La Fortuna to Santa Teresa: My Major Mistake | Driving vs Ferry
I recently spent three incredible weeks in Costa Rica, and while I can definitively say I love the country, I can also definitively say the roads can be a bit unpredictable. I spent quite a while researching the route from La Fortuna to Santa Teresa, and whether we should drive or take the ferry or use a shuttle service. I’m happy to share the results of my research, and my major mistakes, with all of you here at Inside the Upgrade.
Options for getting from La Fortuna (Arenal) to Santa Teresa
After spending three awesome days in La Fortuna, we were ready to head to the beach. There are a few options for getting to Santa Teresa, primarily depending on whether or not you have a car. We ended up deciding we wanted the flexibility of having a car on our trip (and I’m glad we did, taxis were expensive) so let’s start with driving options. Feel free to skip ahead if you’re more interested in shared or private shuttles.
Driving vs. Ferry
There are two routes you can choose from:
- Driving the Entire Way: Head west from La Fortuna through Guanacaste into Santa Teresa.
- Total Time: ~5.5 hours according to Google Maps
- Ferry + Driving: Drive from La Fortuna to Puntarenas, take the ferry (linked below) from Puntarenas to Paquera, then continue driving into Santa Teresa.
- Total Time: ~6.5 hours, according to Google Maps
- Ferries depart every ~3 hours, and you need to buy tickets in advance on this site and arrive ~1 hour before departure, just in case
Driving to Santa Teresa from La Fortuna
We opted to drive all the way since our timing didn’t align with the ferry. This was a mistake (at least on the route we took). We faithfully followed Google Maps and all was well until we crossed from Guanacaste into Punterenas by turning off the Ruta Nacional Primaria 21 onto the 162. Say goodbye to paved roads and hello to bumpy dirt roads.
Unpaved roads aren’t uncommon in Costa Rica so we weren’t too worried about this. We had an SUV (but not a 4×4) and the road was doable. The problem came about ¾ into our trip when we turned onto the 160. Right on the map there’s a Google business called “Expert Crossing Rivers” and it’s there for a reason.
We had crossed two small streams already, but we officially hit one river deep enough that I couldn’t easily see the bottom, which made me sufficiently worried for our rental car. Beyond that, there were two more rivers within the next 2 miles, and we had no idea how deep they would be.
Dear Google,
What the hell.
At this point we had two options, either attempt to ford the rivers and hope for the best, or walk on over to Expert Crossing Rivers and ask Erickson for help. He nicely explained in Spanish that he would give us information on how to cross the rivers or we could hire him to do it for $40.
We asked for information, and after a two-minute rundown of how to ensure our non-4WD would make it up the hill following the second river, we decided to take Erickson up on his services.
I can honestly say it was the best $40 I’ve spent in a long time. He expertly navigated the rivers and got our car up a steep hill that had the car in front of us spinning its wheels and the driver panicking.
Could we have made it on our own? Probably. Was it worth the inevitable marital fight about whether we were damaging our already-too-expensive rental car? Absolutely not. Plus, we figured if something went wrong and we got stuck while Erickson was driving, he could certainly call someone to tow us out, vs if we were on our own with no cell reception.
All of this is to say, I wish we had taken the ferry. Or at the very least, a different route.
Taking the Ferry from La Fortuna to Santa Teresa
This is a much, much easier route with far less off-roading and far more time to enjoy the incredible views. It involves a lot of winding roads, but it’s fairly famous with incredible views of the cloud forest. The ferry itself is very relaxed and meant to be quite fun. Plus it’s a nice break from hours of driving.
Puntarenas to Paquerua Ferry Times
Shuttle times are: 4 AM, 630 AM, 9 AM, 12 PM, 3 PM, 6 PM, 8 PM and 10 PM (though this may change seasonally. Always check their site first)
You’ll want to get there an hour early because traffic from San Jose can be pretty serious the closer you get to the ferry and it certainly won’t wait for you.
You purchase your tickets on this site for ~$32 for two people and one car. While you can buy tickets at the ferry station, it’s better to reserve in advance so you’re not stuck if they’re sold out. If you don’t know your license plate number yet, just type in RENTAL.
The ferry ride is about an hour and they sell snacks and drinks onboard + offer free wifi + you don’t have to ford a river with your car.
Taking the Shuttle from La Fortuna to Santa Teresa
There are a few companies that offer shuttle service to Santa Teresa, primarily Interbus and Tropical Tours. It will cost ~$60/pp for a shared shuttle or you can take a private shuttle for ~$300. They note you should budget ~6 hours for the trip.
I’ve taken a shuttle a number of times in Latin America (including a recent trip to Oaxaca for Day of the Dead!) and they’ve always been very comfortable and safe. If you’re looking for any other transit during your trip, you can find many reliable services here on Viator.
Personally, I’m very curious what route they drive, because this van was definitely not crossing rivers.
La Fortuna to Santa Teresa: Driving vs Ferry Wrap Up
Needless to say, when we finally saw the beach overlooking Santa Teresa, we were pretty relieved. In the end, if I were to do it all over again, I would take the ferry. Better roads, more relaxed, and far less chance of ruining our car.
I hope that helps your trip to Costa Rica and cheers to your next adventure! ✈️🥂
