How to get to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica?
Manuel Antonio, in the Central South Pacific region of Costa Rica, is about three hours (159.9 km/99 miles) drive from the Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) and 4 hours and a half (253.5 km /157 miles) from the Guanacaste International Airport (LIR)
In this post you will find:
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There are several ways to come and different routes you can use. In this post we will talk a little about all of them:
How to get to Manuel Antonio by Public Bus?
Terminal Transportes Tracopa operates a daily direct bus from San Jose to Quepos several times a day. (Find the schedule below)
This takes approximately 4 hours and costs approximately 4500 colones ($8 USD).
For people in Jaco and Herradura, there is a direct bus from Jaco to Quepos, where you will change buses to get to the park.
How to get to Manuel Antonio from Puntarenas and vice-versa?
There is a bus company that does that route several times a day.
Public buses schedules to and from San Jose and Puntarenas:
| SAN JOSE – QUEPOS – SAN JOSE | |||||
| Time | From | To | Time | From | To |
| 06:00:00 | San Jose | Quepos | 04:00:00 | Quepos | San Jose |
| 09:00:00 | San Jose | Quepos | 06:00:00 | Quepos | San Jose |
| 10:30:00 | San Jose | Quepos | 07:30:00 | Quepos | San Jose |
| 12:00:00 | San Jose | Quepos | 09:30:00 | Quepos | San Jose |
| 13:15:00 | San Jose | Quepos | 12:00:00 | Quepos | San Jose |
| 14:30:00 | San Jose | Quepos | 13:00:00 | Quepos | San Jose |
| 16:45:00 | San Jose | Quepos | 14:30:00 | Quepos | San Jose |
| 19:30:00 | San Jose | Quepos | 17:00:00 | Quepos | San Jose |
| PUNTARENAS-QUEPOS-PUNTARENAS | |||||
| Time | From | To | Time | From | To |
| 4:30 a. m. | Puntarenas | Quepos | 4:35 a. m. | Quepos | Puntarenas |
| 5:00 a. m. | Puntarenas | Quepos | 5:30 a. m. | Quepos | Puntarenas |
| 7:00 a. m. | Puntarenas | Quepos | 7:30 a. m. | Quepos | Puntarenas |
| 10:00 a. m. | Puntarenas | Quepos | 11:00 a. m. | Quepos | Puntarenas |
| 12:00 Md | Puntarenas | Quepos | 2:00 p. m. | Quepos | Puntarenas |
| 3:30 p. m. | Puntarenas | Quepos | 3:30 p. m. | Quepos | Puntarenas |
| 4:30 p. m. | Puntarenas | Quepos | 4:30 p. m. | Quepos | Puntarenas |
| 5:30 p. m. | Puntarenas | Quepos | 6:00 p. m. | Quepos | Puntarenas |
Buses between Quepos and Manuel Antonio
These Buses run every half an hour or so from the Quepos bus station to the national park entrance, beginning at 530 AM and ending at 930 PM.
The price is 380 CRC ($.57 USD).
It makes stops along the way to the park, making it an excellent option for those choosing to stay in Manuel Antonio who wants to visit the park or Quepos.
How to get to Manuel Antonio by Shared or Private Shuttle Van
You can take private or shared shuttles.
A private shuttle from San Jose to Manuel Antonio is around $200 USD for 1–8 passengers, and from Guanacaste, around $280 USD. So, depending on the size of your group, it may be a good idea.
Companies such as Ride CR, Interbus, and Tropical Tours Shuttles may charge an average of $50-60 per person for a shared shuttle.
How to get to Manuel Antonio by driving
Whether you are coming from Guanacaste (LIR) or the Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), both routes are well-maintained highways.
And in both, you will find a convenient number of restaurants, and gas stations to use if needed.
You can also come to Manuel Antonio traveling through the region of Perez Zeledon and the Talamanca Mountain Range. There is a very picturesque and winding road that goes from the San Isidro Valley where Perez Zeledon is to the area of Dominical.
How to get from Quepos to Manuel Antonio
The route from Quepos to Manuel Antonio National Park is winding and quite narrow. Be cautious when driving! Furthermore, street parking is scarce. Because cars move quickly, you may need the assistance of a passenger. Because a large percentage of parking is on the street, make sure to keep any personal belongings noticeable and lock doors and close car windows whenever you park.
How to get to Manuel Antonio Flying?
Quepos is served by its own airport. Sansa Air offers a 10-minute plane ride from San Jose for around $100 USD one way.
| Time | From | To | Time | From | To |
| 07:00 | San Jose | Quepos | 07:40 | Quepos | San Jose |
| 09:00 | San Jose | Quepos | 09:40 | Quepos | San Jose |
| 11:35 | San Jose | Quepos | 01:20 | Quepos | San Jose |
| 12:40 | San Jose | Quepos | 14:40 | Quepos | San Jose |
| 13:30 | San Jose | Quepos | 17:00 | Quepos | San Jose |
| 16:20 | San Jose | Quepos |
The nearest airport is located five minutes outside of Quepos.
If you want to travel flying from Guanacaste, you’d have to go through the SJO airport as there are no direct local flights between LIR and Quepos Airport.
Many people do not want to drive all the way from San Jose to Manuel Antonio.
In this case, they take a local flight to Quepos, rent a car in Quepos for the duration of their stay, and some of them use it to go to Corcovado, Dominical, and Uvita, and even more remote regions like Monteverde and even Guanacaste. The other possibility is to stay in the region and return the car before flying.
How To Get Around in the area of Manuel Antonio and Quepos?
If you do not intend to rent a car, the public bus which runs around Quepos and the national park is an excellent option. You can also choose to walk. The hill, however, is very steep and lacks sidewalks and street lights. To avoid getting soaked during the rainy season, you may need to rely on taxis and Ubers more. If you do not intend to rent a car, we recommend staying in a hotel that is close to restaurants, grocery stores, and other amenities.
If you want some advice on where to get your shuttle or flight, contact us! We can help you with this!
