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How to Get Around Costa Rica: The Complete 2026 Guide

ByAnaMarija Mishachkovska Posted on

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Honest first-hand guide to getting around Costa Rica. Shuttles, domestic flights, rentals, and 50+ route guides compared by Universal Traveller.

Costa Rica is one of the easier countries in Latin America to travel through and one of the easiest to get wrong.

The roads look short on a map and stretch for hours in practice. The “tourist shuttle” you booked at a hostel desk is sometimes the best option and sometimes a markup on a public bus.

Domestic flights cut six-hour drives down to forty minutes, but only on certain routes and only at certain prices.

We’ve taken almost every option that exists here, and the answer to “what’s the best way to get around Costa Rica” is genuinely “it depends”, but not in the unhelpful way travel sites usually mean it.

This guide pulls together everything we’ve learned over multiple trips, with direct links to over fifty individual route guides for the country’s major destinations.

The short version: shuttles for most routes, a rental car if you want to disappear into the mountains, domestic flights for the Osa Peninsula and Tortuguero, and rarely a public bus unless you have time you don’t mind losing.

Quick answers: what we actually use

If you only read one section, read this.

QuestionShort answer
Should I rent a car?Yes if you’re staying more than five days and want to see the Nicoya Peninsula, the Caribbean coast, or the mountains. No if you’re doing San José → La Fortuna → Manuel Antonio and back.
Are tourist shuttles worth it?For most popular routes, yes. They cost $50 to $75, take half the time of a public bus, include hotel pickup, and you arrive ready to do something rather than recovering.
Are domestic flights worth it?Only for three trips: San José to Tortuguero, San José to Drake Bay or Puerto Jiménez (Osa), and San José to Tambor (south Nicoya). Everywhere else, drive or shuttle.
Public buses?Cheap, safe, slow. Use them if you’re on a long trip and want to travel like a local. Skip them if your vacation is shorter than two weeks.
SJO or LIR airport?Liberia (LIR) if you’re heading to Guanacaste beaches or the northwest. San José (SJO) for everywhere else. Don’t fly into SJO if your hotel is in Tamarindo.
Best booking platform?GuateGo for shuttles and buses, Discover Cars for rentals, and Sansa or Skyway for domestic flights. Avoid front-desk bookings at hotels as the markup is usually 20% to 40%.

Every Costa Rica route we’ve written about

Organized by departure hub. Click any route for the full breakdown, including current prices, journey time, and the option we’d choose.

From San José (SJO)

San José is the main international gateway and the hub for most onward travel. If you’re flying in and out of SJO, almost every route in the country starts here.

Cross-border from San José:

From La Fortuna / Arenal

La Fortuna is the volcano-and-hot-springs hub and the most-visited inland destination in the country. From here, most travelers connect onward to Monteverde or the Pacific coast.

From Monteverde

The cloud forest. Stunning, slow to reach, slower to leave. The roads in and out are notoriously rough; factor in extra time and consider whether you really want to drive yourself.

From Tamarindo

The most popular beach town in Guanacaste. Liberia Airport (LIR) is the closest international entry, and most onward Pacific-coast routes start here.

From Jacó

The closest beach town to San José is an easy first or last stop. Useful as a Pacific-coast staging point for routes south to Manuel Antonio and north to Tamarindo.

From Liberia (LIR Airport)

The northwest international gateway. If you’re going to Guanacaste, the Papagayo Peninsula, or anywhere on the Nicoya, fly into Liberia and skip the San José drive entirely.

From Manuel Antonio

From Puerto Viejo (Caribbean coast)

The Caribbean coast is a different country. Slower, less polished, more soulful. From here, the cross-border boat to Bocas del Toro in Panama is one of the great underrated journeys in Central America.

From Santa Teresa & Montezuma (Southern Nicoya)

The bohemian end of the country. Reaching it always involves a ferry or a long drive around the peninsula. Plan accordingly.

Crossing in from Panama

The Sixaola–Guabito border and the Paso Canoas border are the two main crossings. The Sixaola route via Bocas del Toro is scenic and uses a small boat; Paso Canoas is the southern Pacific overland crossing.

Each transport mode, honestly assessed

Tourist shuttles

For most routes between popular destinations, this is what we book. Operators like Interbus, Caribe Shuttle, and Easy Ride run scheduled minivans with hotel-door pickup and drop-off. Expect $50 to $75 per person for a half-day journey, plus a few comfort stops along the way. The trade-off is rigidity: you go when they go, and the journey takes as long as it takes.

When we use it: San José to La Fortuna, La Fortuna to Monteverde, Monteverde to Manuel Antonio, anything to or from Tamarindo. Book through GuateGo to compare operators and times.

Rental cars

A rental car changes the trip. You can stop at a roadside soda, take a side road to a waterfall, and rearrange your day. The trade-offs are real: Costa Rican roads vary from new highway to potholed gravel, signage is inconsistent, and the mandatory third-party liability insurance is non-negotiable and adds significantly to the rental quote.

What we recommend: Book a 4×4 if you’re going anywhere off the main highway. Use Discover Cars to compare quotes; the headline price on the rental company’s own site rarely matches what you actually pay at the counter. Pay for the included insurance upfront rather than declining and being talked into expensive add-ons on arrival.

Domestic flights

Costa Rica has two domestic carriers, Sansa and Skyway (formerly Costa Rica Green Airways). The aircraft are small Cessnas. The experience is more thrilling than relaxing. Flights are worth it for three trips only: San José to Tortuguero (the alternative is a boat-and-shuttle combination), San José to Drake Bay or Puerto Jiménez (the Osa Peninsula is a long drive otherwise), and San José to Tambor (southern Nicoya).

Everywhere else, you’ll spend more time getting to and from the airstrip than you save in the air.

Public buses

The public bus system is excellent value and works reliably if you have patience. A journey from San José to Tamarindo takes around six hours and costs under $15. There are no online bookings for most domestic routes; you buy at the terminal. We use them when traveling slowly. We don’t recommend them if your trip is under two weeks.

Private transfers

For families, groups, or anyone heading to a remote luxury property, a private transfer is often the most efficient option. Expect $150 to $300 for a one-way airport transfer to most major destinations. Hotels can arrange these, but the markup is real. Booking direct through a local operator or via GuateGo saves 20% to 40%.

Ferries

Two ferry routes matter: the Puntarenas to Paquera ferry for the Nicoya Peninsula, and the small Sixaola border boat for the Caribbean cross-border to Panama. Both run on schedule. Both fill up on weekends and holidays.

How to think about Costa Rica by region

Five regions, five different mindsets. The mistake we see most often is trying to combine all five in one ten-day trip. Pick two or three.

Central Valley & San José

The arrival point. Most travelers spend one night and move on. If you have a day, the coffee farms above the city and the central market are worth it. See our guide to San José and day trips from San José, plus the Central Valley overview.

Northern Lowlands (La Fortuna & Arenal)

Volcano views, hot springs, and the best soft-adventure base in the country. Read our La Fortuna things-to-do guide, the Arenal Volcano National Park guide, and our picks for the best Arenal hot springs.

Pacific Coast (Guanacaste, Nicoya, Central Pacific)

Where most beach travel happens. Tamarindo and the northern Guanacaste beaches are dry and developed; the southern Nicoya (Santa Teresa, Montezuma) is rougher and more bohemian; the central Pacific (Jacó, Manuel Antonio) is closer to San José and easier as a short trip. See Tamarindo, Manuel Antonio, Santa Teresa, Jacó, and the Papagayo Peninsula.

Caribbean Coast

Different country. Afro-Caribbean culture, slower pace, Bocas-style architecture. Our guides to Puerto Viejo, Tortuguero, and Puerto Limón.

Southern Zone & Osa Peninsula

The wildest part of Costa Rica. Corcovado is the headline. Plan for serious logistics: it’s not somewhere you “swing by.” Read our Corcovado guide.

Practical logistics and what goes wrong

When to book

Dry season (December to April) and especially Christmas-New Year and Easter — book shuttles and rental cars at least two weeks ahead. Domestic flights to Tortuguero and the Osa fill up earlier. Outside dry season, most routes have same-day availability.

What goes wrong

Shuttle no-shows. Rare but not unheard of. Always have the operator’s WhatsApp number from the booking confirmation. If the pickup is more than 30 minutes late, message them directly — the hotel often cannot help.

