Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, does not have major transport hubs within the town itself; instead, transportation primarily revolves around accessing it from larger airports like Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San José or Guanacaste Airport (LIR) in Liberia, and utilizing smaller regional airports or ferry services.
The quickest way is to fly from San José (SJO) or Liberia (LIR) to Tambor Airport (TMU), the closest domestic airport. Sansa Airlines and Green Airways operate these flights. The flight from San José to Tambor takes approximately 25-30 minutes and can cost between $59 and $130 USD per person. From Tambor, a 35-45 minute taxi or shuttle ride to Santa Teresa typically costs around $40-$55 USD, with some airfares including this land transfer.
Shared shuttle services are available from both San José (SJO) and Liberia (LIR) airports. From San José, the journey takes approximately 5-6 hours, including a ferry crossing, and costs around $50-$70 USD per person. From Liberia, the trip is about 3.5-4 hours and costs approximately $60 USD per person. These shuttles often include the ferry fees.
This is the most economical option. Direct public buses from San José typically depart from the 7-10 Terminal twice daily, around 6:00 AM and 2:00 PM. The total travel time ranges from 6 to 10 hours, including a ferry transfer where passengers walk onto the ferry and board another bus on the other side. The cost is approximately $10-$12 USD per person.
Renting a car offers flexibility, though a 4x4 vehicle is highly recommended due to varying road conditions, which can be dusty or muddy depending on the season. From San José, the drive to Puntarenas takes about 1.5 hours, followed by a 70-minute ferry ride to Paquera. From Paquera, it is another 1 to 1.5 hours to Santa Teresa. The ferry fare for a car is around $25 USD, plus about $2 USD per passenger. Daily rental car costs vary, starting from approximately $9-$45 USD, excluding mandatory insurance and fuel.
The primary ferry route connecting the mainland to the Nicoya Peninsula is between Puntarenas and Paquera. This ferry takes approximately 1 to 1.5 hours. For adult foot passengers, the fare is less than $2 USD.
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