How to get fromSanta Teresa to San Jose

What to expect when visiting 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!

5 ways to get from Santa Teresa to San Jose

The 5 ways to travel the distance of 185 kilometers (115 miles) from Santa Teresa to San Jose are by: bus + ferry* (6 hours), minivan (3 hours 50 minutes to 7 hours 15 minutes), private transfer (4 hours 5 minutes to 6 hours 30 minutes), flight via Cobano (2 hours 20 minutes) and Indirect bus + ferry (6 hours 30 minutes). The journey duration ranges between 2 hours 20 minutes to 7 hours 15 minutes and the quickest way is by flight via Cobano. The lowest priced tickets start from €13.20 for the bus + ferry*.

A minivan from Santa Teresa to San Jose is the most convenient option because it is a direct transfer. You can choose from 2 types: one that goes directly overland and one that includes a combined shuttle and ferry/speedboat service.

Overland transfer:

You will travel about 175 km northeast going to Limonal, transfer to another minivan, and then continue by land southeast for 140 km to San Jose.

Minivan + Ferry transfer:

This option combines land and water travel. First, you’ll take a shuttle from Santa Teresa to Paquera Port. There, you’ll transfer to a speedboat to cross the strait to Puntarenas. And then, you will return to your shuttle, which will take you to San Jose.

If you’d rather avoid the ferry, make sure to check the transfer details carefully before booking. Minivan rates for the Santa Teresa to San Jose route start from €35 and the travel time is 3 hours 50 minutes to 7 hours 15 minutes.

*UPDATE: The last time we checked (November 2024), Transportes Cobanos has yet to resume direct bus trips from Santa Teresa to San Jose. But you can still take an indirect bus by following the guide in the next section.

The bus is a cheap way to get from Santa Teresa to San Jose, although not as convenient or reliable as a minivan. There are direct and indirect buses.

Rates for a direct bus start from €13.20. This already includes your ferry ticket from Paquera to Puntarenas. You can just pay directly to the driver when you board the bus. Travel time is around 6 hours.

When travelling by bus from Santa Teresa to San Jose, it’s best to take a direct one for convenience. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, bus operator Transportes Cobano has temporarily halted its direct trips from Santa Teresa to San Jose.

PRO TIP: Bigger bags go to the luggage compartment under the bus. Make sure to get your luggage ticket from the driver before hopping in. For the smaller bags with your valuable, we recommend putting them in front of you (between your legs) as much as possible. It might not be safe to put them on the overhead bin.

Departure and arrival station

Transportes Cobano operates the sole direct bus trip from Santa Teresa to San Jose. This bus departs at 06:00 in the morning. There is no main bus stop in town so you’ll have to hail the bus from the road. Ask your hotel for assistance to make sure you’re on the right side of the street!

The bus will drive you up to Paquera Port, where you are to get on the ferry on foot. The ferry will then cross the bay to Puntarenas Port in around 1.5 hours.

Once back on land, go back to your bus. If you’re heading to San Jose Airport, you will arrive in another 1.5 hours. To San Jose city centre, it’s about 2 hours.

The bus parks at Cobano Bus Stop in Paso de la Vaca, San Jose.

An affordable way to travel from Santa Teresa to San Jose is to take the indirect bus. This option involves two separate buses: one from Santa Teresa to Cobano and another one from Cobano to San Jose.

Travel time with this indirect bus option is around 6 hours 30 minutes.

There are several daily 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 1,000 CRC (€1.80) and you can buy one from the driver.

The bus arrives at Cobano Bus Stop in Cobano after 1 hour.

Transportes Cobano operates the bus from Cobano to San Jose. This bus departs at 12:45 from Cobano Bus Stop.

Like the direct bus from Santa Teresa to San Jose, this bus will take you by land to Paquera Port, where you can transfer to a ferry bound for Puntarenas. After the ferry ride, you’ll reboard your bus, which continues by land to San Jose Airport and finally to the city centre.

You can buy a ticket directly from the driver for 8,900 CRC (€16.50) or pre-book your ride online through La Terminal.  The ferry ticket is included in the price, but note that additional taxes and booking fees may apply for online bookings.

Alternatively, you can book a combined bus + ferry ticket through BookAway, though this option is generally more expensive.

Combined travel time is around 5h 30m.

Travelling from Santa Teresa to San Jose by flight will take just a little over 2 hours 20 minutes. It’s definitely the fastest, but it’s also quite expensive with rates from €155.

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.

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 €38 for the 40 minutes journey.

Another option is to book your ride online via Tropical Tours Shuttle, with fares starting from €28.

Sansa Airlines offers several daily flights from Cobano to San Jose. The first flight departs at 07:25, while the last one leaves at 17:40.

Airfares start from €120. The flight arrives at San Jose Airport after around 40 minutes.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Previously, you had to fly from Tambor to San Jose when travelling from Santa Teresa. But since October 2023, Sansa Airlines — the sole carrier operating on this route — has moved its arrival airport to Cobano. Keep this in mind when booking your flight!

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 €1.40 or a 30-minute taxi with rates from €29.

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.

Travelling in a group? A private transfer from Santa Teresa to San Jose is not more expensive than a minivan when you travel with a group. You can get a 4-seater car from €260. Divide the cost and that’s about €65 per person.

BookAway offers various vehicles depending on the size of your group.

As with the bus option, your private vehicle will drive you to Paquera Port. You will then take a car ferry bound for Puntarenas. From here, you will continue by land to San Jose. Travel time is around 4 hours 5 minutes to 6 hours 30 minutes.

Private Transfer options from Santa Teresa to San Jose