Arenal Blog

How To Get From Arenal to Tamarindo

Hundreds of thousands of tourists travel from Arenal to Tamarindo every year. If you’re planning on going this route, and you’re not sure whether you should rent a car and drive, take a flight, take a shuttle, hire a private car service, or use the public transportation system, this article is for you.

I’ve helped hundreds of tourists find the best option from Arenal to Tamarindo. And in this article, I will discuss the four main ways to get from Arenal to Tamarindo, from public buses to private car services.

Let’s dive in and find out which option is best for you.

Transportation From Arenal to Tamarindo

1. Public Transportation
2. Group Shuttles
3. Private Car Service
4. Driving (Car Rental)

Let’s dive right in:

There are four ways to get from Arenal to Tamarindo. You can use public transportation, go on a group shuttle, hire a private transportation service, or drive a rental car. Generally, the first two options are more affordable, and the latter is more convenient.

Public transportation is the cheapest option from Arenal to Tamarindo. However, hiring a private car service or a private shuttle is the fastest and easiest option. And going on a group or shared shuttle generally gives you the best balance of time and cost. 

Keep scrolling to find out how each option ranks against the other based on its pros and cons so that you can make the best of your trip from Arenal to Tamarindo. 

Let’s explore each option’s pros and cons to help determine the best way for you to get from Arenal to Tamarindo, starting by comparing prices.

Top 4 Cheapest Means of Transportation From Arenal to Tamarindo

Notes:

• The above rates do not include the 13% IVA tax.
• These prices assume there is a minimum of two travelers.
• Renting a car consists of the base rate, insurance, and fuel.
• Prices can fluctuate throughout the year based on market conditions and demand.

Note: The above prices are estimations to give you an idea.

Keep reading more detailed information on each service and how they work.

Arenal to Tamarindo Bus

The cheapest way to get from Arenal to Tamarindo is to use the public transportation system. However, the trip is not straightforward because no direct bus connects these destinations. You must take between three and four buses to get to Tamarindo, and the journey will take between ten and eleven hours. 

Depending on where you’re staying in Arenal, you may need to travel first to La Fortuna. And you would typically do this by taking a taxi from Arenal to La Fortuna, which will cost around $20 depending on your lodge’s location and how far it is from La Fortuna. However, if your Arenal lodging is closer to Tilaran than La Fortuna, it’s best to take a taxi to Tilaran, which will cost between $10 and $20, depending on how far you are from Tilaran.

Let’s look at the step-by-step process for getting from La Fortuna to Tamarindo by bus. And, if you’re lodge is closer to Tilaran than La Fortuna, skip the first step and move on to step two. Along with the instructions, I will share the links to Google Maps landmarks, which will be essential to make this trip. 

1. First, you must take the Transpisa bus that departs from Ciudad Quesada at 7 am. This bus stops in La Fortuna at La Fortuna Bus Terminal, a terminal between Soda La Hormiga (a great place to eat local food at low prices) and Mega Super La Fortuna at around 8 am. However, I recommend you get there by 7:45 am to ensure you don’t miss it if it runs early. After two hours of travel around Lake Arenal, this bus will get you to the Tilaran Bus Terminal around 10 am. 

2. Once you arrive at Tilaran, you must take the Reina del Campo bus from Tiralan to Cañas at 11:30 am, which departs from the Tilaran Bus Terminal, the same place the last bus left you. The bus from Tilaran to Cañas only takes 30 minutes, so assuming you take the 11:30 am bus, you will arrive at the Cañas Terminal at midday. 

Note: Another bus departs from Tilaran to Cañas at 10 am. If you’re lucky and the La Fortuna bus arrives at the terminal before 10 am, you take that one. Consequently, you will not have to wait an hour and a half for the 11:30 am bus to depart. However, keep your expectations low as most of the time, you will arrive at Tilaran too late to catch the 10 am bus to Cañas.

3. Once you arrive at the Cañas Terminal, you need the bus from Cañas to Liberia, which departs at 12:10 pm and takes about 45 minutes to get to the Liberia Terminal so you will get there around 1 pm. 

4. Once you arrive at the Liberia Terminal, you will need to wait for about an hour since the next bus from Liberia to Tamarindo departs at 2:10 pm. And this bus takes about an hour and a half, so you will finally arrive at the Tamarindo Terminal around 4 pm. 

Note: Depending on your lodge in Tamarindo, you may need to walk or take a taxi to get there. Therefore, I recommend you look it up on Google Maps beforehand to have the plan to execute when you finally arrive at Tamarindo.

There you have how to get from Arenal to Tamarindo by bus. Even though the trip is relatively inexpensive (each of the above four buses charges about $3, plus a taxi from Arenal to Tilaran or La Fortuna for $10 – $20), the trip is long, taking up the entire day.

