How to get to Hotel Mandarina Hotel Mandarina is located in Manuel Antonio, just outside the small Pacific coast port town of Quepos. See map. We are at the highest elevation on the main road about halfway between Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park. If you chose to drive, you can park your rental car in our secure lot behind the reception building. Manuel Antonio is only 3 1/2 hours by car or bus from San Jose, so long as you take the shortest route. Faster yet, is a 20 minute plane ride from San Jose on Nature Air or Sansa Airlines. Quepos and Manuel Antonio are fairly easy to navigate since there are only a few main roads. We are just 1.2 miles (2 Km) from some of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica with the entrance to Manuel Antonio National Park at the end of the main road. A twenty minute walk down the secondary road from the hotel will bring you to a secluded beach. The local bus stops 50 yards from the hotel and brings you to the main beach or Manuel Antonio National Park in 5 minutes. Take a Bus - tome un autobús For about 10 US dollars one way from the downtown San Jose "Coca Cola" bus station, take the "Directo" Quepos/Manuel Antonio bus (6 daily departures - $5 one way). Take a taxi to the bus station because you may not find it otherwise. More info here. The bus will arrive in Quepos and most people will get off. You can stay on the bus and they will drop you off right by our hotel. Ask them to drop you off at the Barba Roja Restaurant. From there it is a 50 yard walk forward. The Hotel Mandarina is on the left side of the road. For about 47 US dollars (plus additional fees for extra luggage), Interbus with daily shuttles from the most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica will pick-up from your hotel. They will drop you off at the Hotel Mandarina. Interbus is more direct and comfortable than taking a bus from the "Coca Cola" station. Take a Plane - tome un vuelo doméstico Two airlines, Sansa and Nature Air, have several flights to Quepos/Manuel Antonio daily. Flights last 20 minutes and fares can vary. Airfares on these small airlines are not always set in stone... so sometimes you can get the price down a little. Sansa is adjacent to the Jaun Santamaria (SJO) International airport, while Nature Air is in San Jose. If your flight to Costa Rica arrives in the morning, and you have no plans to visit San Jose, you can walk out of the airport, make a left, walk another 50 yards and hop on a Sansa flight. Also, if you have an afternoon flight out of Costa Rica, you can catch a Sansa flight, avoid spending the night in San Jose, and spend one more day in Manuel Antonio. Private Car/Van Service - transporte privado If you are traveling with one or more people, a private car service can be an economical and convenient method. You will get your own bilingual driver who can show you around, point out wildlife along the way and stop whenever you want to to take pictures or get something to eat. Do an internet search for a car service before your trip or ask your hotel manager to set you up with a driver. Rent-A-Car - rente un auto International rental agencies such as Alamo, Budget, Dollar, Hertz and National are available. Rates vary, from $45 per day on up. There are also local car rental agencies such as Adobe. The road between San Jose and Manuel Antonio is poorly lit at night, but well marked and mostly smooth. Use caution when driving through the mountains, as there are many trucks and buses and drivers may attempt to pass you around curves. You don't need four wheel drive to visit Manuel Antonio. Also, DO NOT leave luggage or bags in your car overnight or when the car is out of your site. Costa Rica is generally a safe place, but car break-in's and petty theft are common, so use good judgement. NOTE: Driving in Costa Rica can be VERY time consuming, especially if you don't know the shortest routes, so seriously think about the other options before you rent a car. Ride a Horse - monte un caballo This may take awhile.... Munch.   Getting around Manuel Antonio/Quepos The local bus from Quepos to Hotel Mandarina From the downtown Quepos station, the local bus leaves every 1/2 hour for Manuel Antonio. The fare is about 285 colones (less than one US dollar!), and takes 5 to 10 minutes. Tell the bus driver to drop you off at the Barba Roja Restaurant and walk 50 yards forward. You can also take this bus all the way to the beach/Manuel Antonio National Park. (Bus shown is for illustrative purposes only- not the actual bus in Quepos!) Taxi between Quepos and Hotel Mandarina Taxi costs about 2500 to 3000 Colones (about 5 to 6 US dollars) and are lined up across the street from the bus station. Once you arrive at the Hotel Mandarina, we can help arrange bus, car, and plane travel, for the remainder of your Costa Rica vacation.