Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a destination many travelers have on their Costa Rica bucket list. Luckily, it’s super convenient and inexpensive to get to via the public bus from San Jose. 

Costa Rica has an amazing public bus system that takes locals and tourists alike from the capital to towns all across the country. You can explore pretty much all the main tourist areas by public bus for very cheap.

MEPE is the name of the bus company that travels between San Jose and Puerto Viejo.

Taking this bus is overall a simple process, but I know that navigating the bus system and buying your ticket as a foreigner can feel a little intimidating. Especially if your Spanish isn’t great.

So, I wanted to make this comprehensive guide for you with everything you’ll need to know about taking the MEPE bus from San Jose to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.

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Why Take the Public Bus to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca?

In my opinion, taking the public bus to Puerto Viejo is the best way to get there from San Jose. It’s way more cost efficient than taking a tourist shuttle or driving yourself in a rental car which are the only other ways to get there. 

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca does not have an airport so flying in is not an option.

Pros of Taking the Public Bus

The main pro of taking the public bus from San Jose to Puerto Viejo is that it is significantly cheaper.

Additionally, by taking the public bus with several other passengers, you’re helping to cut down on carbon emissions.

Cons of Taking the Public Bus

Cons of taking the public bus are that it takes a lot longer than it would to drive yourself or take a tourist shuttle because there will be several stops along the way.

The MEPE buses are pretty nice, but not the most comfortable in the world. The first few hours were fine, but as you start reaching 4 or 5 hours, it can start to drag on and get really uncomfortable. 

When Do Buses Depart to Puerto Viejo from San Jose?

MEPE has several times throughout the day that they depart from San Jose to Puerto Viejo. 

You can find the schedule on their website here. 

Navigating the San Jose Bus Terminal (Terminal Atlantico Norte)

In order to take the public bus to Puerto Viejo, you have to make sure you’re at the right bus terminal. There are several bus terminals in San Jose that host a variety of different companies. 

The bus terminal that you want to find is called Terminal Atlantico Norte. This is where the MEPE buses depart to Puerto Viejo. The pin of the terminal is shown below.

This terminal is centrally located in San Jose near the central market. If you’re staying in San Jose for a night or two before you catch your bus I’d recommend staying somewhere in the downtown area because it’s nice, safe, and only a 10-15 minute car ride to Terminal Atlantico Norte. 

Use DiDi for a Ride to the Bus Terminal

Whether you’re getting to the bus terminal from downtown San Jose or the airport, I want to let you know about an app called DiDi. DiDi is a free ride share app like Uber or Lyft, but with much cheaper prices. This app isn’t used in the US, but mostly in South and Central American countries. So make sure to check it out if you need a ride to the bus terminal!

The area around the bus terminal isn’t necessarily unsafe, but it’s not the nicest. I wouldn’t have wanted to walk around that area by myself. So I wouldn’t recommend staying at a hostel super close to the terminal and walking, especially if it’s your first time here.

When to Buy Your Bus Ticket

It is recommended to purchase your bus ticket to Puerto Viejo in advance if you’re traveling on a weekend or visiting in the dry season (December-April) because they can sell out.

Unfortunately you cannot purchase these tickets online, you can only buy them in person at the bus terminal. 

On a normal day, you will want to arrive at the bus terminal 1.5-2 hours before your preferred departure time so you have time to get your ticket. 

For example, we wanted to leave for Puerto Viejo at 2 PM, so we got our DiDi ride and arrived at the terminal around 12 PM. We had no issue getting our ticket however we soon found out that we got the very last seats on the bus departing at 2:00. We know this because from San Jose they sell the tickets from front to back, and we were seated in the very back of the bus, seats number 55 and 54. 

Later we talked to a woman on our bus who told us she came to buy her ticket the day before and they were already sold out for the 8 AM and 12 PM bus departure times. So she had to settle for the 2 PM bus.

It does seem that the early morning times are more popular. If you want to leave San Jose at 8 AM, I highly recommend purchasing your ticket a few days in advance. So you would have to get a ride to the bus terminal twice. Once to buy your ticket and once to actually leave. 

Something else to know, if the bus runs out of seats, they will still sell tickets to people who are okay with standing the entire ride. Surprisingly there were quite a few people standing on our bus.

How to Buy Your Bus Ticket

Once you arrive at the bus terminal, you’ll want to head straight to the ticket counter. 

