SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA
San José, Costa Rica’s capital and largest city, is the country’s main travel hub. If traveling by bus, prepare to go through San José at least once or twice; this is required to get to many of the desired travel destinations - especially if traveling laterally. I view this city as being a quick trip; get in and get out. I say that because the rest of the country is so mind-blowingly beautiful!
Attractions:
Explore the City’s Parks: San José is a city with plenty of green space! There are many parks to visit and stroll through. The most popular are: La Sabana Metropolitan Park, Morazán Park, Central Park, Parque España, Parque Nacional Simón Bolívar, and La Merced Park.
Volcán Irazú National Park: 90 minutes from San José, this park is home to the country’s tallest active volcano! Day tours from SJ can be booked online for $70-$130. You can also visit the park by renting a car. The park’s hours are 8:00am-3:30pm daily.
Visit Historic Plazas: The only public spaces more trafficked than the city parks are the famous plazas! Visit Plaza de la Cultura, Plaza de las Artes, and Plaza de la Democracia y de la Abolición del Ejército.
Parque Diversiones: Built in 1981, this children’s amusement park is backed by a mission that supports Costa Rican youth. Park entrance is free but any donation you make directly benefits the National Children’s Hospital!
Get Out: The honest truth is that your time in Costa Rica is best served outside of San José. There is so much splendor in the country that it is hard to rationalize spending any more than one night here.
Other spots include: National Theatre of Costa Rica, Jade Museum, Museum of Costa Rican Art, Spirogyra Butterfly Garden, and Metropolitan Cathedral of San José.
Accommodation:
Selina: These hostels are hard to beat! With locations all around the world, you know what you are getting when you stay at a Selina - clean rooms, large kitchen spaces, and comfortable common areas. It is also located within a 30-minute walk from all five of the bus stations listed below. Enjoy your stay!
Transportation:
A challenging aspect of San José is its lack of central bus station. There are an excessive number of bus terminals across the city because most companies have their own. In other words, your destination will determine which bus station you go to. The most popular bus companies/terminals are listed below (for the most updated information, visit the Tourist Information Center):
Terminal 7-10 (located at the intersection of Avenida 7 and Calle 10) is one of the rare bus terminals in San José that has multiple companies operating out of it. Below are the destinations serviced by this station:
Jacó is 2 hours by bus from San José and costs $5; buses depart every four hours daily from 7:00am-7:00pm via Transportes Jacó.
The shuttle ride is 3 hours and costs $44.
La Fortuna is 4 hours by bus from San José and costs $5; buses depart every 20-50 minutes (or by demand from 5:30am-5:45pm) via Transportes Venecia de San Carlos.
The shuttle ride is 4 hours and costs $57.
Monteverde is 4.5 hours by bus from San José and costs $6; buses depart twice daily at 6:30am and 2:30pm via Transportes Monteverde.
The shuttle ride is 4 hours and costs $57.
Terminal de Autobus Atlántico Norte (located at the intersection of Avenida 9 and Calle 12) runs the below route:
Puerto Viejo (de Talamanca) is 4.5 hours by bus from San José and costs $11; buses depart every two hours daily from 6:00am-6:00pm via Transportes Mepe.
The shuttle bus ride is 5 hours and costs $55.
Tica Bus Terminal (located at the intersection of Avenida 3 and Transversal 26) services the below destinations:
San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua is 7-9 hours by bus from San José (indirect; via Rivas) and costs $28. The first bus from San José to Rivas is 6-8 hours and costs $27; buses depart daily at 3:00am, 6:00am, 7:30am, 12:30pm via Tica Bus. The second bus from Rivas to San Juan del Sur is 1 hour and costs $0.50 (15 Nicaraguan Córdobas); chicken buses run every 30 minutes.
The shuttle ride is 7 hours and costs $72.
When crossing the border from Costa Rica to Nicaragua, you will pay two fees. The first fee is $7 to exit Costa Rica and the second fee is $12 to enter Nicaragua. The border crossing takes between 15 minutes to 2 hours depending on the day.
Boquete, Panama is 9 hours by bus from San José (indirect; via Paso Canoas and David) and costs $22. The first bus from San José to Paso Canoas is 7 hours and costs $18. The second bus from Paso Canoas to David is 1 hour and costs $2.25. The final bus from David to Boquete is 1 hour and costs $1.75.
There are a lot of restrictions when crossing the Costa Rican border at Paso Canoas. See my Panama page for more information on what you need to have prepared to cross; they are strict!
The flight from San José to David is 1 hour and costs between $150-$200. From David, you will either need to take a taxi or bus to Boquete.
Bocas del Toro, Panama is 12-13 hours by bus and ferry from San José (indirect; via Paso Canoas, David, and Almirante) and costs $34.25. The route is the same as above up until David. The bus from David to Almirante is 4 hours and costs $8. The final leg is a ferry from Almirante to Bocas del Toro; the ferry is 30 minutes and costs $6.
The shuttle ride is 10 hours and costs $78.
Be mindful of the border crossing note above.
The flight from San José to Bocas del Toro is 1 hour and costs between $175-$250.
Panama City, Panama is 15 hours by bus from San José (indirect; via Paso Canoas and David) and costs $40. The route is the same as above up until David. The final bus from David to Panama City is 7 hours and costs $20.
Be mindful of the border crossing note above.
The flight from San José to Panama City is 1.5 hours and costs between $150-$200.
Tracopa Terminal (located at the intersection of Avenida 20 and Calle 5) runs the below route:
Transnica Terminal (located at the intersection of Avenida 5 and Calle 20) runs the below route:
Tegucigalpa, Honduras is 14-15 hours by bus from San José (indirect; via Managua) and costs $60. The first bus from San José to Managua is 8.5 hours and costs $30; this bus departs once daily at 2:00am. The second bus from Managua to Tegucigalpa is 5.5 hours and costs $30; this bus departs once daily at 10:30am.
This route requires crossing multiple borders. When crossing the border from Costa Rica to Nicaragua, you will pay two fees. The first fee is $7 to exit Costa Rica and the second fee is $12 to enter Nicaragua. When crossing the border from Nicaragua to Honduras, you will also pay two fees. The first fee is $3 to exit Nicaragua and the second fee is also $3 to enter Honduras.
Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) is 17km (11 miles) from the city center and accessible via bus or taxi. If you are flying into San José, this is likely the airport you are landing at.
Bus: The ride is 30-45 minutes and costs $1. Walk directly outside the airport to the Tuasa bus stop; buses depart every 10-15 minutes. If you cannot find the stop, ask a local where to find the stop for the big red bus or “la parada para el gran autobús rojo”. The bus drops off in SJ at La Merced Park.
Taxi: The ride is 20 minutes and costs $25-$30 depending on the time of day.
The city’s secondary airport, Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ), is 8km (5 miles) from the city center and accessible via bus or taxi. It is rarely used by travelers, but it is certainly an option.
Bus: 60 minutes walking from the airport, find the Autotransportes Pavas Bus Terminal. From here, the bus ride to San José is 45 minutes and costs $1; buses depart every 30 minutes. The bus drops off in SJ at the Coca Cola bus stop.
Taxi: The ride is 20 minutes and costs $25-$30 depending on the time of day.
Sadly, I did not take any photos while I was in San José. Thank you, Jose Saenz, Manuel de la Fuente, Kerstin Wießer-Buchholz, Ronald Aguilar, Ashly Araya, Bernal Fallas, and Starfishevents!