Buses: Most bus schedules can be found on this website: https://yoviajocr.com. Many long-distance schedules can be seen and tickets purchased online on this website: https://mibus.cr. In Costa Rica, buses are a very normal and safe way to travel. You do have to take good care of your belongings during the bus rides and at bus stations.
Uber is a common way to travel in Costa Rica, especially in the cities. We recommend you to download the Uber application on your phone prior to your arrival. An Uber ride from Nicoya to the YWAM base is around c11,000. If you travel by taxi, make sure you always use the official red taxis and that the driver is using the meter. Nicoya Taxi phone number is +506 2685 5656.
Private transportation option in the village: There is a man with a private medical transportation business. He does trips from the base to Nicoya, Liberia and San Jose for medical as well as for other purposes. A trip to Nicoya costs c15,000, San Jose c100,000. His name is Daniel and his number is +506 8629-5005.
If you wish to have base transportation for personal trips, you have to request it well in advance and only authorized staff members can drive base vehicles. There is a cost for each trip depending on the distance (the cost is higher than a bus, uber or a taxi fee would be). Base vehicles are primarily used for ministry purposes, usually not for personal trips.
If a staff member offers to drive you in their personal vehicle, we kindly ask you to help them to cover the cost as well. Buying and maintaining vehicles in Costa Rica is very expensive.
Below you will find information and links for the most common bus routes for our visitors:
Corral de Piedra - Nicoya- Corral de Piedra
Price: ₡800 (cash only)
45 min - 1 hour
Bus company: The bus has a sign saying Caballito/Corral de Piedra
Monday to Saturday
From Corral de Piedra to Nicoya:
Bus stop: In front of the YWAM Base.
6:00a.m.
12:00 m.d.
From Nicoya to Corral de Piedra:
Bus stop: Bus station / Mercado de Nicoya, makes a stop in front of the hospital and by KFC.
10:40a.m.
14:40 p.m.
Nicoya- Sámara- Nicoya
Price: ₡1500 - 2000
1 hour
Bus Company: Traroc
From Nicoya to Samara:
Bus stop: Bus station / Mercado Municipal de Nicoya.
5:00a.m. (Not on Sundays)
8:00a.m.
10:00a.m.
12:30 p.m.
14:30 p.m
4:30 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
From Sámara to Nicoya:
Bus stop: Samara entrance
5:30a.m.
6:30a.m.
8:00a.m. (Not on Sundays)
10:00a.m.
12:30 p.m.
15:00 p.m.
16:30 p.m.
18:30 p.m.
Nicoya - Santa Cruz - Liberia - Nicoya
Price: ₡1800 - 2200
1 hour 45 min
Bus company: La Pampa
From Nicoya to Liberia:
Bus stop: Terminal in front of Super Compro, downtown Nicoya
Mon - Fri: from 4am to 9 pm there isabus every 30 to 45 minutes.
Saturdays from 4am to 9 pm every hour.
Sundays from 5am to 8am every 30 minutes, from 8am to 4pm every two hours, from 4 to 7pm every hour.
From Liberia to Nicoya:
Bus stop: Liberia bus station / Terminal de buses Liberia
Mon-Fri: from 4am to 9 pm there is a bus every 30 to 45 minutes.
Saturdays from 4am to 9 pm every hour.
Sundays from 5am to 8am every 30 minutes, from 8am to 4pm every two hours, from 4 to 7pm every hour.
