This Liberia Municipal terminal can be a bit confusing. There are so many busses coming from and going to so many different places that it can feel chaotic. There is a ticket window where you can purchase tickets for Playa Tamarindo and Nicoya. Tickets for other destinations can be purchased from the drivers of the bus. Looking for Playa del Coco? You need the Pulmitan station. Don’t stress, it is very close – about a 5 minute walk and you can almost see it from this station.
Watch your stuff closely at this station!! Thieves are known to hang out here looking for a chance to distract you from watching your bags. They work in teams and can snatch your bags faster and sneaker than you would think is possible!
If you have a bit of time to spend in Liberia, check the Santa Rosa National Park and Liberia city tour package with Gecko Trail.
Liberia Bus Terminal to the Airport
You can take a taxi for about $25 or you can take the bus. But buses to Tamarindo and Nicoya pass the airport along the way the trip takes about 20-30 minutes and costs about 500₡. Have a look at the Liberia Airport page to see where you end up.
Liberia to Tamarindo
Transportes La Pampa: From the Liberia Municipal Station
Purchase your ticket to Tamarindo from the ticket window at the Liberia Terminal de buses Municipal. And from the driver if you are leaving Tamarindo. As of January 2018 the trip to costs 1400₡ and takes about 2.5hrs depending on time of day. We asked the ticket vender to write out the schedule and it is in the photos below (May 2016). Note that it is almost impossible to get 100% confirmation on the correct schedule. We emailed the transport company but they gave a different schedule than the person selling the tickets. We here at centrocoasting are going to assume the ticket vendor is correct. Good luck!
Liberia to Tamarindo: 3:50am, 4:30am, 5:15am , 6:10am*, 7:10am, 8:10am, 10:10am*(only Sat+Sun), 11:10am*, 1:10pm, 2:10pm, 4:10pm, 5:10pm, 6:10pm*.
*longer route through Flamingo, Brasilito, Matapalo (~3hrs).
Tamarindo to Liberia: 3:30am, 4:30am, 5:45am, 7:30am, 9am, 10am, 11:30, 1pm, 2:15pm, 4:15pm, 5pm. Likely also 6:30pm but we will confirm soon.
Playa Flamingo: One helpful traveller has submitted some extra info about Playa Flamingo in the comments on the Tamarindo page (thanks Jeremy!).
Liberia to Playa Grande
You can take the bus from Liberia to Tamarindo and get off in Huacas. From there take one of the two buses that will now get you there. We are still confirming the times but 12pm and 2pm is what one traveller thought. Or, grab a taxi but don’t pay more than $10.
Playa Grande to Liberia: Two buses per day from Playa Grande, one at 7:20am and one at 3:20pm. If you’ve taken one, let us know the price in the comments below!
Liberia to Hermosa
Liberia to Hermosa: 7:30am, 8:40am, 9:30am, 11:30am, 1pm, 3:30pm, 5:30pm
Hermosa to Liberia: 6am, 7:30am, 8:40am, 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 4pm, 5pm, 7pm
~1200₡, ~2hrs
Liberia to Playa Panama
Liberia to Playa Panama: 4:30am, 4:40am, 4:50am, 7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am, 1pm, 3:30pm, 5:30pm
Playa Panama to Liberia : 5am, 7:30am, 8:30am, 10am, 12:00pm, 2pm, 4pm 5pm, 7pm
Liberia to Nicoya
Purchase your ticket to Nicoya in advance from the ticket window. Buses leave about every 30 minutes between 4:30am to 8pm. Check the Nicoya page to see where you will end up. As of May 2017 the price from Liberia to Nicoya is 1190₡ and the trip takes anywhere from 2-2.5hrs depending on the time of day.
Liberia to Nosara
From Liberia you first need to get to Nicoya and then from Nicoya you can then take the bus that is heading to Nosara. Be aware that the bus from Liberia to Nicoya can be anywhere from 1.75hrs to 2hrs+ so plan accordingly – you will often find the time listed online as around 1.5hrs. Check the Nicoya schedule here and know your connecting bus. To make the 12:30pm bus it is recommended to leave from Liberia at 10am. The station you arrive at and the station you leave from are different. Only 5 blocks apart but you need to factor that in along with bathroom breaks. Have a look at the Nicoya page for a map showing you where both stations are located.
Liberia to the Peñas Blancas (border)
The trip to Peñas Blancas takes about 2hrs and as of April 2019 the price is 1750₡.
Monday to Friday: 5am, 5:45am, 6am, 6:35am, 7:15am, 8am, 8:45am 9:30am – then every 30 mins until 5pm, 5:45pm, 6:30pm, 7:30pm 8:35pm.
