Arrival Information

Buses leave San José's La Coca-Cola for Quepos four times daily (at 7am, 10am, 2pm & 4pm; 4hr); there's a faster service, also leaving from La Coca-Cola, to Manuel Antonio (daily at 6am, noon & 6pm; 3hr 30min) which calls at Quepos en route to the national park entrance. At weekends, holidays and any time during the dry season, you'll need to buy your bus ticket for the Manuel Antonio service at least three days in advance, and your return ticket as soon as you arrive. All buses arrive in Quepos at the busy terminal, which doubles as the mercado, just one block east of the town centre. In addition to these two buses, Interbus's new shuttle service makes the trip between San José and Quepos daily using air-conditioned Mercedes minibuses (US$25 each way). They leave San José at 8am, returning from Manuel Antonio at 1.30pm, and will pick you up from your hotel at each end. For reservations, call 283-5573 in San José or contact Lynch Tours in Quepos (tel 777-0161).

Due to the long drive and the condition of the roads, it's a good idea to fly from San José: this takes only fifteen minutes and, as Quepos residents like to point out, there are no potholes in the sky. Keep in mind that Sansa or Travelair flights are often booked weeks in advance, however, especially in the dry season. Alternatively, you could charter your own plane. The airstrip is about 5km north of town.

To change money and travellers' cheques, head for the Banco Popular, just southwest of the bus terminal; the attached ATM accepts Visa and Mastercard. The Banco de Costa Rica and Banco Nacional also change travellers' cheques, but may be slower. The Banco de San José/Credomatic is the only place you can get cash advances on Mastercard, and is also open on Saturday mornings. Many businesses in town will change dollars, and there's a branch of Western Union (Mon-Fri 9am-noon & 1pm-6pm, Sat 9am-2pm) next to the Café Milagro just as you enter Quepos.

The correo (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm) is at the eastern end of town. There's a plethora of places with Internet access, including Los Amigos del Río, next to the church; Internet Tropical, in front of the Hotel Malinche, which also has an international phone service, plus good fruit batidos and toasted sandwiches; Quepos Internet Café, opposite the soccer field, which has a happy hour and student discounts. In the event of medical emergencies, Quepos has an excellent hospital, the Hospital Dr Max Teran (tel 777-0200).