You'll be picked up at your hotel or the airport in San José and driven for about two hours to Puntarenas. From there, you'll board a ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya — the roughly one-hour crossing gives you time to stretch your legs, take in the great views, and grab a snack or drink on board if you like.
Once you arrive in Paquera, a minivan takes you the rest of the way — about 1.5 hours — to your accommodation in Santa Teresa or Malpaís. All in all, including waiting times, you should plan for around five and a half to six hours for this transfer.
Please note: Airport pickup is scheduled for approximately 9:00 am. If your flight is delayed, the shuttle can wait for a maximum of 10 minutes, so be sure to build in enough buffer time for your transfer.
Alternative afternoon shuttle: Depending on the number of travelers, an additional shuttle may be available at 2:30 pm (airport pickup around 3:15 pm).
Premium option via speedboat: If you'd rather get there faster, consider the premium option instead. You'll first be driven to Herradura on the Pacific coast (about two hours), then cross by speedboat to Tambor (around one hour), before a final shuttle takes you the last 45 minutes to Santa Teresa. This option departs around 7:00 am (airport pickup at approximately 7:45 am), getting you to Santa Teresa or Malpaís by around 12:00 pm. It's priced at $105 USD plus 13% tax ($118.20 USD per person), with a minimum of two travelers required.
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