Saturday and Sunday: every 45min from 5am until 8:45pm
**We have had an update lately saying it’s now every hour to the border – but be aware that this may be during buys season only.
Liberia to Cañas
We have a photo below of the schedule posted inside the bus.The also have the schedule listed on their website: Reina del Campo.
Shedule as of May 2017 is: every day from 5:25 am to 9:30pm. And 4:30am to 8pm the other way, from Cañas to Liberia. The trip takes about 1.5hrs and as of 2016 costs about 1200₡.
Liberia to San Juan del Sur
Head to the Peñas Blancas (see above) and cross to the other side. Nicaragua you can either take a taxi or very easily grab a local bus. Make sure you change your colones to cordobas as this is the currency used in Nicaragua – I recommend to figure out the rate before you ask. Most money changers are honest, but some are not! Buses from the border will leave every 15 minutes for Rivas. To get to San Juan del Sur, you can either go all the way to Rivas and then get the bus from Rivas to San Juan del Sur or you can be let off about mid way at a spot called La Virgin. From here you wait on the highway for the bus coming from Rivas to pass. Have a look at the San Juan del Sur page where it will explain this step in more detail.
Liberia to Puntarenas
There are 10 buses per day to Puntarenas between 5am and 5pm. The schedule is posted below. As of August 2018 the price is 2975₡. The trip takes about 3hrs.
Liberia to La Fortuna
We haven’t done this route but were told this is what you do to get from Liberia to La Fortuna: “In Liberia take the bus to Cañas (~$3), from Cañas straight on the bus to Tilaran at 12pm (~$1.50), from Tilaran straight on the bus to La Fortuna at 12:30pm ($4) and arrive around 2pm. The next one is at 3:30pm and you will arrive around 5”.
Liberia to Santa Teresa
Grab the Puntarenas bus, in Puntarenas get to the ferry and cross to Paquera, from Paquera take the bus to Cobanó, from Cobanó take the bus to Santa Teresa. All of the linked pages above will give you the information you need for each connection and information about each station.
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!
My partner and I are going from Liberia to La Fortuna on Tuesday this week. I see the note above from a contributor about changing at Cañas and Tilaran. My question is, do the connecting buses leave from where you get off the previous bus?
Hi Mike, I haven’t done this route so I can not say 100% but from what I have read the buses with the company Reina del Campo will arrive at a bus station in Cañas from where buses to Tilaran leave from. Let us know how it goes!
I asked the ticket seller at the Transportes La Pampa desk. She provided the same schedule as you have listed above.
Yesterday (Sunday) I took a bus from Tamarindo to Liberia. There was no bus at 4pm or 4:15pm, however one did come around 5:10pm. I didn’t stick around to see if one was coming at 6:30pm.
Good to know there are other buses departing from Tamarindo to Liberia on Sundays! Thanks!
Thanks Madison! The buses to and from Tamarindo may just be one of the most difficult schedules to get confirmation on. And schedules seem to be the most inconsistent! It’s such a popular route that I am surprised there are so many issues in getting correct info from the company. I appreciate you helping figure it all out!
I’ve taken the bus from Liberia to Tamarindo and back several times on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. It’s important to note the ONLY bus that goes from Tamarindo to Liberia on Saturdays and Sundays is at 10:10am.
If you miss the bus you’ll need to take a taxi to another nearby town. I’ve taken one from Tamarindo to Matapalo ($10) then took a bus to Belen and switched there to go to Liberia. It took be 4+ hours to get back versus 2.5-3 hours.
Hi Madison, thanks for sending us some info! I was under the impression from the ticket guy that it was an extra bus at 10:10am. I will update, thank you. Definitely don’t want to be missing the only bus! What time does the bus go on Sat and Sun from Tamarindo to Liberia?
Hi Madison! I was wondering if you could do centrocoasting a favour? On your next trip to Liberia, could you ask the ticket seller for the schedule from Tamarindo to Liberia? Ask him to write it out and then take a photo and send it to us in an email centrocoasting@gmail I asked the driver when I was there but I am not sure he gave me the correct schedule!
Yes, I am actually going to Liberia tomorrow. I will try to ask for the schedule. I believe yours is pretty accurate. The last bus is definitely at 6:10p during the week (I’ve taken that one before). I asked the bus driver for the bus times on Sunday and he said only 10:10a. There are other buses that pass through Tamarindo going to Santa Cruz very frequently on Sundays, but there is only one leaving Tamarindo going to Liberia and it’s at 10:10a. I took that one a few weeks ago. I believe it is the same on Saturdays but I will check.
