Private transportation to Malpais, Santa Teresa, Montezuma
by Mario Cordero | May 17, 2013

Transportation to Santa Teresa, Malpais, Montezuma and all other beaches in the southern part of the Nicoya Peninsula, requires taking the ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera. The ferry ride is very pleasant and gives you unique views of the Gulf of Nicoya, its beautiful islands and beach landscapes.
The current ferry departure times are at the bottom of this page
Once on the peninsula, there are only a few miles of paved roads and the popular beaches of Montezuma, Malpais and Santa Teresa are all connected by the infamous Guanacaste dirt roads. If you don’t want to drive these bumpy, dusty (or muddy) roads, we offer several simple transportation solutions. Here I describe the two options for Private transportation to Malpais, Santa Teresa, Montezuma and all other locations in the southern Nicoya Peninsula. There are also daily shared shuttles and I’ll write about those in a future post.
Private transfer with “Van Switch” at the ferry
a. You will be picked up by our driver at the airport or hotel in San Jose, Arenal, or wherever you are. He will take you to the ferry dock in Puntarenas
b. You get on the ferry with your luggage. The cost of the ferry tickets is included in our price. Have your camera handy and enjoy the ride. The van does not go on the ferry with you.
d. On the other side of the Gulf we’ll have another van and driver waiting for you. He will have our usual sign with your name. This second driver will take you the rest of the way to Tambor, Montezuma, Malpais or Santa Teresa.
We recommend this option because:
- It is cheaper as there is no charge taking the van on the Ferry
- Takes less time because the Ferry will take all passengers, but only a limited number of cars. So, you’ll always go on the first ferry.
Private Transfer with “NO Van Switch” at the ferry
a. The same van that picked you up goes on the Ferry with your luggage, and takes you all the way to your final destination. The cost of the ferry tickets for the van and all the passengers is included in our price.
b. This requires getting to the port a little earlier to be sure the van gets on the first ferry. This is more important in the busy months of the dry season: December to April. If our van doesn’t make it on the first ferry you have to wait for the next one. This is a 2 or 3 hour wait.
c. This trip costs more because the ferry charges $50 each way for the van.
Puntarenas-Paquera Ferry Departure Times
Here are the currect ferry departure times as of March 2022. This schedule may change. Please check with us for the latest information.
Departures from Puntarenas | Departures from Paquera |
---|---|
5:30 am | 5:30 am |
9 am | 9 am |
12 pm | 12 pm |
3 pm | 3 pm |
6 pm | 5 pm |
8:30 pm | 8 pm |
Get prices and details here:
– Santa Teresa & Malpais Transportation
As in all our private transportation, the price includes: the driver, fuel, insurance, parking, road tolls, ferry tickets and all other expenses.
We can always take your surfboards on our trips, but we must know in advance so we can plan to have the right size vehicle, bike racks, straps, etc.
The size of the surfboards is important as long boards don’t fit inside our smaller vans.
We hope one of these options will work for you, and please contact us if you have questions or you’d like more details.
Find Private Transfers
Departing from:
Testimonial:
Highly recommend
Great communication before the trip and during, even when our plans kept changing they were really responsive and nothing was a problem.
Clean car, great driver, punctual.
Would use again without hesitation.
Rowan M. Private Transportation Service March 21, 2022
Company is fantastic as is the people you employ
Mario, your company is fantastic as is the people you employ. Jimmy was probably the best person to get us acquainted with Costa Rica. Bring my phone back to me, will never be forgotten and I will recommend you guys to all my friends and family traveling to Costa Rica. Pura Vida!
Michael T. Multiple Private Transfers May 12, 2019
…started with the best
We were really tired from the flight so it was a relief to have someone waiting for us on time. The vehicle was very good. The driver was so nice and friendly. Our trip started with the best way because of Morpho vans. Thank you!
Zoi D. Private Transfer San Jose Airport to Arenal March 12, 2019
Very Friendly and Professional
Fabian and Jimmy were great! Both are very friendly and professional. Mario and his wife were excellent with communication and planning. Will recommend Morpho to all my friends and family. Gracias y pura vida! ✌️
Lee G. Multiple Private Transfers February 28, 2019
I would recommend this company with the highest of praise and confidence!
