La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio

What to expect when visiting 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.

3 ways to get from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio

Travelling by bus will be exhausting because there are no direct buses from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio. You’ll have to take 4 buses. And when you include all the waiting time at the bus stations, the entire journey will take close to 6 hours 30 minutes! On the other hand, the prices of this bus journey only cost around €11.80.

While the bus is hands down the cheapest way to travel this route, it’s also the least convenient. But if budget is your priority, we got you covered. Just read on for a step-by-step guide on how to take a bus from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio.

First, you have to take a bus from La Fortuna to San Ramon, a town located 70 km south.

Compañia Carbachez is the main bus operator for this route. Its buses depart five times a day from 04:30 to 16:00. If you want to complete this bus journey in a day, make an early start from La Fortuna. That means that you have to depart no later than 09:00 in the morning.

This bus journey takes 2 hours and a ticket costs around €4.50. You can buy your tickets at the bus station.

Buses depart from the bus terminal in La Fortuna and arrive at the bus station in San Ramon.

For the latest schedules, check out Compañia Carbachez on Facebook.

From San Ramon, you will then have to travel 55 km going west to reach Puntarenas. Buses depart from the Municipal Market of San Ramon. This is about 500m from the bus station you arrive at from La Fortuna.

Empresarios Unidos operates about 16 trips daily, almost every hour from 04:00 to 21:00. These buses depart from San Jose, make a stop in San Ramon, and then go on their way to Puntarenas.

Travel time by bus from San Ramon to Puntarenas takes about 1.5 hours. Ticket prices start from €2.70. You can check out the Empresarios Unidos website for more details.

Buses park at the Empresarios Unidos Bus Station in Puntarenas.

Next, you’ll have to travel 140 km southeast from Puntarenas to Quepos. From the bus stop of Empresarios Unidos in Puntarenas, walk 5 minutes to the west to find the Transportes Quepos Puntarenas Bus Station.

Transportes Quepos Puntarenas operates 8 daily trips for this route. These buses depart every 1 to 3 hours from 04:30 to 17:30.

A bus ticket costs about €3.60 and the journey takes around 2.5 hours. Visit the Transportes Quepos Puntarenas website for the latest rates and schedules.

Buses park at Quepos Bus Terminal in Quepos town centre. If your hotel is already located in town, then you should not have a hard time finding it on foot. But if you choose to stay within Manuel Antonio, which is definitely more scenic, then read on for the final step.

Quepos is the main gateway to Manuel Antonio, which you can find some 5 km further south.

From the bus station you arrive at, you can easily transfer to another bus that will take you to Manuel Antonio in around 30 minutes. A ticket costs about €0.90.

Alternatively, you can take a taxi for around €5.50. This way, you will be brought straight to your hotel.

PRO TIP: Bus travel in Costa Rica is prone to petty thieves. Always be mindful of your luggage. When putting your suitcase in the luggage compartment, wait until it is inside before boarding the bus. And don’t forget to get your luggage ticket from the driver! As for your smaller bags, put them where you can see them at all times, preferably on your lap or between your feet.

The direct minivan is our recommended option for solo travellers. With a minivan, you will be picked up from your accommodation in La Fortuna and dropped off at your hotel in Manuel Antonio. You won’t have anything to worry about during the 5 hours to 5 hours 30 minutes journey. Minivan fares start from €46.

Paradise Shuttle Costa Rica, RideCR and Interbus are some of the popular companies offering minivan rides for this route. All of them get great reviews so you can expect a comfortable ride from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio.

Just keep in mind that the driver will pick up and drop off many other passengers along the way and it may add to the travel time.

If you’re in a group, taking a private transfer is a cost-efficient way to travel from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio. Rates start from €250 for a 6-seater private transfer. Divide the cost and that’s just about €42 per person. Not a bad rate for a door-to-door transfer!

The journey from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio by private transfer takes around 4 hours 30 minutes to 6 hours. You can arrange a taxi ride through your hotel or you can book a private transfer through BookAway.

Private Transfer options from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio