How to get from Puerto Viejo de Talamanca to La Fortuna

Why visit La Fortuna?

La Fortuna translates to “The Fortune” in English, which seems pretty accurate as you feel like you’ve hit the jackpot while visiting here. As the gateway to Arenal Volcano National Park, La Fortuna attracts hiking and nature lovers eagerly waiting to explore the park’s two volcanoes — the still active Arenal and the inactive dormant Chato.

And let’s not forget about the incredible views that this laidback town is blessed with too. From virtually any spot in La Fortuna, you can see Arenal Volcano standing guard over the area.

There are 3 ways to travel the 270 kilometres (168 miles) from Puerto Viejo to La Fortuna. You can choose between the bus, minivan and private transport. The journey takes 5 hours to 9 hours 40 minutes and the quickest way is by minivan. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at 11,000 CRC ($21.50).

The bus is the cheapest way to get from Puerto Viejo to La Fortuna. Combined rates start from as low as 11,000 CRC ($21.50). However, there are no direct buses for this route, so you’ll need to take three buses.

The transfers are straightforward, but the journey will take at least 9 hours 40 minutes — that’s almost double the time of a direct minivan ride.

You’ll also have to go out of the way to San Jose if you want to travel completely by bus. We’ll leave it to you to decide whether the savings are worth this long journey.

First, you’ll have to take the bus for 4h 30m from Puerto Viejo de Talamanca to the capital city of San Jose. That’s roughly a 220 km ride northwest.

Autotransportes MEPE offers several daily trips from 02:00 to 15:00. We recommend that you take one of the earlier buses. It’s easier and safer to travel on unknown roads during the day. Keep in mind that you have to be in San Jose before 18:00 to be able to catch a connecting bus.

Buses depart from MEPE Bus Stop in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca city centre. You can buy your tickets at the terminal for 6,800 CRC ($13.40).

Buses operating from San Jose to Ciudad Quesada depart from Terminal 7-10. That means that upon arrival at Terminal Atlantico Norte, you’ll have to get out of the bus station and walk around 350 m to find your next bus ride.

From San Jose, there is only one bus that goes straight to La Fortuna. This departs at 08:40 in the morning. You can catch this only if you take the earliest bus from Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, which departs at 2:00 AM.

If you start your journey at a later time, then you can instead take an indirect bus via Ciudad Quesada, a town about 95 km north of San Jose. Bus trips for this route are more frequent.

Buses depart every 20 to 50 minutes, starting from 04:30 on weekdays and 05:00 on weekends, with the last departure at 18:00. Tickets cost about 2,680 CRC ($5.30) and are available at the bus station.

Buses park at Ciudad Quesada Bus Terminal after around 3h 40m.

You can find your connecting bus to La Fortuna at the same bus station you arrive at in Ciudad Quesada.

There are two bus routes from Ciudad Quesada to La Fortuna — one is via El Tanque (a little bit faster) and another one is via Chachagua (more scenic). If you don’t have a preference, just hop on the earliest bus available. Buses run daily from 04:00 to 22:00.

Ticket prices start from 1,520 CRC ($3) - 2,020 CRC ($4) and you can buy them from the driver. You will be dropped off at La Fortuna Terminal in the town centre.

PRO TIP: The bus trip can be tiring, but it’s important to keep an eye on your luggage. Bag thieves are plenty, especially in San Jose. When storing you bigger bags at the luggage compartment, make sure they’re in before boarding the bus and don’t forget to get your luggage ticket. Keep your valuables in a smaller bag on your lap — this is safer than using the overhead bin.

The minivan shuttle is the most convenient option for solo travellers and small groups. Shared minivans are door-to-door transfers so you can just wait to be picked up at your hotel. With a minivan, you can get from Puerto Viejo to La Fortuna in 5 to 6 hours.

It’s a bit expensive with rates from 39,000 CRC ($77), but well worth the time and hassle you save compared to taking a 9.5-hour indirect bus.

Some of the trusted minivan companies operating on this route are Interbus and Best Travel Puerto Viejo.

A private transfer is a convenient option when travelling in a group from Puerto Viejo to La Fortuna. Rates start from 138,000 CRC ($275) for a 3-seater private transfer from Puerto Viejo to La Fortuna. Divide the cost and that’s about 46,000 CRC ($91) per person.

If you’re in a group of at least six people, getting a private transfer is a bit cheaper than a shared minivan shuttle.

BookAway offers several vehicle choices depending on the size of your group.

Private Transport options from Puerto Viejo de Talamanca to La Fortuna