Manuel Antonio is a super popular spot in Costa Rica so there are a lot of buses that come and go from here. There is no bus station, the bus leaves Quepos and heads down the road to the beach (Playa Espadilla) and then heads back. There are marked bus stops along the way where people wait to be picked up and get dropped off. It is advised to wait at an actual stop to be sure you are picked up. With so many people coming and go from this place you can understand why it is good to be at an actual marked stop and why you may not be picked up otherwise.

Quepos to Manuel Antonio

Buses go every 30 minutes starting at 5:45am and then every hour after 7pm. The trip takes 25min. As of 2019 the price was 335₡

TIP – need to get to Quepos in a hurry to grab a connecting bus, but not sure when the next local bus will pass? Grab a colectivo taxi for 500₡ and get there quick. This is a special taxi that picks up people along the way until it is full. I wouldn’t recommend trying to grab one with if you’re travelling with a surfboard or large bags – that is what a regular taxi is for.

Manuel Antonio to San José

From San José: There are multiple buses heading to Manuel Antonio from San José every day and leave from the Plaza Gonzalez Viquez diagonal from the Tracopa Station.

From Manuel Antonio: It is a good idea to purchase this ticket in advance during the high season. The ticket can be purchased at the station in Quepos. We asked and they do not let people stand. You must have a seat.  As of March 2018 the cost  is 4630₡ though the directo and colectivo are slightly different prices. The length of the trip varies depending on what time of day you travel. We are told that the 10 a.m. and the 6pm directo buses take about 4 hours. All the other directo buses take about 3 to 3.5 hours. The Colectivos take about 5-6 hours.

To and from the San José Airport: 

Manuel Antonio to SJO Airport: When you look at the schedule for Manuel Antonio to San José you will see buses either labeled Directo or Collectivo. Only the Collectivos pass the airport. Before you purchase your ticket check confirm that the bus you are taking does pass the airport to be sure. 

SJO Airport to Manuel Antonio: The bus does not pass the airport heading to Quepos or Manuel Antonio. You will need to take a taxi or local bus to the Tracopa Station in San José.

Manuel Antonio to Dominical

Go to Quepos. Get the bus to Dominical. Check the Dominical page to see where you end up. See the photo of schedule below.

Manuel Antonio to Puntarenas

Go to Quepos. Buses to Puntarenas run from 4:30am to 6pm. See the photo of schedule below.  As of Jan 2019 the price for a ticket was 2605₡. The trip takes about 3hrs

Manuel Antonio to Uvita

Go to Quepos.

From Quepos buses leave at 6am, 9:30am, 2:30 and 5:30pm. I had the ticket vendor write out the schedule (May 2017). Trip takes a about 2hrs. Price 1700₡ (Jan 2019)

There are also 2 buses per day that go from San José to Uvita. They leave San José at 6am and 3pm. They will pass by Quepos on the way.

Manuel Antonio to Jacó

Go to Quepos. Buses from Quepos run from 6am to 7pm. See the photo of schedule below.  As of May 2017 the price for a ticket was 1265₡. The trip takes about 2hrs

Manuel Antonio to Santa Teresa

Go to Quepos. Grab the bus heading to Puntarenas. Take a 5 min taxi or walk 15 blocks to the Ferry.  (See Puntarenas page for more info) Cross on the ferry. In Paquera there will be a bus waiting for you to take you to Cóbano. This trip takes about a 1.5hr and will cost around 1800₡.  If you end up connecting with the bus coming from San José you may be able to stay on all the way to Santa Teresa. If not, you get off in Cobanó. The rest of the trip form Cobanó to Santa Teresa takes about 40min and costs 1000₡.

Manuel Antonio to La Fortuna

Go to Quepos. Take the bus to Puntarenas (3hrs). From there get the bus headed to San José. You are going to get off in San Ramon (2hrs), a stop before you get to San José so check with the driver to be sure he passes San Ramon on the route he is driving. From there you can catch the bus to La Fortuna (~2hrs). This is a long journey but can be done for about $14.

Tours in the area

Want to get more out of your time in Manuel Antonio? Check out some of the great tours offered in the area by Gecko Trail Costa Rica.

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!