When coming or going by bus from Jacó you are most likely taking the direct bus to San José or you are grabbing a bus north towards Quepos or south towards Puntarenas. Let us explain…
Jacó to San José
(You can now buy your ticket online on the Transportes Jaco Website.)
The main terminal for busses headed to San José is located at the Plaza. This is across the street from the Best Western hotel on the north end of the main street that parallels the beach (indicated on the map). There is a ticket window inside where you can purchase tickets as well as a couple of spots to grab something to eat and drink. Schedule photo below. The price is aprox 3000₡, 5am to 5pm (see photo below), 2.5hrs. You end up at the Terminal 7-10 in downtown San José
San José to Jacó: You will see when booking a ticket online that the Villa Bonita station is an optional pickup location. Great for those not wanting to go all the way to the Terminal 7-10 in San José
Jacó to Quepos
For busses to Quepos you can basically stand on the beach side of the road and wait for the bus to pass. It will stop at any bus stop on that main street. You will find a lot of travellers congregating at the stop across from the Mas x Menos near the center of Jacó. Buses run from 6am to 7pm. See the photo of schedule below. As of Aug 2018 the price for a ticket is 1325₡. The trip takes about 2hrs
Jacó to Puntarenas
To head north towards Puntarenas just stand on the other side of the road (the non beach side) at a bus bench and wait. See photo of schedule below for buese to Jacó. ~ 1500₡, ~1.5hrs
Jacó to Playa Hermosa
To get to Playa Hermosa you need to get on the bus in Jacó and head towards Quepos for about 5 minutes. Ding the bell and get let off on the highway – it is only a short walk in.
Jacó to Uvita or further south
It is possible to get a Tracopa bus from the main highway, Carretera de Pacifico. It isn’t 100% certain that the bus will stop but they likely will. You need to flag it down though – a big pink bus with the Tracopa name on it. Thanks to a helpful traveller named Pawel for giving us the GPS location https://goo.gl/maps/okCNai2BWNx
Trip Planning
If you are still planning for your upcoming trip, I am told this Trip Planner from Gecko Trail is quite useful to help you prioritize where you want to spend your time! Gecko Trail is a ICT certified Travel Agency that has great core values and gives back to the community. So much to see and do in this beautiful country!
Help your fellow traveller
If you have taken any of the buses on this page, please drop us a comment below about how the trip went, what time you left, how long it took and what it cost. And, definitely let us know if we have anything wrong.
Lets help each other in our travels!
Today I went from Jacó to Quepos. Price: 2000 Colones and you can pay in the bus. They go 6am, 6.30, 8.30, 10.30, 11.30, 12.20, 13.30, 14.30, 16, 17, 18, 19. But it was not punctual, we waited 30min more…the bus stops several times at the main road in Jacó. Beach side goes to Quepos.