Getting to Us
The journey to Punta Mona is part of the fun!
Punta Mona is located on the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica in the Gandoca Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge. There is no road to get here…you must take a boat or hike through primary rainforest. The reward is a sanctuary of untouched jungle paradise. Prepare yourself for adventure. Transformation begins when you commit to the journey.
STEP 1 - ARRIVE IN SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA
FLY INTO SAN JOSE (SJO)
Make sure to buy your plane ticket to San Jose, Costa Rica, airport code SJO.
When you arrive in San Jose, keep in mind that Punta Mona is still at least 6 hours away. Depending on what time you get in, you may want to stay the night in San Jose and take the bus in the morning.
If you choose to spend the night, we recommend:
We also have a special relationship with the Adventure Inn Hotel right near the airport. They are a cute, cozy, clean and friendly hotel that provides a free airport shuttle service and has a lovely breakfast. Using the promo code PUNTAMONA you will receive a 10% discount off their already great prices!
STEP 2 - GETTING TO PUERTO VIEJO
TAKE THE BUS!
The bus from San Jose to the Caribbean takes roughly 4 1/2 hours, and costs about $14.
The bus is called Autotransportes MEPE and departs from Terminal Atlantico Norte, located at Avenida 9 & Calle 12, San Jose.
The bus drops you off in Puerto Viejo. Here you can either continue your journey to Manzanillo, where the Punta Mona boat leaves from. You could also stay the night in Puerto Viejo and explore this chill Caribbean town, before you head to Manzanillo in the morning by taxi or another bus.
For those looking for less adventure, Gecko Trail provides an awesome service - they will pick you up at the airport, take you to the bus station and have your pre-purchased bus ticket ready. Cost for this service is $38 per person.
If you choose to spend the night in Puerto Viejo, we recommend:
Hotels: Pagalu, Cabinas Jacaranda, Casa Verde, Cariblue
Hostels: La Ruka, Selina Hostel
Puerto Viejo is a really fun town with lots of great restaurants and live music bars. It’s also a good opportunity to do a little personal shopping for things you may want while on the farm. Remember to get your chocolate, sunscreen or boots.
Some shops we love:
Old Harbor or El Diamante for basics and groceries
Luna May for beautiful locally-designed clothing
Namu for specialty organic foods
Bio Mercado for natural products
Cho.co for local chocolate
Caribeans for coffee and chocolate
Cafe Rico for breakfast and pastries
Bread & Chocolate for chocolate and bagels.
STEP 3 - GETTING TO MANZANILLO
TAXI, BUS OR HITCHHIKE
Manzanillo is the last town on the road on the way to Punta Mona. Manzanillo is an Afro-Caribbean fishing town with a gorgeous beach and a great restaurant, the famous Maxi’s.
Take the bus from Puerto Viejo, catch a cab or hitch a ride. The bus is about $1 and the best deal. It stops in the other beach towns (Cocles, Playa Chiquita, Punta Uva). Just go out to the road and flag it down during the time when it is heading to Manzanillo from Puerto Viejo.
Hitchhiking is totally acceptable, safe and common practice. If you are comfortable with this, by all means do so, it is a fun way to meet new people!
A cab is $15-20 from Puerto Viejo and great to share! You can have your hostel help call you a cab.
Our meeting spot - the famous Maxi’s
STEP 4 - GETTING TO PUNTA MONA!
CATCH THE BOAT OR HIKE
You’re almost here!! You have two options for getting to Punta Mona from Manzanillo - you can either take the boat or hike.
BOAT
The boat is an exciting way to complete your journey, with beautiful views of the coastline and Caribbean sea along the way. Some say it is a Punta Mona rite of passage - your final voyage through our portal. Depending on the weather, the sea can be quite choppy, but you will be in excellent hands with our boat captains Baco and Jose as you ride the wild waves to our private beach.
If you choose to take the boat, we will help coordinate when your time for arrival approaches. The boat is a minimum of $50 per trip, meaning if you are the only one on the boat it is $50, if there are 5 or more it is $10 per person. Please let us know if you will be taking the boat when you book your stay with us. We can schedule a departure from Manzanillo between 9am and 4pm.
HIKE
You can also hike to the farm, along a 8km trail through the primary rainforest. If you travel light, enjoy exercise and have good footwear, this is a great option! The hike takes approximately 2 hours and we recommend that you come in with a guide or use a downloaded offline map of Costa Rica on the Maps.Me App and follow the trail from Manzanillo National Park to Punta Mona.
If you choose to hire a guide, the cost ranges from $60 for a couple to $260 for a group of 15+, always consider the tip. A guide will ensure you arrive safely and give you an introductory lesson on the Caribbean jungle ecosystem and environmental issues affecting our area. Please let us know if you would like this option so we can put you in touch with a guide.
As this is the rainforest, there is a chance for the trail to be quite muddy. We recommend sneakers, boots, or hiking sandals - not flip flops. The trail is mostly shady, but it is always a good idea to wear sunscreen, a hat, and natural bug repellent.
