- Route: Liberia → San José → Juan Santamaría Airport (SJO)
- Liberia → San José: ~6 hours by bus
- San José → airport: ~30 minutes by bus
- Total cost: ~5,650 CRC (~$13)
Morning in Liberia
We went for breakfast at a great little bistro. I will add a map and a few food tips here.
The Terminal
It was noon and the heat was unbearable. The city was baking. I took an Uber to the terminal planning to leave at twelve — the twelve o'clock bus was sold out. The one at one had seats. It should have occurred to me that Sunday is not the best day to travel. Half the country was on the move. After a while I went numb to the heat and realized that for a six-hour journey I should eat something before getting on the bus.
The Luggage
Before boarding, they pushed hard to get me to put my bag in the undercarriage. I said no — firmly. Every guidebook mentions this and bags genuinely do get stolen from luggage compartments. In La Fortuna I met a Turkish guy whose entire luggage had disappeared from one a few weeks earlier. It really happens.
The ticket cost 4685 CRC. I gave the cashier 5000 and got nothing back. I did not argue.
The Bus
The bus was great. Most buses here run without air conditioning — this one was comfortable and properly cooled. About halfway through, as is the custom in Costa Rica, we stopped at a large terminal with toilets, a shop and food. Watch yourself there though — the buses all look identical and I nearly got on the wrong one.
As for the roads — it is a disaster. With the exception of the Pan-American Highway (which by European standards is still not quite a motorway), Costa Rican infrastructure is essentially one enormous car park. Narrow roads, crawling speeds. I kept wondering where the money goes — the taxes, the tourist revenue. Costa Rica is the most expensive country in Latin America, and the roads are in terrible shape.
Because it was a Sunday afternoon and traffic was more or less standing still, the journey took over six hours. Pick your travel day carefully if you can.
San José
After arriving I bought a bottle of water at a corner shop and called an Uber. The driver immediately let me know this was not a safe neighbourhood and pointed to one unfortunate soul who had clearly been operating in a different reality for several years. All things considered, after all the warnings about San José, it was not that bad. The city sits at 1200 metres above sea level, which means the climate is noticeably more pleasant. That is probably the main reason everyone lives there.
Hostel Viajero
I stayed at Hostel Viajero — a chain of slightly more upscale hostels offering small private rooms at a fair price. When you are travelling alone again, a place like this makes it easy to meet people. There is a large common room with reception and a bar where you can also order food. The whole property is enclosed behind a serious fence.
That evening they handed out popcorn and screened Rush Hour.
The Morning
I took an Uber to the central market for gallo pinto and souvenirs. Then a walk around the city. San José during the day is perfectly fine — no dirt, no rubbish on the streets. Just a regular city where everyone is rushing to work or school. A concrete jungle, but a functional one. The guidebook had little to offer beyond the museum and the market. I went back to the hostel, packed and headed for the airport.
The Airport Bus
I took the local bus to the airport. Similar story — the terminal was buried deep in the city. I gave the driver 1000 CRC and got nothing back. No air conditioning, but otherwise fine. About thirty minutes and I was at the airport. The flight home was with KLM — not quite the experience of the Air France leg on the way out, but it did the job.
