The San José Tracopa Terminal is where you find buses heading South. Major destinations include: David (Panama), Paso Canoas, Golfito, Uvita, Dominical, Quepos and Manuel Antonio.
Tracopa Terminal is a nice, clean, open station with two spots for food and coffee, and has nice clean bathrooms. We have a recent photo of the schedule below (May 2017). If you want to double check times and prices, have a look at the Tracopa website. Although the website only shows you the main routes and times and wont break it down to when buses pass stops along the way. In general with Tracopa however, even if you are getting off half way enroute, you pay full fare.
Surfers, you will pay an extra 2000₡ for your board.
I have had it recommended to me in the past to purchase tickets one day in advance during the busy season. I have never done this and have always managed to get a ticket on my day of travel. But be warned – if it is a very busy time of year and you are taking a popular bus route then it is definitely a good idea to show up at least an hour early in the morning to make sure you get a seat. If seats are full, ask if you can stand.
Need help planning activities on your trip?
If you need some vacation inspiration, check out some of the activities and tours offered for the Manuel Antonio and Central Pacific area. 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!
Tom, do not be a dumbass! use the internet,search and you will find the info you’re looking for, geez.
There seem to be a lot of questions about getting from the airport to a bus station in downtown. When we came in a couple of weeks ago we used Uber. The pickup point was away from the taxis right at the airport and cost to downtown was about $13. Quite a bit less than taxi’s and wouldn’t ned to worry about having Colones since it’s on the credit card that Uber has.
Thanks for the travel advice, Ian!
Any helpful advice for a family of four leaving from Jaco around noon on Nov 25 to get to Gofito or Rio Claro (final destination Zancudo)?
Thanks for any assistance.
Hi Kristine, unfortunately the bus headed to Golfito from San José doesn’t pass right through Jacó – it passes on the highway outside of town. However the bus to Quepos passes right through Jacó. This bus runs very regularly and you can read more about it here. https://centrocoasting.com/costarica/jaco/ There are a few buses per day from San Jose to Golfito that will pass through Quepos. You can look at the schedule on this page http://tracopacr.com/es/index_es.aspx. You need the Costanera Sur routes as these pass through Quepos. You should be able to connect to the bus headed to Gofito. If you met up with the bus from San Jose to Golfito in Quepos that leaves San Jose at 6:30am you could probably do this route in a day. From Golfito I am not 100% sure your best option. But there is a bus that goes twice per day (3pm in the aft) to Pavones. You could get off in Conte and get a taxi the rest of the way. There may be a bus from Conte to Zancudo but I don’t know that schedule. I find that whole area to be quite friendly so you should be able to get some good advice or have someone call you a taxi. If I remember correctly there is a grocery store where the bus stop is in Conte. (its a small place but a few shops around). This is just my best advice as I haven’t done this route specifically. At the end of the day if this doesnt work out you could get off at the border and there will be a ton of taxis happy to drive you to Zancudo. Not sure what the cost would be but I would think maybe $80. Hope this helps!
Buenas noches,
Soy Amy. Me pueden informar que parada me queda cerca despues de pasar Paso Canoa, llegare hasta la terminal, y cuanto es el pasaje
Gracias
Bendiciones
Hola, Amy! I assume you can get off at any stop/town you like after Paso Canoas. The website shows the ticket from San Jose to Paso Canoas to be ₡7.805,00 or San Jose to David at ₡11.970,00. I am not sure what the cost would be for a stop in between those two points. You can check the latest information on prices and schedule at http://tracopacr.com/es/index_es.aspx. Have a great trip!
Hi thank you for all the great information!
What is the address of the tracopa station at San Jose to get to Manuel Antonio?
Thank you!
Hi, Vanessa! You’re welcome, I am glad the information was helpful. The Tracopa Station is located on Calle 5. If you click the map marker above you will see the direction option. You can also zoom in and out of the map to see the location. Every taxi driver and local in San José will know where it is. I am not sure if the bus to Manuel Antonio is leaving directly from this station or from across the street. But head to the main station first as you will purchase the ticket here. Best to arrive a bit early. Have a great trip!
Am I able to buy tickets at the same place that the bus picks up or on the bus? Thank you for the well organized information!
Hi Aly, you can buy tickets at the Tracopa Terminal. There is a ticket window where you need to purchase your ticket before getting on. It’s always best to arrive at least a half an hour before your bus. Some routes fill up in the busy season. Have a great trip!
We are very upset as we we’re travelling from Panama going back to Parrita on the last bus. The driver told us he would be going to Esterillos Oeste but took a different route back to San Jose. It was late in the night and we we’re still wet from the day. We had no where to go and no money. There was no one to talk to when we reached the bus station and had to stay two hours away from where we were suppose to be dropped off in a park that was in a very bad area. We are not happy at all as we don’t know many people to call. We will be calling authority to clear this up.
Hi Tamara, sorry you had a bad experience. After over 8 yrs of extensive bus travel I have had a few similar ones for sure! Bus service has significantly improved over the last few years but it’s still far away from perfect. Hopefully you found a taxi and got a decent hostel in San Jose and made it to your destination the next day. You could talk to the company, though in my experience they are not overly sympathetic! I am just a traveller like you and not connected to the companies so I don’t have any specific numbers to offer. Perhaps the tourism bureau? Your story is a good reminder to all travellers that sometimes things go sideways and you need to make a plan in a flash and to always carry money just in case. I’m glad you’re safe and I am sure you learned a few things about CR bus travel that will help others in the future.
Thanks for this info – I’m headed to Manuel Antonio next week and this website answered pretty much all my questions. Thanks again!
Thanks, Wendy!! Pura Vida.