Santa Cruz - Tamarindo - Santa Cruz
Price: ₡1200 - 1600
1 hour
Bus company: Transportes Cabo Velas S.A. https://yoviajocr.com/bus/santa-cruz-tamarindo
Monday to Sunday:
From Santa Cruz to Tamarindo:
Bus stop: Bus terminal SantaCruz
04:10am
05:30am
06:15am
07:30am
09:00am
10:30am
12:00 pm
13:30 pm
15:30 pm
17:00 pm
19:20 pm
From Tamarindo to Santa Cruz:
Bus stop: somewhere downtown Tamarindo
05:45am
06:45am
09:10am
10:30am
12:00 pm
14:00 pm
15:30 pm
16:15 pm
17:15 pm
18:45 pm
20:00 pm
Nicoya- San José - Nicoya
Price: ₡7000-8000 (you have to buy the ticket online)
Bus company: TIG - Transportes Inteligentes de Guanacaste
4 hours (can be more if there is traffic, road work or accidents)
Online tickets can be purchased at: https://tiguanacaste.com/
You can see the schedules also on the website after choosing the departure city and where you are going. You can use either Nicoya or Santa Cruz, both of them pass by Nicoya and Quebrada Honda.
From Nicoya:
Bus station Mercado Municipal or you can get on by Mac Donalds.
You can also get on in Quebrada Honda. In this case when you are buying your ticket, you can choose in "abordaje" Quebrada Honda.
From San José:
Bus station: Estación Buses TIG. Close to the National Children's Hospital in downtown San Jose. https://maps.app.goo.gl/NazrbfrrKXZWiPVz7
Airport: If you will get on at the airport, when buying the ticket, choose Aeropuerto in the "abordaje". The airport bus stop is right in front of the airport, behind the parking hall. The bus will visibly say Nicoya or Santa Cruz, depending on which ticket you have purchased (both will bring you to Nicoya/Quebrada Honda).
All the TIG buses stop at the San Jose airport (Juan Santamaría) both ways. If you come from Nicoya and want to get off at the airport, just tell the driver "Aeropuerto".
You can get off / catch the San Jose buses in Quebrada Honda, which is the closest bus stop to the base. The location for the bus stop coming from San Jose is by the Full gas station in Quebrada Honda: https://goo.gl/maps/yNGy3w6r7ky3VHwk8. The location for the bus stop going to San Jose (be there 15 minafter the bus leaves from Nicoya): https://goo.gl/maps/sWJbyqAynQHuiKe67. If you are coming from San Jose and someone from the base is coming to pick you up from the Quebrada Honda bus stop, message or call them when you are in Limonal (https://goo.gl/maps/ds985JPe631uKXrbA) so they can estimate the correct arrival time.
Uber is a common way to travel in Costa Rica, especially in the cities. We recommend you to download the Uber application on your phone prior to your arrival. An Uber ride from Nicoya to the YWAM base is around c11,000. If you travel by taxi, make sure you always use the official red taxis and that the driver is using the meter. Nicoya Taxi phone number is +506 2685 5656.
Private transportation option in the village: There is a man with a private medical transportation business. He does trips from the base to Nicoya, Liberia and San Jose for medical as well as for other purposes. A trip to Nicoya costs c15,000, San Jose c100,000. His name is Daniel and his number is +506 8629-5005.
If you wish to have base transportation for personal trips, you have to request it well in advance and only authorized staff members can drive base vehicles. There is a cost for each trip depending on the distance (the cost is higher than a bus, uber or a taxi fee would be). Base vehicles are primarily used for ministry purposes, usually not for personal trips.
If a staff member offers to drive you in their personal vehicle, we kindly ask you to help them to cover the cost as well. Buying and maintaining vehicles in Costa Rica is very expensive.
Below you will find information and links for the most common bus routes for our visitors:
Corral de Piedra - Nicoya- Corral de Piedra
Price: ₡800 (cash only)
45 min - 1 hour
Bus company: The bus has a sign saying Caballito/Corral de Piedra
Monday to Saturday
From Corral de Piedra to Nicoya:
Bus stop: In front of the YWAM Base.
6:00a.m.
12:00 m.d.
From Nicoya to Corral de Piedra:
Bus stop: Bus station / Mercado de Nicoya, makes a stop in front of the hospital and by KFC.
10:40a.m.
14:40 p.m.
Nicoya- Sámara- Nicoya
Price: ₡1500 - 2000
1 hour
Bus Company: Traroc
From Nicoya to Samara:
Bus stop: Bus station / Mercado Municipal de Nicoya.
