Driving Directions

Rental Car Information Montezuma Car Rental.

From San Jose:

– This should take about 4 – 5 hours, depending on when (and if) you catch the ferry. The journey is beautiful and half of this time you’ll be on the ferry or in line, so the actual driving time isn’t very long.
– Call the ferry hotline at 2661-2084 (extension 4) for a schedule (a recorded message only in Spanish – ask your car rental agent to translate for you if you don’t know Spanish.) Check here for our Tambor ferry schedule as well. The schedule changes throughout the year.
– Drive 1 1/2 hours west to Puntarenas using the new road to Caldera.

– Take the ferry to Paquera (Not Naranjo!).

– The ferry line may have some beggars or grifters trying to get you to give them money for their help. You don’t need them – just ask other people in line for help if you’re confused.
– The ferry ride is just under two hours.
– Drive from Paquera, through Tambor, to Cobano. (45 minutes).
– At the bank (BNCR), turn left and drive 10 minutes or so to Montezuma.

From Liberia Airport:

– This should take about 4.5 hours, depending on how bad the roads are. We recommend Budget Rental Car because they have two offices in our area so it’s easier if something goes wrong with your car.
– Drive south towards Jicaral, then to Naranjo and Paquera after that

– From Paquera, follow the directions above as if you just landed from the ferry.

– If you want to drive to Montezuma along the Pacific Coast, you can do so only in dry season, and you should time it so that you can cross the Rio Bongo at low tide. There’s also an overland route to avoid the Rio Bongo, which takes you to Cobano, but it’s too difficult to describe here.

How to Fly Here:

– You can ONLY fly here (Tambor Airport) from San Jose airport. There are no public flights from Liberia Airport to Tambor. There are two companies you can use:
– Sansa Airlines (2290-4100)
– Nature Air (2220-3054)

Bus/Transport:

– A great way to get here is to take a transport bus/shuttle from San Jose to Montezuma. This is cheap and a very common way to get here, and you don’t have to do the driving. Contact Montezuma Expeditions or Zumatours to book a transport shuttle to Montezuma.

Boat Taxi:

– Another way to get here is to take a “boat taxi” from Jaco. For $50 or so you can zoom across the Gulf of Nicoya in an hour and be in Montezuma more quickly than any other method except by flying.