Santa Teresa to San Jose in 2.5-5 hours (2026)

San Jose, Costa Rica's capital, is the country's main transport hub and home to its busiest international airport. Flying from Cobano is the quickest way to get from Santa Teresa to San Jose, taking 2h 20m. By road, the indirect bus and ferry combo is the cheapest at $23 (10,200 CRC).

DISTANCE

Distance from Santa Teresa to San Jose

Santa Teresa and San Jose are about 124 km (77 miles) apart, and the overland-and-sea journey covers around 274 km. The quickest way to get from Santa Teresa to San Jose is by taking the flight via cobano, which takes around 2h 20m.

~124 km

Straight-line distance

~274 km

Route distance

2h 20m

Fastest

Travelling the other way?San Jose to Santa Teresa→

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4 ways to travel from Santa Teresa to San Jose

There are four ways to travel from Santa Teresa to San Jose. You can choose between the minivan, indirect bus + ferry, flight, and private transport. The journey takes 2h 20m–5h and the quickest way is by flight. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by indirect bus + ferry with tickets starting at $23 (10,200 CRC).

TransportDurationPrice

Taking a combined minivan and ferry is a straightforward way to get from Santa Teresa to San Jose. The minivan company handles your ferry transfer, so you don’t have to worry about tickets or connections.

With this option, you'll take a shuttle from Santa Teresa to Paquera Port. From there, you'll transfer to a ferry to cross the strait to Puntarenas. After the crossing, you will return to your shuttle, which will take you to San Jose.

Minivan rates for the Santa Teresa to San Jose route start from $48 (21,800 CRC) and the travel time is 5h - 7h 15m.

Minivan schedule from Santa Teresa to San Jose

5h30mTransporzumaStandardSanta Teresa Beach - Hotel ListDenny's Alajuela Diner06:3015:00$4821,800 CRCTickets

5h30mTransporzumaStandardSanta Teresa Beach - Hotel ListSan Jose - Hotel List06:3015:00From $4922,000 CRCTickets

5h30mSanta Teresa AdventureShuttleSanta Teresa Beach - Any hotelSan Jose - Any hotel06:3015:30$4922,200 CRCTickets

6hSanta Teresa AdventureShuttleSanta Teresa Beach - Any hotelDenny's Alajuela Diner06:3015:30$4922,200 CRCTickets

5h10mDescubre MonteverdeStandardSanta Teresa - Any hotelSan Jose - Any hotel06:30$5625,500 CRCTickets

Show all 9 companies

6h45mTropical Tours ShuttleShuttleSanta TeresaSan Jose Airport06:4514:45$6027,500 CRCTickets

6hInterbusStandardSanta Teresa Beach - Hotel ListSan Jose - Hotel List07:00$7634,500 CRCTickets

6h30mInterbusStandardSanta Teresa Beach - Hotel ListSan Jose Airport (SJO07:00$7634,500 CRCTickets

5hCosta 24/7ShuttleSanta Teresa Beach - Any hotelSan Jose Airport (SJO13:00$400182,000 CRCTickets

Available atBookaway Tropicaltourshuttles

Booking Tip

We recommend booking your minivan through BookAway, which offers excellent customer service. But if you’re travelling with Tropical Tours Shuttle, you can only book a ride through their website.

San Jose

An affordable way to travel from Santa Teresa to San Jose is to take the indirect bus. Combined fares start from $23 (10,200 CRC).

This option involves two separate buses and a ferry transfer. Travel time is around 5h.

Step 1: Bus from Santa Teresa to Cobano

1h$2.20 (1,000 CRC)

There are several bus trips available from Santa Teresa to Cobano throughout the day. Make sure to take a bus that will give you enough time to transfer to your connecting bus in Cobano within the same day.

The bus will pass through the main road from Santa Teresa’s far end. You can simply hail it from the street. A ticket costs $2.20 (1,000 CRC) and you can buy one from the driver.

The bus arrives at Cobano Bus Stop after 1 hour.

Step 2: Bus and Ferry from Cobano to San Jose

4h$20 (9,100 CRC)

Transportes Cobano operates the bus from Cobano to San Jose.

From Cobano Bus Stop, the bus takes you by land to Paquera Port, where you’ll transfer to a ferry heading to Puntarenas. After the ferry ride, you'll reboard the same bus, which continues by land to San Jose Airport and finally to the city centre.

With just one trip available daily, we recommend booking your ride online beforehand. The combined bus + ferry ticket costs $20 (9,100 CRC). You can also buy it directly from the driver for a few dollars cheaper, but there's a risk of tickets selling out.

Travel time is around 4h.

4hTransportes CobanoStandardTerminal Buses De CobanoTIG Transporte Inteligente de Guanacaste13:00From $209,100 CRCTickets

Bus tickets are available on Bookaway and LaterminalCostaRica.

San Jose

Travelling from Santa Teresa to San Jose by flight will take just a little over 2h 20m. It’s definitely the fastest, but it’s also quite expensive with rates from $165 (75,000 CRC).

Santa Teresa doesn’t have its own airport so you’ll first have to travel by land to Cobano Airport, and then take a flight from there to San Jose.

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

Step 1: How to get to Cobano Airport

40m$40 (18,200 CRC)

From Santa Teresa, the most convenient way to get to Cobano Airport is by private transfer. You can request this from your hotel beforehand or you can just hail a taxi. Rates start from $40 (18,200 CRC) for the journey that takes 40 minutes.

