Usually, when you first arrive in Costa Rica, transportation is something you probably already planned out: either an arranged transfer, a friend to pick up you, or perhaps you just plan on taking a cab once you pass customs. Well, I have decided to put together a quick “transportation in Costa Rica” guide for newcomers. Hope this helps you out a bit:
First of all, you should know that in Costa Rica, public transportation is as reliable as it is in the U.S, in some cases even more; with the exception of some areas that are very secluded, you can get anywhere by bus. This is a small country, therefore, in Costa Rica, ground transportation is a very reliable and rather fast way of getting around. Let’s take a look:
- Public buses: They are anywhere and everywhere. Costa Rica has buses to get to most places arriving and departing all day long. In San Jose, Costa Rica transportation becomes a circus, especially in the down town area. The only thing you should be aware of is that, down town, there are a lot of robberies, so don’t leave your stuff unattended no matter what. The Mercado de la Coca Cola is the designated bus stop to get to most beaches, since there are a lot of tourists and local travelers with luggage, robbers are common. Just keep your eyes open and your stuff with you and you should be okay. In Costa Rica, travel can be easy, but like anywhere else, you need to be careful.
- Train: This is one of the most interesting and nice things in San Jose. Costa Rica has had this train for many years. About 20 years ago they closed it and after several discussions, they open the train services up again to help with the traffic jams issues. They train only works to cross San Jose from side to side and their schedule is only from Monday through Friday, yet the thing I like and amazes me the most is that they use the exact same carts they have since the seventies, so its like taking a ride to the past. Make sure to you ride it at least once.
- Taxi cabs: These are tricky: the ones set for airport transportation are orange and the drivers wear uniform; the taxi cabs anywhere else are red. Make sure you can see their taxi cab license on the side doors, shown as big yellow inverted triangles with their number. Do not get into any other taxi if it is not licensed, in Costa Rica, there is what they call “piratas” and they will take advantage of you for being a tourist.
- Costa Rica transfers: These have to be set up by your specialized Costa Rica travel agency; they are a bit more expensive but will get you to your destination fast and easy.
- Internal flights: Cheap, fast and reliable. Costa Rica flights go to Quepos, Guanacaste, Golfito and Arenal so this will make things easier for you since you can arrive to most places in 30 minutes. By land, it could take you about 4 hours.
I hope this quick guide to Costa Rica transportation helps a little. If you need more info don’t hesitate to comment, I will try and help as much as possible.