Traveling to Mal Pais:

CAR	It's about a 2 hour drive from San Jose to Puntarenas, where you cross the bay by ferry onto the Nicoya Peninsula. From there it's about 1.5 hours drive to Mal Pais & Santa Teresa Costa Rica. Check points are Paquera, Tambor, Cobano.
BUS	Take a bus to Puntarenas and there take the ferry or the Boat to Paquera. Then a bus to Cobano and the last one to Santa Teresa & Mal Pais.
Bus Schedules:	From Paquera to Cobano 06:15 07:30 10:00 12:30 14:00 16:30 18:15	From Cobano to MalPais and Santa Teresa 10:30 14:30	From Cobano to Paquera 04:30 05:45 08:30 10:30 12:15 14:30 16:30	From MalPais to Cobano 07:00 From Santa Teresa to Cobano 06:45 11:00 From MalPais Crossroad to Cobano 07:15 11:45
FERRY	For cars and passengers, takes about an hour and 15 minutes in an air conditioned environment. Schedule can change without previous notice. Both companies offers English operators at this phone numbers: 661-2084 and 641-0515/0683
Ferry Schedule	From Puntarenas to Paquera 04:30 6:30 8:30 10:30 12:30 15:30 17:30 20:30		From Paquera to Puntarenas 04:30 6:30 8:30 10:30 13:00 14:30 17:30 20:30
Boat (Lancha)  Mo - Sa	From Puntarenas to Paquera. 11:30 16:00		From Paquera to Puntarenas. 07:30 14:00
AIRPLANE	From San Jose it is less than 25 min. to get to Tambor and then a 1 hour taxi and you are on the beach.
Schedules	From San José to Tambor 7:00 12:00 am		From Tambor to San José 7:00 12:40am
Van Shuttle	Tropical Tours Shuttle will pick you up at the airport or at your hotel in San Jose, Tamarindo or Jaco and take you to Santa Teresa & Mal Pais Costa Rica in the most comfortable way, just relax and let them drive you straight to your destination. Rates are $35 per person (min 2 passengers).
Taxi Boat	From Herradura (10 minutes from Jaco Beach) 1.5 hour to Mal Pais.
	Herradura to Mal Pais 07:30 am		Mal Pais to Herradura 06:30 am

 

Let us know if you need assistance in planning your trip.

Heading to Costa Rica's Nicoya and destinations beyond? Here are Ferry Schedules including the new low-season Puntarenas-Paquera ferry shedule.

Puntarenas Ferry Schedule

Departs	Arrives	Schedule
Puntarenas	Paquera	6:30 am	10:30 am	2:30 pm	6:30 pm
Paquera	Puntarenas	4:30 am	8:30 am	12:30 pm	4:30 pm
Puntarenas	Playa Naranjo	6 am	10 am	2:20 pm	7 pm
Playa Naranjo	Puntarenas	7:30 am	12:30 pm	5 pm	9 pm

Puntarenas-Paquera Ferry New Low-Season Schedule

The ferry run by the Association of the Integral Development of Paquera (ADIP) is now making the aquatic journey across Costa Rica's Pacific Gulf of Nicoya between Puntarenas and Paquera with a scaled-down schedule for the low season, according to ADIP's Ileana Ugarde.

The company's ferry yesterday began operating with the following schedule, which will continue through Nov. 30: leaving Puntarenas for Paquera at 8:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and returning to Puntarenas from Paquera at 5 a.m., 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Naviera Tambor also continues to run its ferry along the Puntarenas-Paquera route, leaving Puntarenas at 5 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. and returning to Puntarenas from Paquera at 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Both ferries carry passengers and vehicles. For more information, call ADIP at 641-0118 or Naviera Tambor at 661-2084.