How to Get to Tamarindo

How do you get to Tamarindo by car?
Coming from the International Airport Juan Santa María, close to the towns of Alajuela and San José:

Take the Interamericana (Highway 1) north in the direction of San Ramon and Puntarenas. Continue on this road past Puntarenas until you get to a junction at Juntas (at this junction you will see signs promoting the new bridge crossing the Gulf of Nicoya). From here you have two possibilities:
1. continue on Highway 1 until you get to the town of Liberia or
2. take a left turn at the junction (Shell station on your left hand side) in the direction of the Puente de la Amistad/Friendship Bridge/Tempisque Bridge, which crosses the Gulf of Nicoya.

1. Continuing on Highway 1 via Liberia:
Coming from Highway 1 you approach the town of Liberia. From here it is about 1,5 hours drive to Tamarindo. In Liberia, at the big junction with traffic lights and gas stations, you take a left turn, following the direction for Santa Cruz and Nicoya. You’ll pass towns like Filadelfia and Belén. Right after Belén you take a right turn, heading to Tamarindo and Flamingo. Don’t forget to fill it up near the town of El Llano (about 2 km./1.25 miles after the turnoff for Portegolpe), for there are no more gas stations on your way to Tamarindo.
In Huacas you turn left for Tamarindo and all you have to do is follow the road signs, which will lead you to a right turn in the small village of Villareal. Follow this road and you will have reached your destination: Playa Tamarindo.

2. Turning left from Highway 1 via the Puente de la Amistad/Friendship Bridge/Tempisque Bridge:
From Highway 1 you take a left turn heading towards the bridge. Once you have crossed the Gulf of Nicoya using this bridge, you follow the road until you get to the signs leading you to the town of Nicoya. When approaching Nicoya, continue on this road to Santa Cruz. Don’t forget to fill up your car in Santa Cruz, for there are no more gas stations on your way to Tamarindo.

As you leave Santa Cruz, still on that same road, you will pass a bridge. Here you again have two options. If you want to take the partly unpaved road (last part of the old road is bumpy with many potholes), turn left at the first road signs pointing to Tamarindo, immediately after the bridge when leaving Santa Cruz, and follow this road. You will eventually end up in the small town of Villareal, where you take a left turn for Playa Tamarindo. You have reached your destination.

If you prefer to drive on a paved road from Santa Cruz (new road), then don’t turn left after the bridge in Santa Cruz but continue on the main road until you reach the signs for Tamarindo and Flamingo (near the town of Belén). Turn left. There is a gas station near the town of El Llano (about 2km./1.25 miles after the turnoff for Portegolpe). Continue on this road until you get to the village of Huacas and here you take a left turn for Playa Tamarindo. Follow the road signs and in the village of Villareal you take a right turn for Playa Tamarindo. You have reached your destination.

Coming from the International Airport Daniel Oduber in Liberia, Guanacaste:
After leaving the airport, you will get to the main road. Here you take a right turn in the direction of the beaches, Santa Cruz and Nicoya. You’ll pass towns like Filadelfia and Belén. Right after Belén you take a right turn, heading to Tamarindo and Flamingo. Don’t forget to fill it up near the town of El Llano (about 2 km./1.25 miles after the turnoff for Portegolpe), for there are no more gas stations on your way to Tamarindo.
In Huacas you turn left for Tamarindo and all you have to do is follow the road signs, which will lead you to a right turn in the small village of Villareal. Follow this road and you will have reached your destination: Playa Tamarindo.

How do you get to Tamarindo by air?
Two domestic airlines, Sansa (www.flysansa.com) and Nature Air (www.natureair.com ), which originate from San José, service Tamarindo daily. There are 6-10 flights a day, depending on the season, and the flight is a mere 45 minutes in duration.
Sansa departs from the International Airport Juan Santa María, Nature Air departs from a domestic airport near Pavas (about 20 minutes from the international airport).

How do you get to Tamarindo by shuttle bus?
Two private bus companies, Grayline (www.graylinecostarica.com) and Interbus (www.costaricapass.com ), service Tamarindo from San José (and from many other towns in Costa Rica) on a daily basis. Both lines offer comfortable seating and airconditioning with travel time being approximately 5.5 hours.

How do you get to Tamarindo by public bus?
The public bus line, Empresa Alfaro (tel. 222-2666), services Tamarindo twice a day, originating from the bus terminal at Avenida 5, Calle 14 in the center of San José.
A departure at 11:00AM will get you to arrive in Tamarindo around 05:30-06:00PM, if you use the bus leaving at 03:30PM will arrive in Tamarindo around 09:00-09:30PM.

How do you get to Tamarindo by taxi?
There are many private taxis in San José that will take you to Tamarindo in an average driving time of about 5 hours. Your hotel can help you arrange for a private taxi. You can also make arrangements with the official airport taxis at the International Airport (orange color) for your trip to Tamarindo.