Besides, switching buses four times can be tiring. And none of the above four bus routes has air conditioning, making the trip hot and uncomfortable. Additionally, you can’t purchase the tickets ahead of time and may not get a seat, so you would need to travel standing.

From experience, having helped hundreds of tourists over the last decade, I can tell that only a teeny tiny percentage of travelers going from Arenal to Tamarindo use public buses. Most travelers use the alternatives explained below, as they’ve determined that the cost savings achieved by using public buses are not worth the long trip and the lack of comfort.

Let’s explore the other ways to get from Arenal to Tamarindo.

Driving From Arenal to Tamarindo

Now that we know how long it takes to get from Arenal to Tamarindo using public transportation let’s talk about how to make this trip much faster. 

Driving is the fastest way to get from Arenal to Tamarindo, which will take between 4 and 5 hours. A more precise estimate will depend on the traffic conditions and your experience driving around the country. On average, tourists take 5 hours to drive from Arenal to Tamarindo.

Compared to all the other ways to get from Arenal to Tamarindo, driving is the fastest way, as shown in the following comparison table. 

Top 4 Fastest Ways to Get from Arenal to Tamarindo

*Going on a Private Transfer will be faster than driving if you’re not used to driving in Costa Rica.

Aspects to Consider When Driving from Arenal to Tamarindo

Let’s discuss a few drawbacks of driving in Costa Rica, which you should consider before renting a car from Arenal to Tamarindo. 

Driving Time Can Be Much Longer Than GPS Apps Estimate From Arenal to Tamarindo

Generally, driving from Arenal to Tamarindo takes 4-5 hours. However, these averages are more realistic and applicable to local Costa Ricans used to driving in our country, and it’s not the case for foreigners. 

If you search on Google Maps for the route from Arenal to Tamarindo, Google usually estimates the driving time to be less than four hours. However, from my experience working with hundreds of tourists, I rarely see anyone get across that distance in that timeframe. 

The distance between Arenal and Tamarindo is 200 kilometers (124 miles), which is relatively significant but not excessive. However, the roads in Costa Rica are pretty narrow, and traffic can get out of control at any given moment should an accident block the streets. Consequently, Google estimations can be disproportional, and your driving time can escalate quickly. 

For example, I drove from San Jose to Monteverde the other day, and Google estimated my driving time would be 3 hours and 50 minutes. And then, there was a landslide on Highway 1 (one of the main roads you will need to use when driving from Arenal to Tamarindo), which turned my travel time upside down. What was supposed to be a four-hour drive ended up being a ten-hour endeavor, and I got home at 1 am.

Even though this was an extreme case, this type of thing happens in Costa Rica regularly. Our country’s topography, with huge mountain ranges, volcanoes, and vast nature, makes the roads vulnerable to these events. Therefore, I recommend adding 30 to 60 minutes to the estimated driving time the GPS device/app gives you.

Driving is Not the Easiest Way to Get From Arenal to Tamarindo

Driving from Arenal to Tamarindo seems like a simple thing to do. After all, you might be an avid driver, and a four-to-five-hour ride might not be a big deal. However, driving in Costa Rica can be very different from how you’re used to driving at home. 

In Costa Rica, crazy local drivers, unpredictable and harsh weather conditions, and narrow roads make driving here a challenge and an overwhelming task for some. 

For example, on highway 1, one of the main routes from Arenal to Tamarindo, it’s common to see local drivers going at full speed, passing multiple vehicles on a relatively narrow road. Witnessing a car pass like that on these roads can make some drivers feel uncomfortable and anxious. 

We, Costa Ricans, have witnessed this scenario many times before, and it still feels a bit uncomfortable for me. Getting past at full speed in such narrow streets means the car passing by comes very close to you, and it’s not cool. And it’s one of the main complaints I’ve heard from foreigners visiting Costa Rica for the first time. 

On the other hand, the weather conditions in Costa Rica are pretty unpredictable. Costa Rica has more than 300 microclimates (a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding a. And that means you can experience a handful of different atmospheric conditions over a four-hour drive. 

You might leave Arenal with a clear sky when suddenly a cloud forms thirty minutes later, pouring rain all over the place. Driving under changing weather conditions is not a big deal from December through April (Costa Rican summertime) as there are few rain showers, and they’re not too hard.

However, rain is more prominent from May through November (Costa Rican rainy season). During this time of the year, it rains more often and much harder, especially during September and October, when heavy thunderstorms are a daily norm. Generally speaking, driving during those months is significantly challenging, even for locals, especially during the afternoons when the rain is more likely to come. 

