A taxi from Quepos to Manuel Antonio or any hotel along the road toward the park, costs
around $5. The return trip from the park to your hotel should cost
only 400¢ per person. I know this system doesn't make much sense,
but this is a fixed price, so watch out for drivers who try to
charge more. If the taxi must leave the main road for hotels like La
Mariposa, El Parador, and Makanda, the charge is a little higher. If
you need to call a taxi, dial (506) 2777-1695 or (506)
2777-0425.
- The bus between Quepos and Manuel Antonio takes 15 minutes each way, and runs roughly every half hour from 6am to 7pm daily, with one late bus leaving Quepos at 9:30pm and returning from Manuel Antonio at 10:00pm. The buses, which leave from the main bus terminal in Quepos, near the market, go all the way to the National Park entrance before turning around and returning. You can flag down these buses from any point on the side of the road. The fare is 115¢.
You can also rent a car from Adobe (tel. (506) 2777-5130), Alamo
(tel. (506) 2777-3344), or Payless Rent-a-Car (tel. (506) 2777-0115) for around $50 a day. All have
offices in downtown Quepos, but with advance notice, someone will
meet you at the airport with your car for no extra
charge.
If you rent a car, never leave anything of value in it unless you intend to stay within sight of the car at all times. Car break-ins are commonplace here. There are now a couple of parking lots just outside the park entrance, which cost around $3 for the whole day. You should definitely keep your car in one of these while exploring the park or soaking up sun on the beach. And while these lots do offer a modicum of protection and safety, you should still not leave anything of value exposed in the car. The trunk is probably safe.
Fast Facts
Botica Quepos is the main pharmacy in town.
It's on the corner of the main street where you make the turn for
Manuel Antonio and is open daily from 7am to 8pm., tel. (506)
2777-0038.
For film, batteries, and any urgent developing, try
Todo Foto Quepos, tel. (506) 2777-1442.
Quepos Hospital phone number (506) 2777-0922.
Rural Guard (local police), call (506) 2777-0196.
There are a handful of
Internet cafes around Quepos and along the road to Manuel Antonio,
and many hotels are providing this service as well.
For further information, do not hesitate to
contact us at info@academiadamore.com
