I was hoping to land in San Jose, go to Tortuguero for a few days and then continue onto Arenal and then Monte Verde and then up the coast into Nicaragua and fly out of Managua. I would prefer not to waste time going back to San Jose and am on a budget. Any advice/options would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hey, I'm doing a similar itinerary except starting in Puerto Viejo. From San Juan it's relatively easy. See this site for directions www.tortuguerovillage.com/traveloptions.htm, you'll be taking the public buses and then a boat at the connection point, it's pretty cheap! Like $7-10. Then to Arenal, which is where I'm going after also, you can take a shuttle. See this site though I found info online from a hotel (probably outdated) that said they would do it for $35. I forget which one, shop around on the site, all the hotels/hostels/lodges are listed.
There is one company that said they would add on to a package for a cost of $30 transport to San Jose that also included lunch and a hike and another canal tour. Might be worth looking into even though it means tracking back, I haven't decided yet myself. But there are plenty of shuttles if a little expensive. Otherwise you need to track back though I will report if I find any options.
From Tortuguero to La Fortuna/Arenal you can take the boat and public bus, but it requires some transfers. This website is very helpful with bus schedules: www.thebusschedule.com/cr/ but it doesn't show the crucial information you need -- Pavona to La Fortuna. (Pavona is the boat landing.) The bus will go Pavona, Cariari, Guapiles and from there to La Fortuna. You could email your lodging in Tortuguero and they could tell you about the bus.
Taking a shared van shuttle is really easy. You can arrange the boat/shuttle with your lodging in Tortuguero. It's around $50-$60, depending on where you are going in the Arenal area. Take a look here: puravidatrips.com/en/…138.html
