By Car: Head west out of San José on the San José–Caldera Highway (CR27). When you reach Caldera, follow the signs to Puntarenas. The drive takes a little over an hour, but plan on 2 hours. To reach Puntarenas from Liberia, just take the Inter-American Highway south until the exit for Puntarenas.
By Bus: Empresarios de Unidos Puntarenas express buses (tel. 2222-0064 or 2261-3138) leave San José daily every hour between 6am and 7pm from Calle 16 and Avenida 12. The trip duration is 2 hours; the fare is C2,975. Buses to San José leave the main station daily every hour between 6am and 7pm.
The Puntarenas bus station is diagonally opposite from the main pier on the Paseo de los Turistas. Buses to Quepos and Manuel Antonio leave the main station daily at 5, 7, 9, and 10:30am and 1, 2:30, and 4:30pm. The trip’s is about an hour; the fare is around C2,800. There are also about three daily buses between Puntarenas and Monteverde and Santa Elena.
By Ferry: See sections on “Playa Tambor” or “Playa Montezuma” for information on crossing to and returning from Puntarenas from Paquera or Naranjo on the Nicoya Peninsula.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
