How to get from San Jose to Manuel Antonio

Why visit Manuel Antonio?

Manuel Antonio is a popular national park and beach town in Costa Rica’s Puntarenas Province. It boasts a diverse rainforest, which is home to a great variety of flora and fauna. You’ll find here white-faced capuchin monkeys, three-toed sloths, and a whole variety of wildlife.

You can spend days without running out of things to do in Manuel Antonio — from chasing waterfalls to going on a catamaran cruise. But the town’s main draw is actually its beaches — white sand, turquoise waters — the perfect ending after hiking through its jungle.

There are 6 ways to travel the 170 kilometers (106 miles) from San Jose to Manuel Antonio. You can choose between the bus, minivan, private transfer, flight, day trip and car rental. The journey takes 2 hours 15 minutes to 16 hours and the quickest way is by flight. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at 4,320 CRC ($8.50).

The minivan is by far the most comfortable way to travel from San Jose to Manuel Antonio. You can expect an air-conditioned ride that includes pickup from your hotel in San Jose (or San Jose Airport) and drop-off at your hotel in Manuel Antonio. Just make sure to choose the correct pickup and drop-off points!

The journey by minivan takes around 3 hours 20 minutes to 5 hours 10 minutes, with tickets from 25,000 CRC ($49).

There are several minivans and shuttle buses on the San Jose to Manuel Antonio route, including RideCR, Super Shuttle Costa Rica, Amigo Transfer, Interbus and Easy Ride.

The bus is a popular option with locals because a ticket costs only 5,600 CRC ($11) for a direct bus from San Jose to Manuel Antonio. That’s great news because up until 2022, you could only take the bus to the adjacent town of Quepos. From there you still had to take another bus or taxi to Manuel Antonio.

Bus travel time is around 3 hours 30 minutes, or more, depending on traffic.

Tracopa is the only bus company covering this route. Conveniently, its buses are available almost every hour from 06:00 to 19:30.

PRO TIP: Be careful with your luggage! If you’re going to put them in the luggage compartment, make sure they’re already inside before you board the bus. Don’t forget to also get your luggage ticket from the driver! As for smaller bags with your valuables, it’s safer to put them in front of you (between your legs) instead of the overhead compartment.

Departure and arrival station

The bus departs from Tracopa Bus Terminal in San Jose city centre. This bus station is only a few minutes walk from Plaza Gonzalez Viquez Train Station.

The last stop is at Tracopa Manuel Antonio, near the beach.

If you’re staying in Quepos instead of Manuel Antonio — or if you missed a direct bus to Manuel Antonio — don’t worry! You can hop on a bus heading to Quepos instead. These buses also leave from the Tracopa Bus Terminal in San José, making it a convenient backup option.

The bus takes various routes, all arriving in Quepos: Puriscal, Ruta 27, Costanera or Aguacate. Travel time is around 3-5.5 hours.

A bus ticket costs 4,320 CRC ($8.50).

Driving your own car is a great way to travel around Costa Rica. You’ll have more control of your time and you can make as many stops along the way. You’ll want to do that a lot on the picturesque drive from San Jose to Manuel Antonio.

With daily rental rates starting from 18,000 CRC ($35) , renting a car can also be cheaper than taking a shuttle van or a private transfer when you’re travelling in a group. But keep in mind that you’ll of course spend money on gas, and sometimes tolls.

Travel time when driving takes 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours, depending on which route you take and how many stops you make.

Driving directions from San Jose to Manuel Antonio

The best part about driving this route is the views. You can choose from two routes: along the coast or through the mountains.

Route 1: Along the coast

For coastal views, take Route 27 through Alajuela Province and then transfer to Route 34 as you leave Coyolar. This road will lead you to the vibrant surf town of Jaco. You can stay a few hours or a few days in Jaco (depending on how much time you have) before moving on to Manuel Antonio.

This route along the coast is longer (170 km), but faster because you’ll be taking the highway. Prepare some cash for tolls that cost around 2,540 CRC ($5).

Route 2: Through the mountains

Alternatively, you can take the route through the mountains (110 km). It’s shorter, but the travel time is longer because of heavy traffic. On the good side, the lush mountain views will keep you entertained throughout the 4-hour journey.

Take Route 214 out of San Jose and then transfer to Route 209. Take a slight left to Route 301 once you reach San Ignacio and continue for about 53 km. Turn left once you arrive at Route 34 and continue until you reach Manuel Antonio.

