How to Get From San Jose to Santa Teresa

The minivan is the most convenient way to travel from San Jose to Santa Teresa. Note that this option (as well as most of the other transport options for this route) includes a ferry crossing from Puntarenas to Paquera.

Ticket prices for the combined minivan and ferry trip start from $48 (21,600 CRC). The journey takes about 5h - 6h 30m.

Some of the minivan companies you can choose from are Transporzuma, Santa Teresa Adventure, Suntrails, Interbus and Costa 24/7. Most of these operators offer hotel/airport pickup and drop-off.

The tables below provide schedules for transfers between San Jose and Santa Teresa. You'll find options for both hotel-to-hotel service and direct transfers from San Jose Airport.

With the indirect bus, you will take a bus and ferry from San Jose to Cobano and then transfer to another bus going to Santa Teresa. Combined fares start from $23 (10,200 CRC) and the entire trip takes 4h 45m or more, depending on traffic and the number of stops.

PRO TIP: Local travel links, including the bus station in San Jose, can attract thieves, so keep your belongings in sight. Don't board the bus until your bigger bags are inside the luggage compartment, and be sure to get your luggage ticket. It's best to keep smaller bags, containing your valuables, in front of you or between your feet, instead of in overhead storage

It’s a long drive from San Jose to Santa Teresa. But if you’re already planning on driving around Costa Rica in your own rental car, then you’ll be happy to know that this is going to be a scenic adventure.

Driving directions from San Jose to Santa Teresa

Like shuttle vans and private transfers, there are two routes you can take when driving the San Jose-Santa Teresa route: completely overland and by land & ferry.

Driving from San Jose to Santa Teresa by land

The first half of the overland drive to Santa Teresa from San Jose is quite simple because you will be travelling through national highways. From San Jose, drive northwest to Route 27 and then Route 1.

Turn left on Route 18. From here onwards, you travel southwest to La Palma, across Puente La Amistad, and then further south up to Pueblo Viejo de Nicoya. Transfer to Route 21 and then turn right on Route 162. You’d want to slow down from here. First because of the magnificent rural views. Second because not all roads are paved.

Once you reach Route 163, turn left. It gets trickier from here because of the many twists and turns. But you’ll be rewarded with a glimpse of rural — and mostly untouched — Costa Rica. Continue south until you find the coastal road to Santa Teresa.

Driving completely overland from San Jose to Santa Teresa takes about 5.5 hours, excluding any stops.

Driving from San Jose to Santa Teresa by land and ferry

This route includes the added adventure (and cost) of taking a car ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera. Driving time — including the ferry ride — takes around 5 hours. But the entire travel time depends on the time of your arrival in Puntarenas, and whether you can get into a car ferry as soon as you get there.

From San Jose, take Route 27 and continue west until you reach the Port of Puntarenas.

Eight car ferries are operating from Puntarenas to Paquera, with departures from 04:00 to 22:00. Rates start from $1.80 (810 CRC) per person and $26 (11,400 CRC) per car (light vehicles). Check the Naviera Tambor website for the latest car ferry schedules and fares.

The scenic ferry crossing to Paquera Port takes about 1.5 hours. From here, take Route 621 and then 160 going south through Cobano, Los Charocoles and Carmen. Finally, take the coastal road along C. Cobano until you reach Santa Teresa.

Where to rent a car in San Jose

There are plenty of car rental shops in Costa Rica’s capital city or at San Jose Airport. We can’t say the same for Santa Teresa, though. And most companies only allow rental when you’re returning the car in San Jose, or other popular destinations like La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio.

You can ask your hotel for recommendations on where to rent a car, or you can find one online.

We normally recommend checking Skyscanner for the best car rental prices (and flights), but occasionally you might find even better prices on Kayak. Both are reliable search engines which make it easy to search for the cheapest car deals and apply relevant filters.

One-day car rental costs around $40 (18,000 CRC) per day when you’re returning the car to San Jose. If you’re dropping off the car elsewhere in Costa Rica, rental prices are significantly more expensive, starting at $120 (54,000 CRC) on the first day. The price includes daily car insurance, which is mandatory in Costa Rica.

Travelling with friends or family? You can save on costs when you take a private transfer from San Jose to Santa Teresa. Rates start from $300 (136,000 CRC) for a 4-seater car. That’s about $76 (34,000 CRC) per person if you divide the cost. The bigger the group, the more you save.

These door-to-door transfers don’t need to make unnecessary stops so you can complete the journey in just around 4h 30m - 6h 30m.

Private transfers from San Jose to Santa Teresa take two different routes: completely overland or including a ferry ride from Puntarenas to Paquera. This ferry ride costs $1.50 (670 CRC) per person and ferry tickets are not included in the cost of the private transfer.

If you don’t want to take a ferry, check the details first before booking your ride.