How to Get to Nosara Costa Rica: 4 Ways in 2023
Wondering how to get to Nosara Costa Rica? You’re in the right place.
Nosara is a beautiful surf town on the Nicoya Peninsula of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. A huge part of the allure and magic of Nosara is that it’s extremely difficult to get to.
Since 2021, I’ve spent about a year total living in Nosara, and I’ve traveled to/from Nosara 10+ times on various trips.
I’ve traveled from the Liberia airport to Nosara, the San Jose airport to Nosara, the Nicaraguan border to Nosara, and more!
I’ve also made the trek to Nosara from the airport in so many different ways: I’ve driven in a rental car, I’ve taken a shared shuttle, I’ve taken a private shuttle, I’ve even ridden the bus! I have some good friends who have flown to Nosara too, so I’ll be including their first-hand experience with that too.
How to get to from Liberia to Nosara
Liberia is an international airport located about a 2.5- 3 hour drive from Nosara. If you’re visiting Nosara, I highly recommend flying into Liberia because it’s so much closer than San Jose.
Liberia to Nosara by rental car
One of my favorite ways to get to Nosara from Liberia is by renting a car and driving yourself! I’ve done this a few times, and the drive takes about 2.5 hours, and you’ll drive on a mix of nicer paved roads, paved mountain roads, and some crazy, pothole-infused dusty dirt roads once you get closer to Nosara.
Every time I’ve rented a car in Costa Rica I’ve rented with Alamo, and I’ve never had a bad experience with them, so I recommend that’s who you rent a car with to get to Nosara. They’re not the cheapest car rental company, but it’s worth paying a tad bit extra to rent with someone who’s not going to leave you stranded at the airport, or try to stick you with thousands of dollars of fees for damage to the car that you didn’t do!
Cost of renting a car to get from Liberia to Nosara:
Renting a car to drive from Liberia to Nosara is going to run you $158-$212 in the high season, from December- April. That includes airport taxes and fees, along with a one-way rental car drop-off fee of $50. If you decide to keep your rental car for your whole trip to Nosara, you can simply return it in Liberia, and then you won’t need to pay the one-way fee, and you’ll be paying $108-$162 per day depending on what rental car you get.
I highly recommend renting at least a compact SUV to get to Nosara so you do alright on the dirt roads.
This is especially true if you’re visiting in the rainy season!
Who should rent a car to get to Nosara from Liberia:
- Anyone comfortable driving in another country- ideally you speak a little Spanish to get by, and understand the road signs
- Groups and families- if you’re splitting it 4 or 5 ways, the rental car prices really aren’t too bad
- Anyone who wants to have a rental car during their trip to Nosara
Liberia to Nosara by shared or private shuttle
I believe the easiest way to get to Nosara from Liberia is to book either a shared or private shuttle. This is the way I get to Nosara 90% of the time, and I’ve never had a bad experience with it.
The drivers show up right outside the airport with a sign and your name on it, help you with your luggage to their shuttle or car, and drive you right to Nosara and drop you off directly at your accommodations.
If you need to make a pit stop for groceries they’ll take you, and if you’d like to stop at the gas station in Nicoya to use the restroom or grab a few snacks, they typically stop there too.
Every driver I’ve ever had with Terratours has been really friendly and helpful, and made me feel safe.
I highly recommend booking a shuttle with them if it’s your first time going to Nosara!
Liberia to Nosara by flying
The quickest way to get to Nosara from Liberia is to book a Sansa flight and take the 15 minute puddle jumper flight! The flight will cost $110-$130 each way, which is a good option if you’re traveling alone, or really short on time for your trip to Nosara.
I haven’t personally taken this flight, but know a few people who have and absolutely loved it. They said the views are incredible!
Taking the bus from Liberia to Nosara
The cheapest way of getting to Nosara is taking the bus from Liberia to Nosara. You can take the bus from Liberia to Nicoya via the bus company La Pampa, and then take the bus from Nicoya to Nosara via the bus company Traroc.
If you’re staying in Playa Guiones, get off the bus next to Cafe de Paris rather than riding it all the way into Nosara town.
The bus between Nicoya and Nosara gets pretty packed, and it’s a bumpy ride, but the views are great and it’s a wonderful way to experience Costa Rica.
Be sure to have cash on you so you can buy bus tickets! It’ll only be a few collones.
How to get to Nosara from San Jose
San Jose is a much bigger airport than Liberia, and it’s located about a 5-7 hour drive from Nosara depending on the traffic.
San Jose to Nosara by rental car
Earlier this year, Rowan and I rented a car in San Jose (from Alamo of course) and drove it up to Nosara. It took us about 6 hours (we stopped for a quick lunch and hit some traffic) and cost about $160 plus gas because we had to pay the $50 one-way fee.
