Costa Rica — Transport & Getting Around

San José has no metro; city buses are cheap (most fares in the CRC 300–600 range) but routes are confusing for visitors. Official taxis are red with a yellow triangle and must run the meter ('la maría'); Uber and DiDi operate in a legal grey zone but are ubiquitous, cheaper, and generally safer than street hails at night. Juan Santamaría (SJO) sits about 20 km from downtown San José — licensed orange airport taxis charge roughly USD 25–30, and shared Interbus-style shuttles connect SJO with Jacó, Tamarindo, and other beach towns.

Domestic carrier Sansa flies small turboprops from SJO to Quepos, Tamarindo, Puerto Jiménez, and other strips; Liberia (LIR) is the gateway for the Guanacaste beach resorts. Road travel is slow — budget about 1.5 hours San José–Jacó and 4+ hours to Tamarindo.