And lastly, a final aspect that makes driving in Costa Rica challenging for foreigners is the poor condition of the roads. There are many potholes, so you must be extra careful and 100% focused when driving in our country. You will want to dodge those bad boys as they can be so sharp that they can flat your vehicle’s tire.

Flat tires do not usually cause many accidents in Costa Rica, but they can still be a hassle. Since most roads are narrow, you will need to find a safe parking stop so you can change the tire. Changing tires is not super fun, and it can be incredibly discouraging if it begins to rain in the middle of the process, as it’s happened to me a few times. 

Costa Rica Rental Car Comparison Tool

After considering the above drawbacks, if you decide that renting a car is still a good option, it may be time to find a reasonable Rental Car. And I recommend using the Costa Rica Rental Car Comparison Tool. You can find the best car rental deals in one place. All you need to do is choose the city or airport where you plan to pick up a car, and the Costa Rica Rental Car Comparison Tool will instantly display the best deals across the major rental car companies in Costa Rica. Give it a try. 

Arenal to Tamarindo Private Shuttle

We have already explored how complicated it is to get from Arenal to Tamarindo using public transportation. We also covered how driving can be problematic, so what’s the easiest way to make this trip? 

Booking a private car service is arguably the easiest way to get from Arenal to Tamarindo.

Hiring a Private Transportation Service, or a “Private Shuttle,” as locals call it, is the easiest way to get from Arenal to Tamarindo. You can arrange a specific time and place with a private shuttle, and a transportation company will pick you up and take you to your lodge in Tamarindo. 

Here at Arenal Tours, we offer a private door-to-door service, so you can relax and enjoy the ride while we take care of the heavy lifting and drive for you. 

That way, you don’t need to worry about carrying your personal belongings around using public transportation. Neither will you need to worry about driving in a foreign country with roads that might differ significantly from the streets you’re used to riding back home. 

Instead, you arrange the pickup time and place. Then, one of our local professional drivers will pick you up with a modern vehicle to take you from your departure place in Arenal to your destination in Tamarindo.

The only disadvantage of hiring this type of transportation service is the price. Going on a private transfer is the most comfortable, convenient, and straightforward option but also pricey. 

Depending on the pickup and dropoff places, a private transfer from Arenal to Tamarindo will usually cost $284 for 1 to 6 passengers. And your pickup time can also influence your pricing. For example, if you want to depart Arenal before 7 am or after 5 pm, there is a $20 additional fee for this service. Additionally, private transfer prices will increase as demand rises, especially during the busiest days, so I recommend booking ahead of time. 

Book a Private Car Service from Arenal to Tamarindo here. 

Arenal to Tamarindo Shuttle

Getting a group shuttle from Arenal to Tamarindo is an excellent choice for solo travelers and couples. A group shuttle is a daily shared transportation service from Arenal to Tamarindo. A modern Van with air conditioning and WiFi will pick you up at your lodge in Arenal and take you to Tamarindo.

Generally, taking a group shuttle, or a “shared shuttle,” as the locals call it, is the most recommended door-to-door way to get from Arenal to Tamarindo for most travelers. Group shuttles are convenient and provide the best balance, saving time and money for travelers in most cases.

Here at Arenal Tours, we offer group shuttles, where you share the shuttle service with fellow travelers and the cost, making it an excellent option for solo travelers and couples. Using our group shuttle to get to Tamarindo will be far more convenient than riding the public bus and significantly less expensive than hiring a private transfer. 

Using our group shuttle is also more manageable and less stressful than renting a car and driving. The price can change depending on the seasonality and demand, but it’s usually around $47 per person per way. 

Book a Group Shuttle from Arenal to Tamarindo here. 

Here’s the end of this article. Thank you for reading this far, and feel free to share this info with fellow travelers as you deem appropriate. Happy travels and ¡Pura Vida, amigos!

Related Articles: 

• Going From Arenal to Jaco
• Going From Arenal to Liberia
• Going From Arenal to Guapiles
• Going From Arenal to Sarapiqui
• Going From Arenal to Rio Celeste
• Going From Arenal to Tortuguero
• Going From Arenal to Monteverde
• Going From Arenal to Manuel Antonio
• Going From Arenal to Rincon de la Vieja

About the Author

Daniel Lalinde

I am the founder of Arenal Tours. I lived in Arenal and La Fortuna before I moved to Monteverde, and I often travel to Arenal and La Fortuna to visit my loved ones. I love nature, adventure, and mountain biking. My partner and I love spending time outdoors and dining out. And we have more than 30 years of combined experience traveling around Costa Rica.

We love helping visitors so they can have a memorable experience in our country. If you need help planning your perfect trip to Costa Rica, send us a message, and we will happily assist you!