** October 26th, 2018: There has been a temporary change in Ferry hours and the bus from San Jose to Santa Teresa/Montezuma now departs at 7:30am and 3:30pm.
The bus stop in front of the Villa Bonita Station in Alajuela is a great spot to grab the bus if you are arriving at the Airport and don’t want to go all the way into San José to catch the bus from the main station. Essentially it is large covered bus stop with a gas station about 40metres away. People are often confused on how to exactly use this stop and also have some level of discomfort with the idea of taking a taxi to the side of the highway to wait. Have no fear, this is a very well used pick-up spot. There will almost surely be others waiting and there are even some very nice locals selling water, soda and plantain chips who can help you catch your bus.
It takes about 20-40 minutes for the bus to get here from central San José (depending on traffic) but I would recommend being here no later than 20 minutes after your bus was scheduled to leave from its station in San José.
Getting a taxi here
A taxi from the airport should cost no more than 2500₡. It seems close but its a bit of driving. Chances are they will fist quote you $10 for the ride.
Walking from the Airport to Villa Bonita?
Have you ever wondered if you can walk to this spot from the airport? No? – well I have! And, so I did. Turns out you can walk about 25minutes along the side of a busy highway to get here. Would I recommend this option? Probably not. There is no sidewalk and most of the journey is along a small worn foot path next to the highway (see photos).
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!
Hi! Thank you for the info. My flight will arrive at SJO airport at 4:30PM on April 10th. I just bought a ticket online to Jaco at 7pm from this station.
Do you think this will be enough time to get there by cab ? I know there’s a departing time at 5pm, do you think I can take this bus if I arrive earlier ?
I’m a solo traveler (girl) and I was wondering if this will be safe to wait there as it will probably be dark outside ?
Thank you so much!
Hi Melanie! I haven’t ever been at that stop that late so I really can’t say anything about safety. There are usually locals there selling water and snacks though not sure at night. The taxi ride there is about 5-10 mins depending on traffic so as long as customs isn’t clogged up you should be able to make it there for 7pm. I have flown into CR and been through customs super quick, and other times stood in line for over an hour. Also note if the bus leaves San Jose city at 7pm then it wont pass Villa Bonita until between 7:20-7:40. Though always good to be there in case its earlier. I wish I could comment on safety stuff but that is something that is up to the individual. 🙂
Hello there! I am looking to get to Monteverde via the Puente Villa Bonita bus stop in Alajuela. I wanted to book in advance as you suggested, but after looking at La Terminal site I am unsure which final destination I am to choose as there is no Santa Elena or Montverde option? I guess I am asking which bus do I need to buy a ticket for, to be picked up at Puente Villa Bonita station and end up in Monteverde? I arrive 10pm the evening prior so I am kinda pressed for time to run around and figure it all out. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Hey Matt! Sorry, La Terminal has now stopped selling tickets for Monteverde and I guess I forgot to remove that link on this page. You can book them on the Transmonteverde website. I don’t have any experience with this one but it shows Villa Bonita as a pickup. Here is the link https://www.transmonteverde.com/
Hello, could you please tell me if ticabus stops at this station. We are trying to get a bus from alajuela to rivas/san juan del sur nicaragua. If you have other recomendations of companies that are driving from alajuela to SJDS please let us know. Also we are wondering if buying a ticket online is a safe option? we are traveling on 13th of december 2017 so we are warried we would not get a ticket if we try to buy it in the bus. and on the other hand we are warried to miss the bus or some other problem if we buy a ticket online as its our first time in costarica and central america in general. Sorry for many questions we are comming from europe and all this information we are researching about transport in central america seams a bit confusing for us.
Hi Angel! The TicaBus does not stop here at Villa Bonita. In general buses headed to the coast pass this spot (which is just a covered bench on the highway), not buses headed north to the border. To get to SJDS from the airport I would recommend getting a Taxi to the Tica Bus station. If you want to take the bus to the station to save money then you can find buses headed towards downtown San Jose leaving from right in front of the Airport https://centrocoasting.com/costarica/airport-juan-santamaria-international/ There is usually someone who speaks english hanging around there trying to get you into a taxi so if you choose to do a taxi you can negotiate the price there as well. Almost every bus that heads leaves the airport goes to San Jose but you can confirm with the driver before you get on. Try asking if they pass tica bus station or ask about “Paseo Colon” which is a main road a few blocks from the Tica Bus station. Buying tickets online with the Tica Bus is a new service that just started this year so I don’t know how reliable it is, but I would think it is a reliable option. I would purchase it in advance online to be sure you have a spot. You will need to arrive at the Tica Bus station at least 45minutes before your bus departs and then collect your ticket then and give them your luggage and passport info. Good luck and have a great trip!
Hi there,
I’ve just read your comment regarding the Ticabus. We plan on taking the Ticabus to Nicaragua and now I can select an option to start at Alajuela, Villa Bonita. I’ve just wondered if you know if they use the same spot as you described NOW or if they stop somewhere else. Since you mentioned in the post above from 2017 that the Ticabus doesn’t stop there.
Thank you very much for your help an tips!
Hey there. I can’t say for 100% sure if they do. My best advice is to call them or use their chat option on their website. Ticabus is getting better each year with customer service and answering questions. It is highly likely that this is where the bus stops if they are calling it Villa Bonita, but I would call them to ask. But great to know they have upgraded their service!
Do this bus drop off at Puntarenas? It doesn’t appear so but I wanted to confirm that I was not missing a link.
My husband and I are trying to get from San Jose to Puntarenas with two bikes and would love any advice. We’re on a limited budget and would prefer public or shared transportation options.
Yes the bus to Santa Teresa/Montezuma will pass through Puntarenas and you can get off there. Just let the driver know when you get picked up so you can have your luggage taken out. You will have to pay full fare. as sadly Transportes Cobano doesn’t offer a better rate for partial routes. The bus from San Jose to Puntarenas should also pass by there though I haven’t take this bus so I can’t 100% confirm. There are usually Costa Ricans hanging out at the Villa Bonita stop selling drinks and snacks and they will be able to tell you for sure. As for the bikes, I don’t know if they would take them. I am thinking the answer is no, but you could call the companies and ask them. This is the contact page for Empresarious Unidos http://www.eupsacr.com/contactenos.php and this is for Transportes Cobano https://www.facebook.com/TransCobano/
I’ve taken the bus from Villa Bonita a few times now and it has always been safe and convenient. However, once the driver forgot to let me off at Los Delfines so I would suggest you try to sit near the front to watch for your stop if you need to get off at a special location. But otherwise, it’s a great option.
Hello! Is the Villa Bonita Station stop the same as La Radial? We’re going to try and get to Montezuma from the SJ airport and I’ve heard both names as places the Direct bus should stop.
Hi Erin! La Radial and Villa Bonita are different. To get to Montezuma you need Villa Bonita. The direct bus from San Jose that goes all the way to Montezuma will pass by here. You can book you ticket online to make sure that the bus stops for you. https://www.laterminalcostarica.com/. Have a great trip!!
Thank you for the info and pictures!
I’ve know this for years but hesitant to wait at a bridge. Great to know it actually looks like a bus stop. Thank you.
Cool, DJ! I agree it’s a bit of a mysterious option until you get a chance to do it. Thanks for the nice comment and happy travels!
I had heard that the buses from San Jose to Monteverde no longer stopped in Alajuela. So I called them and was informed that they do pick up passengers at Puente Villa Bonita.
Thanks, Raquel! I appreciate you confirming that the Monteverde bus will stop here. And thanks for sending along the link to the Reinadelcampo schedules as well