Travellers often go through Tilarán on their way to or from La Fortuna. A huge thank you to adventure bus traveller Brian Driscoll for updating photos and prices on this page for 2017.
Tilarán to San Jose
Schedule as of June 2017 – 5am (except Sundays and Holidays), 7am, 9:30am, 2pm, 5pm. See photo below. Trip costs 4020₡ and takes about 5hrs.
San José to Tilarán: Head to the Pulmitan de Liberia station in San José. Buses to Tilarán leave at 7:30am, 9:30am (except Sundays and Holidays), 12:45pm, 3:45pm, 6:30pm. See photo of schedule below. The trip to Tilarán takes almost 5hrs and as May 2017 costs 4020₡. This bus passes the airport enroute.
Tilarán to La Fortuna
There are 3 buses each day for La Fortuna:
from Tilarán to La Fortuna: 7:00am, 12:15pm, 3:30pm
from La Fortuna to Tilarán : 6:30am, 11:30pm, 3:55pm
The cost as of June 2017 the cost is 2750₡ and takes 2-2.5 hours. See photo of schedule below from June 2017.
Tilarán to Monteverde
Here is the schedule for Monteverde
4:00am, 8:30am, 12:30pm, 5:00pm.
5:00am, 7:00am, 11:30am , 4:00pm
The cost as of Jan 2019 is 1300₡. The trip takes about 2hrs and 15min.
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!
Does the bus San Jose-Tilaran still make a stop at SJO Airport? If it does, what are their schedules?
The bus from Tilaran to Monteverde leaves at 13:00 now but the timetables haven’t been updated.
I just took the 12.30 bus yesterday. Might leave a little later due to a delay but the scheduled time is still 12.30.
I took a taxi to Tilaran from Liberia for 17.000 colones (had to negociate pretty tough). If shared, not to expensive and saves a bit of time.
Tilaran to LA Fortuna is 2970 colones.
The return bus from La Fortuna to Tilaran does not leave at 6am, but rather at 8am. (Updated at La Fortuna bus station, and confirmed by catching it).
I should have included: the shown timetable at Tilaran still says 6am from La Fortuna – it has not been updated.
Ashley, do you know how long does the bus take to get from La Fortuna to Tilaran?
Tilaran => Monteverde/Santa Elena
Cost: 1300 Colones
Duration: ±2.5hrs
Times: 0430, 0930, 12:30, one later in afternoon I do not remember exact time
IMPORTANT! There is only ONE bus on Sundays, it leaves Tilaran at 12:30.