Getting There & Departing
By Plane -- The nearest airport with regularly scheduled flights is in Tamarindo. You can arrange a taxi from the airport to Playa Junquillal. The ride should take around 40 minutes and cost about $40 to $50 (£20-£25).
By Car -- Take the Interamerican Highway from San José. Forty-seven kilometers (29 miles) past the turnoff for Puntarenas, you'll see signs and the turnoff for the La Amistad Bridge. After crossing the river, follow the signs for Nicoya and Santa Cruz. Just after leaving the main intersection for Santa Cruz, you'll see a marked turnoff for Playa Junquillal, Ostional, and Tamarindo. The road is paved for 14km (8 1/2 miles), until the tiny village of Veintesiete de Abril. From here, it's another rough 18km (11 miles) to Playa Junquillal.
From Liberia, head south to Santa Cruz on the main road to all the beach towns, passing through Filadelfia and Belén. Then follow the directions above from Santa Cruz.
By Bus -- To get here by bus, you must first head to Santa Cruz and, from there, take another bus to Playa Junquillal. Buses depart San José for Santa Cruz roughly every hour between 6am and 6pm from the Tralapa bus station (tel. 2221-7202) at Calle 20 between avenidas 3 and 5, and from the Tracopa-Alfaro bus station (tel. 2222-2666) at Calle 14 between avenidas 3 and 5. Trip duration is around 4 hours; the fare is $5.50 (£2.75). Buses leave Santa Cruz for Junquillal at 5 and 10am, and 2:30 and 5:30pm from the town's central plaza. The ride takes about 1 hour, and the one-way fare is $1.80 (90p). Buses depart Playa Junquillal for Santa Cruz daily at 6 and 9am, and 12:30 and 4:30pm.
Always check with your hotel in advance as the schedule of buses between Junquillal and Santa Cruz is notoriously fickle. If you miss the connection, or there's no bus running, you can hire a taxi for the trip to Junquillal for $25 to $40 (£13-£20). From Tamarindo, a taxi should cost $40 to $50 (£20-£25).