Another option is to book your ride online via Tropical Tours Shuttle, with fares starting from $30 (13,600 CRC).

Step 2: Flight from Cobano to San Jose

40m$125 (56,000 CRC)

Sansa Airlines, Green Airways and Hahn Air offer several daily flights from Cobano to San Jose.

Airfares start from $125 (56,000 CRC). The flight arrives at San Jose Airport after around 40 minutes.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Flights from Santa Teresa depart from Cobano Airport, not Tambor Airport. Keep this in mind when booking your flight!

Check Flights

Step 3: Bus from San Jose Airport to San Jose City Centre

1h$1.50 (680 CRC)

From San Jose Airport, you’ll then have to travel 17 km southeast to reach the city centre. There are two ways to do that: a bus for 1 hour that costs $1.50 (680 CRC) or a 30-minute taxi with rates from $31 (14,000 CRC).

To take the bus, you’ll have to hail them from the main road. They’re available every 10 minutes from 04:00 to 23:00. TUASA (coloured red and white) and Station Wagon (coloured orange and yellow) are the 2 bus companies you can choose from. They both arrive at TUASA Terminal in San Jose city centre.

If you're taking a taxi, we recommend hailing one from the main road (just a short walk from the airport arrivals hall) because there is an additional fee for airport taxis. Or you can also try getting a ride via Uber for around the same price.

PRO TIP: Although widely used, Uber is still not 100% “legal” in Costa Rica. There have been rare accounts of tourists being stopped in the middle of the journey and asked to transfer to a taxi. If you’re not willing to take that risk, might as well take a regular taxi.

San JoseCity Centre

Travelling in a group? A private transfer from Santa Teresa to San Jose might be cheaper than a minivan when you're travelling in a large group and sharing the cost.

BookAway offers various vehicles depending on the size of your group. Prices for private transfer start at $320 (144,000 CRC) for a 5-seater. Split it with your group, and it’s about $64 (29,000 CRC) each.

Private transfers from Santa Teresa to San Jose take two different routes: completely overland or including a ferry ride from Paquera to Puntarenas. This ferry ride costs $1.80 (810 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.

Travel time with a private transfer to San Jose from Santa Teresa takes around 4h 30m - 6h 30m.

Santa Teresa

Zuma Tours

Standard Minivan 5 PAX

$320 (144,000 CRC)

$64 (29,000 CRC) per person

Tickets

RideCR

Standard Ferry 6 PAX

$320 (144,000 CRC)

$53 (24,200 CRC) per person

Tickets

Santa Teresa Adventure

Standard Car 4 PAX

$390 (178,000 CRC)

$98 (44,500 CRC) per person

Tickets

Santa Teresa Adventure

Standard Car 4 PAX

$390 (178,000 CRC)

$98 (44,500 CRC) per person

Tickets

Available atBookaway

San Jose

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Where to StayWhere we'd stay in San Jose3 places we've picked out, for every budget

ABOUT YOUR DESTINATION

Why Visit San Jose?

San Jose is a bustling urban landscape in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. Being the capital city, it may not be as pretty as the beach and jungle destinations that the country is known for. But if you are stopping by anyway, might as well explore for a few hours or a day before moving on to your next stop.

You will find plenty of things to do in San Jose. Within the city, you can check out the colonial buildings turned museums at Barrio Amon, try out the famed restaurants at Barrio Escalante, or party the night away in El Pueblo. If you want to venture outside the city limits, the Poas Volcano and La Paz Waterfall Gardens are highly recommended!

Rounding it up

That's the full picture for getting from Santa Teresa to San Jose, roughly 124 kilometres (77 miles) apart. In all, there are 4 ways to make the trip. The cheapest fare is $23 (10,200 CRC). The quickest trip takes 2h 20m.

Prices and timetables change, so it's worth a quick check before you travel. Have a question, or travelled this route recently? Ask the community below and we'll do our best to help.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the distance from Santa Teresa to San Jose?

The distance from Santa Teresa to San Jose is 124 kilometres (77 miles).

What is the fastest way to get from Santa Teresa to San Jose?

The fastest way to get from Santa Teresa to San Jose is by flight and takes 2h 20m.

What is the cheapest way to get from Santa Teresa to San Jose?

The cheapest way to get from Santa Teresa to San Jose is by indirect bus + ferry with ticket costs starting from 10,200 CRC.

About the Authors

Ela

Senior Travel Writer

Ela is a storyteller, content producer, solo traveller and a mermaid-in-training. When she's not in front of her laptop, you will find her barefoot and living her best tan on some island in the Philippines. Or exploring the depths of its seas as a budding freediver. An island girl at heart, she'll be happy anywhere there is sea, sand, sun and coffee.

MaartenReviewer

Founder & Trip Planning Expert

Based in Bali, Maarten's passion for travel is undeniable. In 2016, he decided to quit his job as a stock analyst and started doing what he always dreamed of: travelling through South East Asia and helping other people plan their trips. When he is not working on Gecko Routes, you'll find him surfing in the ocean or exploring the best gems of Indonesia.

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Ferry Schedule Notice

Ferry schedules can change due to weather, sea conditions, or seasonal adjustments. We recommend confirming departure times directly with the operator, especially during monsoon season.

How to Get From Santa Teresa to San Jose

Distance from Santa Teresa to San Jose

4 ways to travel from Santa Teresa to San Jose

Minivan schedule from Santa Teresa to San Jose