I love your website. It’s helped me so much traveling through Costa Rica.
Great, thanks for any clarification you can provide. I did email Transportes La Pampa and they told me the schedule was the same on the weekends as it is on weekdays. My guess then is that the 10:10am is just an extra bus that only operates on Sat and Sun. Quite frustrating how many schedules are out there for this route!
Excellent site. I just returned from z Liberia which was my jumpoff point to Nicaragua. It should be noted that you can get between the Liberia airport and the Municipal bus terminal on the bus. I believe I boarded a bus to Nosara/Nicosia and asked if it stopped at the airport. Previously I had spent $25 on a taxi from the airport to town, which was unnecessary.
Correction: Nosara/Nicoya.
Thank you, Simon! I will make sure I add this information to this page. I have it written on this page https://centrocoasting.com/costarica/liberia-airport/ but didn’t realize I am missing it here. Thanks for the heads up! So glad this site could help you in your travels 🙂
Please help me! 🙂 I am currently in Playas del Coco (Guanacaste region) and I need to be in Esterillos Este by 3 pm tomorrow (Thursday). I am okay with getting as close to Esterillos Este as possible and then taking a taxi from there. Thank you so much! I am told to take a bus from Playas del Coco (Guanacaste region) to Liberia, then Liberia to Puntarenas or Quepo. I do now know where exactly the buses stop and what the schedules are. Thanks again!
Hi Loren! There is a bus early in the morning. I believe they start at 5am. You will need to get on an early one! This bus will take you to from Playa del Coco to Liberia. When in Liberia you need to change bus stations. They are only about 2 blocks apart and you can see on the map above where they are. From Liberia you can change to a bus heading to Puntarenas. They leave almost every hour. Once in Puntarenas you can switch to a bus heading to Quepos/Jaco. https://centrocoasting.com/costarica/puntarenas/ There is a ticket window and you can ask where to find this bus. I don’t know if you will make it by 3pm but it is possible if you start early! Have a great trip!
I need a bus from Terminal de Buses Municipal de Liberia to Playas del Coco. What is the schedule?
Hi! You need the other station in Liberia. Have a look at the map and you will see two red markers. They are about 2 blocks apart. From the Pulmitan de Liberia station you can get a bus to Playa deal Coco. There are several leaving every day. Have a great trip! https://centrocoasting.com/costarica/pulmitan-de-liberia
I arrive at Liberia Airport on 4/13 at noon. Do I need to go to the bus station to purchase my ticket? I would like to go to Tamarindo or Play Flamingo. Do you know the schedule and are?
Thank you
Hi Valeria! You can purchase your ticket from the bus driver, you don’t have to go to the station. When you arrive you can go outside the front doors of the airport and look to your left where you will see a bus stop sign. Have a look here to see what it looks like https://centrocoasting.com/costarica/liberia-airport/ Buses headed to Tamarindo will pass on average every 1-1.5hrs and the bus will be labeled Tamarindo so you will know you have the right one! Your best option is to go outside the airport and wait for the next bus to pass. Have a great trip!
Hey there,
First……this site is amazing. It is exactly what people need to help navigate Costa Rica by bus!
Second….my wife and I are flying into Liberia in April arriving 1:50 pm (13:50) and are hoping to get a bus to Puntarenas that evening. I have only flown into San Jose so I’m unsure how much time is required to clear customs. I see there is a bus at 3:30 that seems like a guaranteed departure and a 5:00 bus that was recently added. Do you know if the 5:00 departure from Liberia to Puntarenas is still running? If not, will it be possible to make the 3:30 if we arrive at 1:50?
Thanks so much for the positive words on this site! As far as I know that 5pm bus is still running. It has been on the schedule for a while. I will be there to check on bus times and update info in the next two months so I can post another comment here when I do to confirm. Clearing customs in Liberia can really slow or fairly quick if you are lucky. It really depends on how many flights are arriving at the same time as you and who gets in first. It’s a quick cab ride from the airport to the station so you may be able to make the 3:30pm. You’ll have to just play it by ear. Are you staying overnight in Puntarenas?
Awesome! That’s great to hear. I’m sure I will be checking the site regularly so its unlikely i will miss an update. Yes we are hoping to stay in Puntarenas that night and catch the ferry to Paquera early in the morning the following day.
I am happy to know the site will help you along the way! If you end up deciding to stay the night in Liberia instead. I have stayed a few times at Hotel Liberia. It’s a nice place.
Hi! Similar situation but I arrive at 2:30. Is there a way to learn if that 5pm from Liberia to Puntarenas still runs? I doubt I would make the 3:30.