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Private shuttle · door-to-door

Private Shuttle from Manuel Antonio to San José Airport (SJO)

Your last morning in Manuel Antonio, and a flight to catch from San José. We pick you up at your door at a time worked out from your flight, and drop you at the departures entrance.

  • Private vehicle
  • Door-to-door
  • Taxes & tolls included
  • Child seats free
  • 24/7
The Tulemar entrance in Manuel Antonio

The service

Your private transfer from Manuel Antonio to SJO Airport

A private transfer to the airport means no shared van collecting other passengers on the way and no timetable to fit: the vehicle is only for your group, and it leaves when your flight needs it to.

There are no extras to discover later: the per-vehicle fare already includes taxes, tolls, fuel, insurance, water, WiFi and child seats. Pick Standard for a direct trip, or upgrade to VIP (+$80) to stop along the way.

On the road it is about 3 h. The pickup we confirm adds a margin for traffic and rain, so you are at SJO airport roughly 3 hours before an international departure, as the pickup table on this page shows.

The place you are leaving

About Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio is the area of hills, beaches and rainforest just south of the town of Quepos, around Manuel Antonio National Park. The park is small but famous: white-sand coves, trails through the forest and easy sightings of monkeys, sloths and iguanas. Most hotels sit on the winding road that climbs from Quepos to the park entrance, many with ocean views.

Among the places we drive to are Si Como No, Tulemar, Arenas del Mar, Gaia, Hotel Parador, Makanda by the Sea, Shana by the Beach and La Mariposa. Quepos has the Pez Vela marina, supermarkets and the town's restaurants. The park has traditionally closed one day a week (Tuesday), so check the current days before you plan your visit.

The Tulemar Resort Welcome Center in Manuel Antonio
Photo: Tropical Experts Costa Rica

Time to spare?

A last morning in Manuel Antonio before the airport

  • Manuel Antonio National Park

    Trails to white-sand coves with monkeys, sloths and iguanas; a guide helps you spot the wildlife.

  • Catamaran and kayak trips

    Boat trips along the coast and its islands, many with snorkeling stops.

  • Quepos and the marina

    Restaurants and the Pez Vela marina in Quepos, a few minutes from the hotels.

Before you go

Before you leave Manuel Antonio

  • Early park visit

    If you visit the park on your last day, go at opening time and set the pickup for the late morning.

  • Watch the balcony

    Pack up with the balcony door closed: monkeys and raccoons take anything left out.

  • Documents in hand luggage

    Passports, boarding passes and the credit card you booked with go in the bag that stays with you, not in the back of the van.

The route

What to expect on the drive

Driving time
approx. 3 h without stops
Main roads
Costanera Sur (Route 34) north, then Route 27 toll motorway up to the Central Valley
Pickup
At your hotel, villa or lodge in Manuel Antonio
Drop-off
Departures entrance of the terminal

We collect you at your hotel or villa on the Manuel Antonio hill or in Quepos. Many properties have steep driveways or private roads, and the driver goes to your reception or villa entrance. The trip starts down the hill road to Quepos, where the van joins Route 34 northbound.

Heading for the airport, the van follows the Costanera Sur north along the Pacific with the sea on your left, then turns inland near Orotina onto Route 27. The motorway climbs out of the hot lowlands past Atenas and into the Central Valley, and the airport is just off it in Alajuela.

Along the way

What you'll see between Manuel Antonio and SJO Airport

What passes the window on your last drive in Costa Rica:

  • Quepos and the marina

    The fishing town at the bottom of the hill, with its seafront and the marina, is the first thing you pass.

  • Last look at the Pacific

    The coast road runs along the beaches north of your hotel before it turns inland.

  • The Tárcoles River

    The bridge on Route 34 where crocodiles rest on the sandbanks below.

Tropical Experts VIP

VIP stops on this route

With VIP (+$80 per vehicle) and a flight late enough to allow it, the drive to the airport includes one to two hours of stops. We only plan them when your flight time leaves room; if it does not, we tell you when you book.

  1. Tárcoles River bridge

    A stop at the bridge on Route 34 to see the American crocodiles resting on the sandbanks below.

A Tropical Experts Toyota Hiace ready for a transfer

Before you travel

Road conditions on the way to SJO Airport

Route 27 is the quickest way from the central Pacific to the airport. The heavy traffic is on Sunday afternoons and evenings and at the end of holiday weekends, when the whole coast drives back to the valley; on those days we add more margin to your pickup time.

From the road

Driver's tips for this route

  1. Avoid a Sunday afternoon pickup for an evening flight if you can: that is when traffic on Route 27 is heaviest.
  2. Change out of the beach clothes before the drive: the Central Valley is noticeably cooler than the coast, especially in the evening.
  3. Bringing surfboards, bikes or diving gear? Tell us when you book so we send a vehicle with room for it.

