Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to stay. On the trip in, keep an eye on your luggage, particularly on the San
José-Puntarenas leg, as well as on the Monteverde-Tilarán run. Keep all bags at your feet
and not in the overhead bin. Stories of theft and loss are legion.
Las Juntas
(TransMonteverde) US$2; 1½ hours; departs from the bus station at
4:30am, 6am and 3pm. Buses to Puntarenas and San José can drop you off in Las Jun-
tas.
Managua (Nicaragua)
(Tica Bus) US$28; eight hours; a small shuttle bus (US$2) de-
parts from the bus station at 6am and brings you to the Interamericana in Lagartos. The
local agent for Tica Bus is
Monteverde Experts
(
2645-7263;
Puntarenas
(TransMonteverde) US$3; three hours; departs from in front of Banco Na-
cional at 4:20am, 6am and 3pm.
Reserva Monteverde
US$1.20; 30 minutes; departs from in front of Banco Nacional at
6:15am, 7:30am, 9:30am, 1:30pm and 3pm; returns at 6:40am, 8:30am, 11am, 2pm and
4pm.
Reserva Santa Elena
US$2; 30 minutes; departs from in front of Banco Nacional at
6:30am, 8:30am, 10:30am and 12:30pm; returns at 11am, 1pm and 4pm.
San José
(Tilarán Transportes) US$5; five hours; departs the Santa Elena bus station at
6:30am and 2:30pm.
Tilarán, with connection to La Fortuna
US$3; 2½ hours to Tilarán, seven hours in
total; departs from the bus station at 4am and 12:30pm. This is a long ride, as you will
need to hang around for two hours in Tilarán. If you have a few extra dollars, the jeep-
boat-jeep option to La Fortuna is recommended.
There's no direct bus to
Cañas
. Most people take a bus to Juntas, then transfer from
there to frequent Interamericana-route buses for Cañas, Liberia and beyond.
CAR
While most Costa Rican communities regularly request paved roads in their region, preser-
vationists in Monteverde have done the opposite. All roads around here are shockingly
rough. Even if you arrive on a newly paved road via Guacimal, you'll still want a 4WD to
get around to the more remote lodges and reserves.
There are three roads from the Interamericana: coming from the south, the first well-
signed turnoff is at Rancho Grande (18km north of the Puntarenas exit). The first stretch of
