AVENTURAS BRAVAS: Travel options between San Jose & Puerto Viejo

Aventuras Bravas
Travel Options Between
San Jose & Puerto Viejo

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In-transit Tours - - - (Woo Hoo!!)

You may be asking, "How is rafting or a Tortuguerro National Park tour a transportation option?" Hear me out. For these tours, we can pick you up in one city, take you on an incredible adventure, then drop you off at your destination. Why waste a day traveling when you can have a great time and end up where you are going? And you can do one trip coming and another going. Cool ...

OPTION 1 - Pacuare River, Class 3 and 4 Rapids

Not only is white water rafting on the Pacuare River, my #1 recommendation for what to do in ALL of Costa Rica, it also makes great logistical sense. The river is located between Puerto Viejo and San Jose and, in my opinion, is the best option for traveling between the two cities. The Pacuare is considered by many to be one of the five best rafting trips in the world. That may or may not be. I just know that I'm in this country because I fell in love with this river. I came to work and play on it. You can do this as a day trip or a two-day trip, spending the night on the riverbank in the jungle - as remote as you will get in Costa Rica, and it feels like it. This river is great for advanced and beginner rafters alike. Minimum age on this river is 12 years.

OPTION 2 - Reventazon River, Florida Section, Class 3 Rapids

The Florida Section of the Reventazon River is tamer than the Pacuare River trip, and shorter, but it is still a lot of fun with many roller coaster-type rapids. And though it does not have the notoriety of the Pacuare, it is still a nice trip and quite beautiful. This river runs close by and parallel to the Pacuare River, and the river take-outs are close to each other. So like the Pacuare River trip, they will pick you up in either Puerto Viejo or San Jose and drop you at your next destination. Minimum age on this trip is 9 years.

OPTION 3 - Tortuguero

Another highly recommended option is by taking a trip through canals to Tortuguero National Park, sometimes referred to as the Amazon of Central America. There is a good chance that the largest sea turtles in the world, the great leatherbacks, will be coming up the beach to dig holes and drop their eggs, and if so, you can witness this spectacle. And you will be guided in a boat through the canals of the reserve and witness an amazing abundance of other wildlife including crocodiles, caimans, sloth, bats, frogs, river turtles, and an incredible variety of birds. Even manatees and jaguars live here, but you won't likely see these shy creatures. This is way better than the Jungle ride at Disneyland (but maybe not as funny). The sea turtles come up at night, so you must take a two-day trip to see them. From Puerto Viejo this is only available as a two-day trip. From San Jose you can do it as a one or two-day trip.

OPTION 4 - Public Bus

The public buses are surprisingly efficient, inexpensive, quick, comfortable (relatively), and go just about everywhere you want to go (sounds like a commercial). The bus between San Jose and Puerto Viejo is operated by Transportes MEPE, (506)257-8129 (in SJO) and (506)750-0023 (in Puerto Viejo). The cost is about $7.30 each way. With a surf board it's about $2 more. It's about a four hour journey, and they take a 10 minute pee/eat/smoke break in Limon, about an hour from Puerto Viejo.

SJO to Puerto Viejo: 5 buses per day: 6am, 10am, 12 pm, 2pm, and 4pm.
Departs from the Gran Terminal Carribe on Calle Central between Avenida 10 and 11, in SJO. (Take a taxi - cheap & easy. They know where it is).

Puerto Viejo to SJO: , 4 buses per day: 7:30am, 9am, 11am, and 4pm. Departs from town center (Not a big place - you'll find it.)

Important! When you buy your ticket, make sure you ask for Puerto Viejo de LIMON, as opposed to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, else you may miss the show.

The downside to most buses in Costa Rica is that the seats are too close together so you may be a bit cramped, but still, compared to the famed "chicken buses" of some other third world countries, these are quite nice, nicer than some Greyhounds I've been on.

Theft is another issue, not often, but it happens. On the direct routes listed above, your luggage stored below deck is pretty secure, though you may want to check out the window if someone gets off before your stop and opens the hatch. It's usually the gear you store overhead that gets nabbed. Better to keep your stuff with you on your lap, the seat next to you, or on the floor as a foot rest. I've never had any problem with bus theft in five years traveling through Central America (though I was pick-pocketed once). With some simple precautions you will have no problem either.

To view a mostly complete, up-to-date list in PDF format of Costa Rica bus routes and times, including international buses, go to Bus Schedules.

OPTION 5 - Semi-private shuttles like Grayline or Interbus

These services are good if you want to be picked up at your hotel and dropped at the next hotel, no taxi and no waiting at a bus terminal. They travel in vans or 24-passenger coaches. The price between Puerto Viejo and SJO is $29 per person, children under 12 pay 50%.

Advantages: Door-to-door service, better security, and air-conditioning (usually) if needed.

Disadvantages: One piece of luggage and one carry-on per person, excess baggage and surf boards cost $10 per piece. Surf boards must be shorter than 7 feet). Several stops to pick everyone up and drop everyone off. No shows are charged 100% even if it is due to a flight delay. These drivers usually move slower than the buses, which is god or bad, depending on your perspective. Another disadvantage is limited departures.

