At 159 miles away from San Jose, and 80 miles from Liberia, the road to Nosara is as wonderful as the destination itself. You’ll find a beautiful and continuous green scenery that will amaze you with every mile. However, the easiest way of getting to Nosara is by shuttle or air, as unpaved roads and poor signalling is part of the reality.
If you’re getting here by air, you can either arrive at the main airport in San Jose, Juan Santamaria International Airport, in which you’ll find lower ticket prices to Nosara. Or you can arrive at Liberia’s airport, Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport, where you’ll most likely find tickets a bit more expensive.
If you’re starting your trip by land, either on a shuttle, bus, or driving a car, check the directions and the weather just to make sure you have a safe road trip. San Jose is about a 4 to 5 hour drive from Nosara, meanwhile, from Liberia you’ll get a 2 1/2 hour drive. Estimated times increase if you’re arriving by bus.
Airport Shuttle
DRIVE
DRIVING DIRECTIONS FROM SAN JOSE TO NOSARA
Be sure to turn your Waze or other app you may use for driving and read the following directions:
Exit the Juan Santamaria Airport and follow the road straight towards downtown San Jose.
Ask the rental car staff to point you towards Autopista del Sol (Highway 27).
Upon departing Juan SantaMaria Airport follow the road straight in the direction of central San Jose. Remain on this road for around 15 minutes.
You will see a McDonalds sign on the opposite left corner of the intersection and a large bright blue Universal sign on the right. Turn right onto the Autopista del Sol (Highway 27). Along the way you will pass toll stations. Have some Costa Rican Colones (c300 – c500) in change at the ready.
Remain on the Autopista del Sol (Highway 27) and follow the signs for Puntarenas and Caldera.
On arrival in Puntarenas Autopista del Sol (Highway 27) automatically merges into Highway 1. Although you should follow signs for Liberia, Liberia is not your destination. After leaving Puntarenas look for the Puente La Amistad sign. Take a left towards Puente La Amistad.
After crossing the Puente La Amistad bridge follow this road for around 50km until you reach a large T junction. Turn right. After turning right you are now on the road to Nicoya.
Remain on this road and you will pass signs for Nosara, Playa Samara and Carrillo. Eventually you will arrive marked by signs to Nicoya and a traffic light. Upon arrival at the traffic light take a left. This will lead you into the town of Nicoya.
This road will lead you straight through the entire town of Nicoya. You will know you have exited Nicoya when you pass the Nicoya airstrip on the left.
You will arrive at a small town. Take care with the speed bumps on the main street. The T junction marked by a small store named “abastecedor Caimital”. Upon arrival at this junction turn right. Remain on this road for the next 20km.
You will pass a gas station with an adjoining soda (small restaurant) on your left. Around 80 meters further you will pass a hardware store on your left. Opposite the hardware store is a right turn down onto the dusty road marked by signs for Nosara, Playa Guiones, Garza and Ostional. Turn right down this road.
Important: This rocky, dusty road contains winding turns and hidden potholes that present hazards for drivers, pedestrians, local residents and animals, particularly when driving at night. Accidents are not common, but can happen so remember to relax, drive slowly, and enjoy the ride.
Remain on this road for 8km. Eventually you will arrive at a T junction marked by signs. Turn right here.
Remain on this road for around 13km. After passing through the sleepy fishing village of Playa Garza (please drive slowly) you are nearly there. Continue on and you will reach Playa Guiones.
Important
First time visitors often make the mistake of driving to central Nosara instead of Playa Guiones. Nosara town is 6 km further down the road.
DRIVING FROM LIBERIA TO NOSARA
Be sure to turn your Waze or other app you may use for driving and read the following directions:
Upon exit from Daniel Oduber Airport take a right turn and remain on this road for 60km (approx.) until you arrive at the traffic lights indicating the Nicoya intersection.
When you arrive at the flashing yellow check carefully for oncoming traffic and then take a right. This will lead you into the town of Nicoya.
This road will lead you straight through the entire town of Nicoya. You will know you have exited Nicoya when you pass the Nicoya airstrip on the left.
You will arrive at a small town. Take care with the speed bumps on the main street. The T junction marked by a small store named “abastecedor Caimital”. Upon arrival at this junction turn right. Remain on this road for the next 20km.
You will pass a gas station with an adjoining soda (small restaurant) on your left. Around 80 meters further you will pass a hardware store on your left. Opposite the hardware store is a right turn down onto the dusty road marked by signs for Nosara, Playa Guiones, Garza and Ostional. Turn right down this road.
Important
This rocky, dusty road contains winding turns and hidden potholes that present hazards for drivers, pedestrians, local residents and animals, particularly when driving at night. Accidents are not common, but can happen so remember to relax, drive slowly, and enjoy the ride.
Remain on this road for 8km. Eventually you will arrive at a T junction marked by signs. Turn right here.
Remain on this road for around 13km. After passing through the sleepy fishing village of Playa Garza (please drive slowly) you are nearly there. Continue on and you will reach Playa Guiones.
Important
First time visitors often make the mistake of driving to central Nosara instead of Playa Guiones. Nosara town is 6 km further down the road
Alternative route
If you choose to take the old highway (Highway 1), after leaving the airport follow directions for the Calle 1 (Highway 1) towards San Ramón. Keep straight for 124km and turn off when you arrive at signs for the Puente La Amistad. From here follow the directions above.
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Flight
Enjoy the safety and privacy of a flight with only your group or family.
BUS
For those traveling on a budget, the bus service is the most affordable option and a great way to get a feel for Costa Rica. There is a direct bus service from San Jose to Nosara every morning at 5:30am departing from Terminal 7-10, at the intersection of Avenida 7 and Calle 8. The service is provided by the company Alfaro. You can take an uber or a taxi from your hotel or the airport to the bus station. The tickets can be bought before boarding the bus, but it is better to buy the tickets ahead since seats are numbered. You can buy the tickets at the bus station or at Mibus.cr
Services from San Jose to Nicoya are more frequent and depart from the same Terminal 7-10, at 5:30 a.m, 7:30 a.m, 10:00 a.m, 12:00 p.m, 1:00 p.m, 3:00 p.m, and 5:00 p.m. The company is Alfaro. Buses from Liberia to Nicoya leave from Terminal Liberia beginning at 4:30 am and run every 30 minutes until 8 pm. The company is called La Pampa.
After reaching Nicoya you will find a bus to take you to Nosara at 4:45am (except Sunday), 10am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 5:30pm. The company name is Traroc. Please note that first time travelers frequently make the mistake of riding the bus all the way to Nosara town, only to find they must traverse around 4 miles to get back to Playa Guiones. State clearly to the driver that you wish to be informed when the bus reaches Playa Guiones. Alternatively, keep an eye out for the bus stop between Coconut Harry’s Surf Shop and Cafe de Paris.
SHUTTLE AND TAXI
Terratour offers the best shuttle service in town, either from San José or Liberia. Safe, comfortable, concerned with sustainability and always reliable. They offer private and shared transportation.
All the vans have the mandatory insurance required by Government Authorities, Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) and the National Insurance Institute (INS). And the drivers are locals, so they can teach you many things about Costa Rican Pura Vida culture. Take a look.