5:00a.m. (Not on Sundays)
8:00a.m.
10:00a.m.
12:30 p.m.
14:30 p.m
4:30 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
From Sámara to Nicoya:
Bus stop: Samara entrance
5:30a.m.
6:30a.m.
8:00a.m. (Not on Sundays)
10:00a.m.
12:30 p.m.
15:00 p.m.
16:30 p.m.
18:30 p.m.
Nicoya - Santa Cruz - Liberia - Nicoya
Price: ₡1800 - 2200
1 hour 45 min
Bus company: La Pampa
From Nicoya to Liberia:
Bus stop: Terminal in front of Super Compro, downtown Nicoya
Mon - Fri: from 4am to 9 pm there isabus every 30 to 45 minutes.
Saturdays from 4am to 9 pm every hour.
Sundays from 5am to 8am every 30 minutes, from 8am to 4pm every two hours, from 4 to 7pm every hour.
From Liberia to Nicoya:
Bus stop: Liberia bus station / Terminal de buses Liberia
Mon-Fri: from 4am to 9 pm there is a bus every 30 to 45 minutes.
Saturdays from 4am to 9 pm every hour.
Sundays from 5am to 8am every 30 minutes, from 8am to 4pm every two hours, from 4 to 7pm every hour.
Santa Cruz - Tamarindo - Santa Cruz
Price: ₡1200 - 1600
1 hour
Bus company: Transportes Cabo Velas S.A. https://yoviajocr.com/bus/santa-cruz-tamarindo
Monday to Sunday:
From Santa Cruz to Tamarindo:
Bus stop: Bus terminal SantaCruz
04:10am
05:30am
06:15am
07:30am
09:00am
10:30am
12:00 pm
13:30 pm
15:30 pm
17:00 pm
19:20 pm
From Tamarindo to Santa Cruz:
Bus stop: somewhere downtown Tamarindo
05:45am
06:45am
09:10am
10:30am
12:00 pm
14:00 pm
15:30 pm
16:15 pm
17:15 pm
18:45 pm
20:00 pm
Nicoya- San José - Nicoya
Price: ₡7000-8000 (you have to buy the ticket online)
Bus company: TIG - Transportes Inteligentes de Guanacaste
4 hours (can be more if there is traffic, road work or accidents)
Online tickets can be purchased at: https://tiguanacaste.com/
You can see the schedules also on the website after choosing the departure city and where you are going. You can use either Nicoya or Santa Cruz, both of them pass by Nicoya and Quebrada Honda.
From Nicoya:
Bus station Mercado Municipal or you can get on by Mac Donalds.
You can also get on in Quebrada Honda. In this case when you are buying your ticket, you can choose in "abordaje" Quebrada Honda.
From San José:
Bus station: Estación Buses TIG. Close to the National Children's Hospital in downtown San Jose. https://maps.app.goo.gl/NazrbfrrKXZWiPVz7
Airport: If you will get on at the airport, when buying the ticket, choose Aeropuerto in the "abordaje". The airport bus stop is right in front of the airport, behind the parking hall. The bus will visibly say Nicoya or Santa Cruz, depending on which ticket you have purchased (both will bring you to Nicoya/Quebrada Honda).
All the TIG buses stop at the San Jose airport (Juan Santamaría) both ways. If you come from Nicoya and want to get off at the airport, just tell the driver "Aeropuerto".
You can get off / catch the San Jose buses in Quebrada Honda, which is the closest bus stop to the base. The location for the bus stop coming from San Jose is by the Full gas station in Quebrada Honda: https://goo.gl/maps/yNGy3w6r7ky3VHwk8. The location for the bus stop going to San Jose (be there 15 minafter the bus leaves from Nicoya): https://goo.gl/maps/sWJbyqAynQHuiKe67. If you are coming from San Jose and someone from the base is coming to pick you up from the Quebrada Honda bus stop, message or call them when you are in Limonal (https://goo.gl/maps/ds985JPe631uKXrbA) so they can estimate the correct arrival time.