Schedules: Interbus - SJO to PV 8:00am, PV to SJO 7:00am and 2:00pm Grayline - SJO to PV 6:30am, PV to SJO 11:00am

OPTION 6 - Private taxi or shuttle

Great for flexibility and no hassles. About $160 each way in a standard car if you book in advance. Not too bad for 2 or 3 people. You can bargain for a better price on the street, but you don't know what you are getting. Lots of service providers.

The semi-private services above also have private service available. Approximate prices: up to 8 people $183, and from 9 to 18 people $400. This may work out if your group is the right size. And there are many similar services.

OPTION 7 - Flights

Nature Air flies daily between San Jose and Limon, out of Tobias Bolanos Airport in Pavas, 2 to 3 miles west of downtown San Jose and about 1 mile north of the USA Embassy, about a 10-15 minute drive from downtown. The airport in Limon is just outside of the city, about 60 kilometers north of Puerto Viejo, or about an hour's drive. A shuttle is available for about $10 between the airport in Limon and Puerto Viejo. Keep in mind that even though the flight is only 35 minutes (at best), what with getting to the airport an hour early, the flight, claiming baggage, and an hour-long shuttle, the trip can take close to four hours.

Flight Schedules:

San Jose to Limon, flt #210, Departs 06:15am, Arrives 06:50am, Daily. About 35 minutes, no stopovers.
Limon to San Jose, flt# 214, Departs 07:00am, Arrives 08:20am, Daily. About 1 hour and 20 minutes with two stopovers, one in Tortuguero and one in Bara del Colorado.

We have arranged special pricing. Flights between San Jose and Limon are usually $70 plus tax and airport fees. But Aventuras Bravas can book a limited amount of seats for $35 plus tax and airport fees, (Children under 2 are free if they sit on the lap of an adult). Plus, remember to figure in the cost of a taxi to or from the airport in San Jose and a shuttle between Limon and Puerto Viejo.

Luggage limit of 30 pounds per passenger. $1 per pound is charged above 30 pounds. Sports equipment like surf boards are allowed, subject to space availability, and cost $15. NOTE: Luggage is NOT guaranteed to travel on the same flight as yours.

OPTION 8 - Rent a Car

Your most flexibile option. POAS RENT A CAR is an event sponsor and is providing us with van. We have worked with them for a couple of years and they have never steered us wrong. If you intend to rent, give them a look.

During our low season when you will be here, car rental prices are lower. But you will still pay more than in the United States. And, when calculating your cost of a rental car, remember to add gas, which is also more expensive than in the United States, right now about $4.25/gallon.

Last low season, one company that we use had prices ranging from $35/day or $225/week for a Suzuki Alto, up to $75/day or $470/week for a Suzuki XL 7. A "12-person" minivan was $80/day or $500/week. (Be careful when they say a 12 or 15-person van, or when they say that an SUV fits 9 passengers. Those numbers are without luggage. A 12-person van is good for about 8 passengers plus luggage.) Those prices include basic insurance, which is required in Costa Rica even if you have your own insurance with a credit card or whatever. The basic insurance has a very high deductible, which you can lessen by buying extra insurance. If you need surf racks, they usually cost more. It pays to bring your own soft racks if you have them.

Directions for Drivers

Driving in San Jose can be challenging at best. I find it rewardingly challenging, like playing a video game, but the stakes are higher. There are tons of one-way streets, the lines are only a suggestion, there are virtually no street signs to tell you where you are, and the same intersections have both stop signs and street lights (ignore the stop signs if the lights are working). In much of downtown, traffic often moves one block per hour. You will likely go round in circles slowly unless you have a really astute co-pilot.

Once you find your way out of the city and start heading to Puerto Viejo, you have about four hours ahead of you, if you don't take long breaks. Watch out for the occasional sneaky pot hole that can rip your axle off, a few that can swallow a small car. For the first part of the drive you are in for an incredibly beautiful drive up over the pass and down through Braulio Carillo National park, with waterfalls crashing right next to the road. But it is a treacherous drive, the most dangerous stretch of highway in Costa Rica. I beseech you to take your time and drive carefully, defensively, watching out for crazy passers.

Once you have descended out of the mountains, you have about two hours on a relatively flat, straight road across the Caribbean flats until you reach Puerto Limon. You've made it to the Caribbean! Pat yourself on the back. But you're not home yet.

At Limon you will turn right on the coastal highway that leads to Puerto Viejo - about 60k south. The condition of the road gets worse on this stretch. Watch out for many one-lane bridges and pay attention to who must yield. If you are not sure, yield. 5k before Puerto Viejo you will need to fork to the left from the main road (really it's like going straight). Slow down here because the road really deteriorates, mostly dirt from here. In about ten minute you will hit the ocean again, and you are there. Welcome home! On the other side of town you'll find our humble office across the street from Stanford restaurant. Please stop in and say hi. We can help direct you to you're hotel. Then check in and grab a beer.

If you plan to drive from Puerto Viejo or Cahuito to Siquirres for a white water rafting tour, see Driving to Siquirres.

We can help with any of the options. Just mark your preferences on the Tropical Hoedown Reservation Form.

For our specially priced trips, visit Hoedown Tours.