San Jose >> Montezuma (direct)

There is direct bus service from the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose, to the southern part of the Nicoya Peninsula. The bus leaves from San Jose at 6am and 2pm from the Atlantico Norte terminal on Calle 12 between Avenidas 7 and 9. It costs around $7.500 CRC ($15USD) and takes about 5 hours. The price includes the ticket for the ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya (you don’t even have to move your bags — they stay on the bus and the bus drives right on to the ferry). The direct bus back to San Jose leaves Montezuma at 6:30am and 2:30pm from the bus stop in the middle of town.

Nicaraguan border at Peñas Blancas >> Montezuma (via Liberia and Puntarenas)

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 Mundo offers service to Puntarenas for $2.800 CRC ($5.60USD) and will drop you on the east side of town. 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).

If you are headed to the southern end of the Nicoya Peninsula (Montezuma, Santa Teresa, Mal Pais, Tambor), you will take the ferry to Paquera from Puntarenas.

If you are headed to the northern part of the Nicoya Peninsula (Coyote, Samara, San Miguel, etc) via Puntarenas, you will take the ferry to Playa Naranjo.

The ferry will take a little over an hour to cross the Gulf (to either destination) and costs $810 CRC ($1.60USD) for an adult. It lands about 4km away from the town of Paquera. From the ferry you can take a bus to Montezuma for $1.850 CRC ($3.70 USD).

The LAST BUS for Montezuma leaves at 6:30 pm, hooking up with the 5pm ferry from Puntarenas.

For more information on buses and boats to/from the Nicoya Peninsula, check out the Nicoya website here (Spanish) or here (English)

The ferry to Paquera lands about 4km away from the town of Paquera. From the ferry you can take a bus to Montezuma for $1.850 CRC ($3.70 USD). The LAST BUS for Montezuma leaves at 6:30 pm, hooking up with the 5pm ferry from Puntarenas. That means, if you take the 8:30pm ferry you’ll have to find alternate transportation to Montezuma from the ferry, which is a sure budget buster. At that point, staying in Puntarenas for a night would be a tactical maneuver as opposed to a last resort.

Montezuma >> Santa Teresa

To get from Montezuma to Santa Teresa/Mal Pais there are a few options, some more expensive than others. There are private shuttles that charge around $5USD per person and run all day. Or, you can take a regular bus in the morning to Cobano and then another bus from Cobano to Santa Teresa for a total of around $2USD.

All of the buses that leave Montezuma head through Cobano (about 7km away), so if you don’t want to be hanging out in Cobano twiddling your thumbs just make sure to catch one that is likely to drop you in Cobano not too long before the bus leaves for Santa Teresa. The LAST BUS to Santa Teresa/Mal Pais leaves Cobano at 5:15pm. From Montezuma, buses leave for Cobano about every two hours starting at 5:30am. Though it’s not far, allow at least 45 minutes for the bus to chug up the dirt road to Cobano from Montezuma and for you to get your bearings in Cobano. The bus to Cobano costs $350 CRC ($0.70USD)

From Cobano, buses leave for Santa Teresa at 10:30, 11:30, 2:30pm and 5:15pm. Buses from Santa Teresa/Mal Pais leave for Cobano at 07:15, 11:30 and and 3:30pm.  This bus costs around $650 CRC ($1.30USD).

GETTING // GOING          •          SLEEPING          •          EATING

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