Airport logistics

Pickup time for your flight from SJO Airport

Suggested pickup times from Manuel Antonio for flights at the usual hours, with about 3 h of driving and a 1 h margin. They are a guide: we confirm your exact pickup when you book. Where the table suggests a night near the airport, ask us on WhatsApp: we can take you there the day before.

Suggested pickup times · Manuel Antonio → SJO Airport
Flight departsAt the airport bySuggested pickup at your hotel
6:00 a.m.3:00 a.m.the day beforeask us about a last night near the airport
9:00 a.m.6:00 a.m.2:00 a.m.very early: ask us about a last night near the airport
12:00 p.m.9:00 a.m.5:00 a.m.
3:00 p.m.12:00 p.m.8:00 a.m.
6:00 p.m.3:00 p.m.11:00 a.m.
9:00 p.m.6:00 p.m.2:00 p.m.

    Drop-off is at the departures entrance of Juan Santamaría airport in Alajuela, with the bags on the curb. Flight moved? Message us on WhatsApp at +506 8486 7057 at any hour and we change the pickup.

    Fares

    Prices for this route

    One closed price for the whole vehicle, not per person. Prices in US dollars with taxes included; you pay online when you book and nothing to the driver.

    Manuel Antonio → SJO Airport · USD · VIP adds $80 per vehicle
    VehiclePassengersLarge bagsStandardVIP
    Hyundai Staria minivan for up to 5 passengers
    Hyundai Staria1–5 passengers
    		 1–55 $220$300
    High-roof Toyota Hiace van for 6 to 9 passengers
    Toyota Hiace6–9 passengers
    		 6–99 $275$355
    Maxus V90 executive van for 10 to 12 passengers
    Maxus V9010–12 passengers
    		 10–1212 $360$440

    Extra hour of stops: $35 per hour, up to 4 hours. Photos show each model; you get the vehicle type you choose.

    Google reviews

    What travelers say

    Short excerpts from real Google reviews of Tropical Experts Costa Rica.

    “The van was on time, assisted us with our luggage… His English is extremely good… you will be taken care of to the highest regard.”

    Google review · La Fortuna → Jacó transfer

    Read all our reviews on Google and TripAdvisor.

    Questions

    Frequently asked questions: Manuel Antonio → SJO Airport

    How long is the drive from Manuel Antonio to SJO airport?

    Count on about 3 h at the wheel, without stops. For the pickup time we add roughly 1 h more, for traffic and weather.

    What time will you pick us up for our flight?

    It depends on the flight. We work back from an arrival at the airport 3 hours before an international departure, minus the drive and a margin. For example, for a flight at 3:00 p.m. we suggest a pickup at 8:00 a.m., and we confirm your exact time when you book.

    How much is a private shuttle from Manuel Antonio to SJO airport?

    $220 in a Hyundai Staria (1–5 passengers), $275 in a Toyota Hiace (6–9) and $360 in a Maxus V90 (10–12). Prices are per vehicle, in US dollars, with taxes included. VIP adds $80 per vehicle.

    Can we visit Manuel Antonio National Park on the morning of our flight?

    Only with an evening flight. The park opens early and a visit takes a few hours, then you need about 3 hours of driving plus the airport margin. Tell us the flight time and we tell you whether it fits.

    Can we keep the room until the pickup?

    Ask your hotel: many offer a late check-out or a room to shower in for an evening flight. Give us the final time and we set the pickup to match.

    Will Sunday traffic on Route 27 make us late for the flight?

    We plan for it. On Sundays and at the end of holiday weekends we add more margin to the pickup time, because that is when the traffic back to the Central Valley is heaviest. Nobody controls the traffic, which is why we do not cut departure times fine.

    How much luggage fits?

    The Hyundai Staria (1–5 passengers) takes 5 large bags plus hand luggage and the Toyota Hiace and Maxus V90 take more. Bringing golf clubs, surfboards or bikes? Tell us when you book so we send the right vehicle.

    Drop-off and pickup

    Hotels we pick up from in Manuel Antonio

    Any address in Manuel Antonio works; these are some of the hotels already in our booking form.

    More routes

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    Return tripSJO Airport → Manuel Antonio from $220approx. 3 hSame regionJacó → SJO Airport from $175approx. 1 h 45 minSame regionHerradura · Los Sueños → SJO Airport from $180approx. 1 h 45 minSame regionPapagayo → SJO Airport from $340approx. 4 h 15 minAlso popularLa Fortuna → SJO Airport from $220approx. 3 h

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