Planning a Trip

Getting There & Departing

By Plane -- Sansa (tel. 877/767-2672 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2290-4100 in Costa Rica; www.flysansa.com) has nine daily flights to Quepos beginning at 6am, with the final flight departing at 4:20pm from San José's Juan Santamaría International Airport. The flight's duration is 30 minutes; the fare is $64 (£32) each way.

Nature Air (tel. 800/235-9272 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2299-6000; www.natureair.com) flies to Quepos daily at 6 and 9:30am and 1:30 and 4:25pm from Tobías Bolaños International Airport in Pavas. The flight duration is 30 minutes; the fare is $67 (£34) each way.

Both Sansa and Nature Air provide minivan airport-transfer service coordinated with their arriving flights. The service costs around $5 (£2.50) per person each way, depending on where exactly your hotel is located. Speak to your airline's agent when you arrive to confirm your return flight and coordinate a pickup at your hotel for that day if necessary. Taxis also meet incoming flights as well. Expect to be charged between $8 and $12 (£4-£6) per car for up to four people, depending on the distance to your hotel.

When you're ready to depart, Sansa (tel. 2777-1912 in Quepos) flights begin departing at 6:44am, with the final flight leaving at 5:04pm. Nature Air (tel. 2777-2548 in Quepos) flights leave for San José daily at 7:50 and 11am and 2:10 and 5pm.

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 Highway 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.

Alternatively, you could try the route beginning in Ciudad Colón, a western suburb of San José, and then head out to Puriscal and join the Costanera Highway either near Parrita or Orotina. The route that heads to Parrita is the shortest route, but some sections are not paved and others are in rough shape. Nevertheless, locals often use it, especially during the dry season. Four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended, but normal two-wheel-drive sedans can usually make it. The route to Orotina is paved the entire way. It is slightly longer than the more popular route mentioned above and not as well marked, but since it passes over a narrow suspension bridge, there are never any trucks or commercial traffic.

If you're coming from Guanacaste or any point north, take the Interamerican Highway to the Puntarenas turnoff and head south on the Costanera Highway, the coastal road to Jacó. It's about a 4 1/2-hour drive here from Liberia.

By Bus -- Express buses (tel. 2223-5567) to Manuel Antonio leave San José daily at 6am, noon, and 6 and 7:30pm from the Coca-Cola bus terminal at Calle 16 between avenidas 1 and 3. Trip duration is 3 1/2 hours; the fare is $5.50 (£2.25). These buses go all the way to the park entrance and will drop you off at any of the hotels along the way.

Regular buses (tel. 2223-5567) to Quepos leave San José daily at 7 and 10am and 2 and 4pm. Trip duration is 4 1/2 hours; the fare is $4.40 (£2.20). 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.

Gray Line (tel. 2220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com) has two daily buses that leave San José for Quepos and Manuel Antonio at 7:30am and 4pm; the fare is $33 (£17). The return bus leaves at 10am and 1pm for San José. Interbus (tel. 2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) has two daily buses that leave San José for Quepos and Manuel Antonio at 8:15am and 2:30pm; the fare is $35 (£18). Return buses leave at 8:30am and 1:45pm. Both companies will pick you up at most San José -- and Manuel Antonio -- area hotels and also offer connections to various other popular destinations around Costa Rica.

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 (£1.50).

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 30¢ (15p). The ride takes about 15 minutes.

When you're ready to depart, the Quepos bus station (tel. 2777-0263) 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, and 3 and 5pm. Local buses to San José (duration is 4 hr.) leave at 5 and 8am and 2 and 4pm.

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 down the bus and give it time to stop -- you don't want to be standing in a blind spot when the bus comes flying around a tight corner.

Buses for Puntarenas leave daily at 4:30, 7:30, and 10:30am and 3pm. 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; 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 between Quepos and Manuel Antonio (or any hotel along the road toward the park) costs between $3 and $6 (£1.50-£3), depending upon the distance. At night or if the taxi must leave the main road (for hotels such as La Mariposa, Parador, Makanda, and Arenas del Mar), the charge is a little higher. If you need to call a taxi, dial tel. 2777-3080 or 2777-0425. Taxis are supposed to use meters, although this isn't always the case. If your taxi doesn't have a meter, or the driver won't use it, try to negotiate in advance. Ask your hotel desk what a specific ride should cost, and use that as your guide.

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 10pm and returning from Manuel Antonio at 10:30pm. 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 30¢ (15p).

You can also rent a car from Adobe (tel. 2777-4242), Alamo (tel. 2777-3344), Economy (tel. 2777-5260), Hertz (tel. 2777-3365), National (tel. 2777-0368), or Payless Rent-a-Car (tel. 2777-0115) for around $50 (£25) 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 common here. There are now a couple of parking lots just outside the park entrance that cost around $3 (£1.50) for the entire day. You should definitely keep your car in one of these while exploring the park or soaking up sun on the beach. And although 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, though.

If you want to rent a scooter, try Fast Eddie's Scooter Rental (tel. 2777-4127).

Fast Facts

The telephone number of the Quepos Hospital is tel. 2777-0922. In the event of an emergency, you can also call the Cruz Roja (Red Cross; tel. 2777-0116). For the local police, call tel. 2777-1511 or 2777-2117.

The post office (tel. 2777-1471) is in downtown Quepos. There are several pharmacies in Quepos, as well as a pharmacy at the hospital, and another close to the park entrance. There are also a half-dozen or so laundromats and laundry services in town. For film, batteries, and photo developing, try Todo Foto Quepos (tel. 2777-1442).

Several major Costa Rican banks have branches and ATMs in downtown Quepos. An ample array of Internet cafes can be found around Quepos and along the road to Manuel Antonio, and many hotels have them as well.