San Jose >> Puntarenas

There is a direct bus from San Jose to Puntarenas that leaves from the corner of Calle 16 and Avenida 12. There is one that leaves at 4am, and then another bus leaves about every 40 minutes from 6am to 7pm and takes around two and a half hours. It will drop you at the Empresarios Unidos terminal on the eastern end of the Paseo de los Turistas.

Peñas Blancas (Nicaraguan border) >> Puntarenas (via Liberia)

From the border at Peñas Blancas, Transporte Deldú offers bus service to Liberia for $1.600 CRC ($3.20USD), leaving about every hour. From Liberia,  the company Reina del Campo offers service to Puntarenas for $2.800 CRC ($5.60USD) and will drop you on the east side of town about a block down the street from the Empresarios Unidos bus terminal. The bus from Liberia to Puntarenas takes about 3 hours.

The ferries to Paquera and Playa Naranjo leave from the western end of the peninsula. There is regular bus service along Avenida Central in Puntarenas to and from the ferries. It should cost no more than $255 CRC ($0.50 USD).

Puntarenas >> La Fortuna (via San Ramon)

In order to get from Puntarenas to La Fortuna, you must first pass through San Ramon. Buses from Puntarenas to San Ramon leave from the Empresarios Unidos terminal on the east end of the Paseo de los Turistas on the corner with 4th street across from the Banco Popular. There are two options: the direct bus and the indirect bus. The indirect bus costs $1.320CRC ($2.65 USD) and drops you off about a block and a half from the main bus terminal in San Ramon in about an hour and a half. The direct bus (which goes on to San Jose) drops you off at the turnoff into San Ramon and costs nearly double what you pay for the indirect. From the turnoff, you’ll be stuck taking a cab in to town. Both buses leave every hour on the hour from 4am to 1pm.

From San Ramon, you’ll need to take another bus to La Fortuna. Once you have arrived in San Ramon (preferably on the “indirecto”, letting the driver know that you’re heading to the bus terminal), you’ll have to walk about a block to the main bus terminal. From where you are dropped off, walk WITH traffic until you see a bright red “Stylos” store and look to your left. You should see buses coming and going about 25 meters down the block–this is the terminal. There are four buses daily to La Fortuna, leaving at 5am, 9am, “1pm” and “4pm”. I say “1pm” and “4pm” because they arrive around noon and leave when there appears to be enough people to fill the bus. For example, the “1pm” bus got there at 12:10 and left at 12:30. I am unsure as to whether this rule also applies to the 4pm bus, but just in case I would arrive at least an hour early.  The bus from Puntarenas takes about an hour and a half, so if you want to catch the 9am bus to La Fortuna I would suggest taking the bus from Puntarenas no later than 7am. It costs $2.150 CRC ($4.30 USD) and takes a little under two hours.

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