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. Not all rental companies allow you to drop off the car in Manuel Antonio, though. So there’s a chance you can rent a car only if you can bring it back to San Jose.

You can ask your hotel for recommendations on where to rent a car or 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.

A one-day car rental costs about 18,000 CRC ($35) per day if you’re returning the car to San José. Dropping the car off in Manuel Antonio or elsewhere in Costa Rica (where the company allows a car drop-off), significantly increases the cost, starting at 41,000 CRC ($80) for the first day.

These rates include mandatory daily car rental insurance, which is required by law in Costa Rica.

There are no direct flights from San Jose to Manuel Antonio. You can only take a flight to Quepos and from there take a taxi or bus to Manuel Antonio. Combined costs for this option start from 69,000 CRC ($135), which is three times the cost of a shared minivan.

The flight from San Jose to Quepos takes only 30 minutes. But including the journey to and from the airport, it will take close to 2 hours 15 minutes plus the waiting and check-in time at the airport. Altogether, we think it’s a lot easier to book a cheaper and direct shuttle van that transfers you door to door.

If you don’t mind the extra transfers to and from the airport, read on for how to travel by plane to Manuel Antonio from San Jose.

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

From San Jose city centre, you can get to San Jose Airport (Juan Santamaria International Airport) via a 1-hour bus or a 30-minute taxi.

Taxis are available with rates from 18,000 CRC ($35.50). You can hail them from the street or book via the ride-hailing app Uber.

Pro tip: Uber is still not 100% accepted in Costa Rica. Many tourists have had great experience using it, but there have been a few cases of Uber rides being stopped in the middle of the journey. We recommend asking advice from your hotel on whether it’s safe to use it before booking a ride.

As an alternative, you can take the bus for only 760 CRC ($1.50) per ticket. Do this only if you have a lot of time before your flight because buses often get stuck in traffic.

There are two bus operators available at TUASA Terminal. TUASA (coloured red and white) and Station Wagon (coloured orange and yellow) buses depart every 10 minutes from 04:00 to 23:00.

Flights from San Jose Airport to Quepos Airport take only 30 minutes. Sansa Regional offers 4-5 flights daily with airfares from 60,000 CRC ($120).

If budget isn’t a problem, you can take a private air transfer. Rates start from 378,000 CRC ($745) for a 4-seater private flight to Manuel Antonio from San Jose.

Like the commercial flight, the private flight departs from San Jose Airport and arrives at Quepos Airport. But with your own plane, you’ll only need 15 minutes to check in for your flight. Also, you’ll have a better view of the scenic landscapes along the way.

From Quepos Airport, you’ll then travel around 10 km south to Manuel Antonio.

Taking a taxi is the most convenient option. The taxi ride will take 15 minutes and cost around 8,100 CRC ($16).

Buses are also available from Quepos to Manuel Antonio, but they depart from the bus station in the town centre. If you’re taking this option, you’ll have to take a bus from the airport to Quepos town and another bus to Manuel Antonio.

The combined bus rate costs only around 1,700 CRC ($3.30), but travel time may take more than an hour.

Do you only have one day to spare for Manuel Antonio? If yes, you can consider joining a group tour from San Jose. We don’t really recommend this option because there is so much to do at the national park. Also, you’ll spend more time on the journey than in the park itself.

Still, we understand that not everyone has the luxury of time. If you’re one of those people, then you can join a day trip from San Jose to Manuel Antonio. This day trip takes 16 hours and includes roundtrip transportation, breakfast, and 5 hours of free time to explore the jungle or lounge at the beach at Manuel Antonio National Park.

Rates start from 79,000 CRC ($155) when you book your day trip on GetYourGuide, including the entrance ticket to the national park.

Not a lot of people join day tours to Manuel Antonio from San Jose so this option is usually only available from Friday to Sunday.

Travelling in a group? A private transfer is a faster option at 2 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes because you don’t need to wait for other passengers.

Rates start from 86,000 CRC ($170) for a 4-seater private car from San Jose to Manuel Antonio. That’s about 21,000 CRC ($42.50) per person if you are in a group of 4 — cheaper than a shared minivan.

The private transfer will pick you up and drop you off at your hotels in San Jose and Manuel Antonio. Some minivans depart from San Jose Airport. Private transfers are also available for larger groups of up to 18 people.

Private Transfer options from San Jose to Manuel Antonio