This process was really easy, and the Alamo rental car office is located right next to the highway onramp, so it’s easy to just get the car and go- you won’t be driving through the heart of the city or anything like that.
If you’re comfortable driving a car in Costa Rica this is a great option! I just wouldn’t recommend doing it at night, or if you can’t read the street signs.
San Jose to Nosara by shared or private shuttle
It’s not as easy to take a shuttle from San Jose to Nosara as it is to do so going from Liberia to Nosara, but it’s still possible.
Tropical Tours has a shuttle that runs daily from San Jose to Nosara. It leaves at 8:00 am and costs $97. Alternatively, you could book a private shuttle with Tropical Tours for $297, but that’s pretty expensive and only worth it if you have a bug group.
Terratours has a private shuttle option for $260 to get from San Jose to Nosara, and I recommend that service if you’re traveling with a group of friends or your family.
San Jose to Nosara flights
The quickest way to get from San Jose to Nosara is to book a Sansa flight! The flights cost about $130 each way, offer gorgeous views and take about 45 minutes. If you’re on a short trip or traveling solo, this is one of the best ways to get to Nosara from San Jose!
Taking the bus from San Jose to Nosara
It’s pretty easy to take the bus from San Jose to Nosara! There are two different ways to make the journey- a direct bus to Nosara from San Jose, or a bus that transfers in Nicoya.
The direct bus is run by the company Alfaro, and you can buy tickets from Mibus. They usually have two direct buses daily, and I recommend booking your tickets in advance since they do fill up!
If you’re taking the connecting bus, the bus picks up right outside the terminal, along the main road, and you’ll ride the bus from San Jose to Nicoya. For the bus from San Jose to Nicoya, you’ll want to also buy your tickets from the Mibus website. For the bus from Nicoya to Nosara, you can pay the driver or at the bus terminal in Nicoya.
Along the way, the driver will stop somewhere for 5-10 minutes or so so that everyone can get off the bus to use the restroom and grab some food.
Then once you’re in Nicoya, you’ll switch buses and go from Nicoya to Nosara. If you’re staying in Playa Guiones, be sure to get off the bus at Cafe de Paris, otherwise it’ll take you all the way into Nosara town.
I can’t remember the exact numbers but I believe it cost me about $10 or less to take the bus between San Jose and Nosara earlier this year (May 2023).
Tips and resources for getting to Nosara
- If you’re driving, download your maps offline
I can’t emphasize this one enough. Driving to Nosara, no matter which way you’re coming from, you’re going to lose cell reception. Be sure you either have your maps printed out, written down, or downloaded offline if you’re using your phone.
- Avoid driving at night if possible
Costa Rica is super safe, but the roads are bad and it’s easy to get lost. Just ask my mom about her honeymoon a few years back trying to navigate in the dark on her first time in Costa Rica😂
If you can avoid it, don’t drive at night.
- Be skeptical of any “shortcuts” from Google Maps
Google Maps has this really fun (not) habit of finding shortcuts when driving in Costa Rica. These shortcuts typically involve taking you down a bumpy dirt road into the forest and having you cross a rushing river.
The image above is a sketchy dirt road with a river crossing Google Maps tried to take us on to shave one minute off our drive.
Do not cross the river! Turn back and resume your earlier route. This has probably happened to me on 3+ occasions driving in Costa Rica, so just be ready for it. You can even see the rivers on the map sometimes as a dead giveaway.
- Bring cash
If you’re taking the bus you’ll need cash to buy your bus ticket, and if you’re taking a private shuttle you’ll want cash to tip your driver. Most people and places in Costa Rica accept USD, so if you don’t have time to go to an ATM and get collones yet that’s fine!
Just keep in mind that you might not get the most favorable exchange rate when paying in cash, especially for your bus ticket.
- Utilize Facebook groups
Nosara has a ton of super helpful facebook groups. The groups are useful for rideshares, and you can even ask for the most up-to-date bus routes and oftentimes someone can help you!
For rideshares, check out the traveling to/from Nosara group. Nosara info and outreach is another good place to ask for help!
Looking for more helpful Nosara travel guides? Check out our guides to the best beaches in Nosara, the best things to do in Nosara, and the best restaurants in Nosara!
Getting to Nosara: Final thoughts
That concludes my guide on getting to Nosara. I’ve traveled to/from Nosara many times and many different ways, and I hope this guide was helpful to you planning your trip.
If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below.
Rowan and I know Nosara like the back of our hands, and we’d love to help you plan your trip! If that’s something you’d be interested in, check out our Costa Rica trip planning services page.
Pura Vida!