I’ve put an image of what the ticket counter looks like below.

It’s in the very corner of the terminal straight back. 

All you have to do is tell them that you want to go to Puerto Viejo at whatever time you want. 

You’ll then pay them (it is cash only in colones) and they will give you your ticket which is just like a little receipt with the departure time, your seat number, and where you’re going.

It is very important that you keep your ticket!! The bus driver will scan it as you board the bus and they will also come by and check everyone’s tickets when you make stops to make sure no one got on who shouldn’t have. 

So don’t throw out your ticket until you make it to Puerto Viejo. 

How Much Does it Cost?

A one way bus ticket from San Jose to Puerto Viejo is 7,000 colones ($14 USD) per person. So it’s super inexpensive for how far you travel.

Food & Bathrooms at the Bus Terminal

There is a bathroom at the Terminal Atlantico Norte, but it does cost 400 colones per person which is only about $0.80 in USD. 

There are a couple little restaurants at the terminal and a few little snack shops so you can get some food before you hit the road. 

If you have food sensitivities or anything I would definitely recommend eating out somewhere else or bringing your own snacks because the options at the bus terminal are limited. 

What Are the MEPE Buses Like?

I was surprised with how nice the buses were. The seats are cushiony with a little pillow at the head, but unfortunately they do not recline at all. Again it was comfortable at first, but after a few hours in, it starts to not feel as good. 

There are little air conditioners above each seat and personal reading lights similar to what you’d see on a plane.

There is also a large luggage compartment under the bus. So if you have large suitcases or a big backpack, you can put them in here before you board. This does not cost any extra money. 

Or, you can choose to keep your backpack with you at your seat like we did if it’s small enough. There are shelves above the seats that can fit smaller bags as well.

What is the Bus Ride Like to Puerto Viejo?

The first two hours of the ride are pretty scenic once you get out of San Jose. You’ll be driving through the lush mountainous rainforests where you’ll spot the occasional waterfall running down the mountain.

This is known as a cloud forest so at some points you may not be able to see the good views, but when the clouds clear up, it’s gorgeous. 

The roads are a bit windy here so if you’re prone to motion sickness, this might be a rough section for you but it does get better. 

For the next 2-3 hours you’ll be on more flat land. You’ll drive through little towns and eventually you will see the Caribbean Sea out to the east signifying that you’re halfway there!

The road is completely paved though so you don’t have to worry about it being a bumpy ride at any point. 

How Long Does the Ride Take?

The time it takes to get from San Jose to Puerto Viejo can vary depending on weather, traffic, and how many stops the bus makes. 

The average time is between 4.5-6 hours. For us it took about 5.5 hours. 

Stops Along the Way

The first main stop will be in Limon. Limon is a town on the coast a little over an hour away from Puerto Viejo. 

You will be able to get out here at this bus station to use the bathroom, buy something to eat, and stretch your legs. You will have 15 minutes to do this before the bus takes off again. 

The bathrooms at the Limon terminal cost as well, but only 200 colones or $0.40 USD. 

You may make a few other stops before making it to Puerto Viejo. It depends on who is getting off where. Some people may get off in Hone Creek or in Cahuita which are little towns within 20 minutes of Puerto Viejo. 

When you finally arrive in Puerto Viejo, all you have to do is get your belongings from under the bus if you stored them there and head out. 

Getting Back to San Jose

Buying your ticket back to San Jose from Puerto Viejo is the same process. We walked to the ticket counter and bought ours a day before we wanted to leave.

Our bus back wasn’t nearly as packed as it was on the way to Puerto Viejo so I’m sure you can get away with purchasing your return ticket the day of but we didn’t want to take any chances. 

You can find the ticket counter at this pin, since it can be a little hard to find. It’s a small little place that says “Boleteria” in big blue letters above the door. 

Puerto Viejo only has one MEPE terminal. So it’s easy to find on Apple or Google Maps, but you can also find the location here. 

This bus terminal is super small, there are only a few covered benches where you wait for your bus. It’s just a minute or two walk from the ticket counter. 

After that, it’s time to sit back and soak in the final views of the Caribbean coast as you make your way back to San Jose.

And that is everything you need to know about taking the public bus from San Jose to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca! I hope this article helped you better prepare for the experience of buying your ticket and navigating around the bus terminal. Thank you so much for reading!