Road conditions. A “good road” on Google Maps may be unpaved. The descent into Monteverde and the road through the Osa are the two we hear about most. If you’re not comfortable on gravel, take a shuttle.

Rental car upselling. The counter agent will offer additional insurance, GPS, child seats, and an upgrade. The only thing legally required is the third-party liability already in your quote. Bring a printed copy.

Airport markups. Booking a transfer at the SJO arrivals desk costs roughly double what GuateGo or a direct operator charges. Book before you land.

Tipping

Shuttle drivers: $2 to $5 per passenger is standard. Private transfer drivers: $10 to $20 for a half-day. Not mandatory, but appreciated and worth doing.

How we travel in Costa Rica

Our default itinerary for a ten-day trip looks like this: fly into SJO, one night near the airport, shuttle to La Fortuna for three nights, shuttle on to Monteverde for two nights, shuttle down to Manuel Antonio or Santa Teresa for three nights, shuttle back to SJO. No rental car. We use GuateGo to compare and book ahead.

For a longer trip, or one that includes the Caribbean coast or the Osa, we rent a 4×4 for the segments where it makes sense and combine it with a domestic flight for the Osa. The rental gives flexibility; the flight saves a long, hard day on the road.

What we’d skip: trying to do public buses unless time is unlimited, renting a car for a four-night trip that doesn’t leave the main tourist corridor, and ever booking transport at the hotel front desk.

Plan the rest of your trip

Once logistics are sorted, here’s what we recommend:

FAQ

Do I need a rental car in Costa Rica?

Not for most trips. If you’re staying on the main tourist circuit (San José, La Fortuna, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, Tamarindo), shuttles cover every connection and you’ll be more relaxed without driving. Rent a car if you want to explore the Nicoya Peninsula, the Caribbean coast, or the Osa, or if you’re staying more than ten days.

Is it safe to drive in Costa Rica?

Yes, but with caveats. Highway driving is fine. Mountain roads, rural gravel routes, and night driving anywhere are more demanding than they look. Book a 4×4 if you’re going anywhere off the main highway and avoid driving after dark.

How much does a tourist shuttle cost?

Typically $50 to $75 per person for a half-day route, including hotel pickup and drop-off. Longer routes (San José to Puerto Viejo, for example) run higher. Booking through GuateGo usually beats booking at a hotel front desk by 20% to 40%.

Should I fly into San José (SJO) or Liberia (LIR)?

Liberia (LIR) if you’re going to Guanacaste, the northern Nicoya beaches (Tamarindo, Papagayo, Playa Hermosa), or Monteverde via the north. San José (SJO) for La Fortuna, Manuel Antonio, the Caribbean coast, the southern Nicoya, and the Osa.

What’s the best way to get from San José to La Fortuna?

A tourist shuttle, in our experience. The drive is about three hours, the shuttle includes hotel pickup, and the price is reasonable. See our full San José to La Fortuna route guide for all six options compared.

Are domestic flights worth it in Costa Rica?

For three specific routes: yes. San José to Tortuguero, San José to Drake Bay or Puerto Jiménez (Osa Peninsula), and San José to Tambor. These are journeys that would otherwise take a full day overland. Everywhere else, shuttle or drive.

Can I take public buses between major destinations?

Yes. The public bus network covers almost every destination in this guide. Tickets are bought at the terminal (no online booking for most routes), journeys take significantly longer than shuttles, and you’ll need patience and basic Spanish. Worth it for longer trips and budget travelers; otherwise, take a shuttle.

How do I cross from Costa Rica to Panama or Nicaragua?

To Panama: the Sixaola crossing via Bocas del Toro (scenic, includes a small boat) or Paso Canoas on the Pacific side. To Nicaragua: Peñas Blancas is the standard overland crossing, and there are direct shuttles from San José to San Juan del Sur and Managua. See our San José to San Juan del Sur and Puerto Viejo to Bocas del Toro guides for the full breakdown.

This guide is reviewed and refreshed quarterly. Spotted an error or a price that’s changed? Email info@universal-traveller.com — we correct factual errors within 7 business days.

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