Morpho Vans was a huge help to us. We needed a ride 6 hours away and they responded promptly and efficiently and provided us with an excellent car and an even better driver- Jimmy. We called them for every ride we needed in Costa Rica- I would recommend this company with the highest of praise and confidence!
Mary Ellen M. Multiple Private Transfers January 8, 2019
Excellent service with Morpho Vans on our trip to Costa Rica!
Excellent service with Morpho Vans on our trip to Costa Rica! We had two families of 4 people and all trips were great. SJO to Jaco area in a van for 8 people (with free WIFI), then Jaco to Lost Igurano resort, which is a 5+ hour trip on winding roads, and finally a trip back to the airport at 4 am. Drivers always arrived early but were fine waiting for us. We stopped at local restaurants for great meals. All trips were safe and efficient. I highly recommend if you are looking for transportation in Costa Rica.
Joel S. Multiple Private Transfers January 7, 2019
Service is amazing!
Service is amazing! Our flights were cancelled and Morpho Vans were so easy to deal with, they just rescheduled our service with no hesitation! We travelled in style from San Jose to Santa Teresa! Will definitely be using this service again, very happy!
Angela P. Multiple Private Transfers December 8, 2018
Thank you Morpho Vans for your courteous and professional help
Thank you Morpho Vans for your courteous and professional help. Our fabulous vacation to Costa Rica started and ended with your drivers, Santos and Henry. They were very helpful and informative for our first trip to Costa Rica. Thank you and we look forward to our next trip!
Scott W. Private Transfer Liberia City to Conchal / Flamingo - Round Trip December 2, 2018
This service was AMAZING!
This service was AMAZING! I am still blown away by the experience. The drivers were amazing! The vans were great as well! They offered WIFI on the vans and were very comfortable and spacious. Definitely better than renting a car and trying to find your way around Costa Rica. I loved that the drivers wanted to make sure we enjoyed our vacation and were willing to stop at any place we wanted to make sure we got the most out of our vacation! They even pointed out great places to shop and eat along the way and they even pointed out the animals that they saw too! I highly recommend this service for anyone traveling around Costa Rica!
Andrea D. Multiple Private Transfers November 30, 2018
…very friendly, nice, and a great driver.
Jimmy the driver who took us from San Jose airport to Tabacon was very friendly, nice, and a great driver. Thank you!
Matthew L. Multiple Private Transfers November 28, 2018
…less expensive and more convenient option
Our overall experience with Morpho Vans was excellent. All the drivers very friendly and helpful. The actual vehicles were great. It turned out to be a less expensive and more convenient option for both doing day long trips or inter-city transport than other public means. We were 4 adults and 3 children with many bags. We highly recommend Morpho Vans.
Shekhar K. Multiple Private Transfers September 3, 2018
Very friendly and extremely efficient
The drivers were awesome--very friendly and extremely efficient. They are always on time and our travel experience in Costa Rica went extremely smooth. I highly recommend this service to anyone who is getting ready to travel to Costa Rica. We will definitely use this service again!!
Karen L. Multiple Private Transfers August 14, 2018
Punctual, friendly and helpful
All our drivers were punctual, friendly and helpful. The all went out of there way to show us something special on all of our trips. I would highly recommend Morpho Vans!
Robin M. Multiple Private Transfers August 12, 2018
Very reassuring and accommodating
We are always very nervous when scheduling transfer services during traveling. Mario and the staff made the scheduling very easy. He was quick to respond. The group was very reassuring and accommodating as we had flight changes and times due to weather. So easy to work with!!
Nancy G. Multiple Private Transfers August 11, 2018
Delivered as promised
Everything was delivered as promised. Our drivers were very courteous and accommodating and very punctual. Will definitely be using Morpho Vans again!
Michael G. Private Transfer San Jose Airport to Santa Teresa van-switch July 19, 2018