Bus terminal to Caribbean destinies

Gran Terminal del Caribe

1 kilometer north of San José, on the way to the city of Tibás is the “Gran Terminal del Caribe”. In this terminal arrive most of the buses that go to the Costa Rican Caribbean sector. In addition, there is a bus that goes to La Cruz and Peñas Blancas in the Guanacaste area.

This terminal is of great importance because if you are heading to the east or north of the country, it is certain that you will have to use this terminal. Its proximity to the Braulio Carrillo highway gives it many advantages, such as avoiding the typical dams that occur in San Jose city.

Let’s talk a little about the routes, destinations, services and schedules that are given in this terminal.

bus terminal in the afternoon Costa Rica
The Gran Terminal del Caribe is just steps away from downtown San Jose.


Bus Routes in the terminal

Towards the Caribbean area there are several interesting destinations, starting with Limon, the most important city in that area. From Limon you can reach more popular destinations such as Puerto Viejo, Cahuita and Manzanillo.

The next route is San Jose – Siquirres. This city is known for being close to the Pacuare River, a well-known destination for rafting lovers.

Guapiles, is another of the routes present, you can find many natural reserves around that city. Perfect for those who like to see animals of all kinds.

Sarapiqui is also another of the routes present in this terminal. A destination full of tropical reserves. More importantly, you can take a 5 hour boat ride from there to Tortuguero.

Cariari is also important if you plan to access Tortuguero, with the La Suerte river passing close by. Nearby is La Pavona, the port where the bus boats arrive to take you to Tortuguero town.

Then, there are the routes of Guácimo, Pocora, Rio Jiménez, Batan and Matina. These are mostly rural areas where agriculture, fishing and cattle raising are the most important commercial activities.

Finally, there is the bus service to Peñas Blancas. It is a small town bordering Nicaragua from where buses depart to Managua or San José.



food court in the bus terminal
The food court has a good gastronomic variety.

Schedules

We share schedules of some of the most important routes in this terminal.

San José – Peñas Blancas (Border with Nicaragua)
The bus leaves San José to Peñas Blancas from Monday to Sunday at: 03:00 AM, 04:00 AM, 05:00 AM, 06:00 AM, 08:45 AM, 10:45 AM, 02:00 PM, 06:00PM.
The bus leaves Peñas Blancas to San Jose from Monday to Sunday at: 03:00 AM, 06:45 AM, 08:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:15 AM, 01:30 PM, 03:30 PM, 05:30PM.

San Jose – Limon
The bus leaves San Jose to Limon from Monday to Sunday at: 06:00 AM, 07:30 AM, 08:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 01:30 PM, 02:30 PM, 03:30 PM, 05:00 PM, 06:30 PM, 07:00 PM.
The bus leaves Limón to San José from Monday to Sunday at: 06:00 AM, 07:30 AM, 08:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 01:30 PM, 02:30 PM, 03:30 PM, 05:00 PM, 06:30 P.M, 07:00 PM.

San Jose – Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui
The bus leaves San José to Sarapiquí from Monday to Sunday at: 06:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 01:00 PM, 01:30 PM, 02:30 PM, 03:30 PM, 05:00 PM, 05:30 PM, 06:00 PM.
The bus leaves Sarapiqui to San Jose from Monday to Sunday at: 05:00 AM, 05:30 AM, 07:30 AM, 09:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 11:30 PM, 01:30 PM, 03:00 PM, 03:00 PM, 04:30 PM, 05:30 PM.
To take into account. This destination has two different routes, one through Vara Blanca and the other through the Braulio Carrillo highway.



waiting area in bus terminal with people and stores
There are more spaces to wait for the bus to leave, along with other services such as pharmacies.

Gran Terminal del Caribe Station Amenities

We cannot finish this article without mentioning the different services offered by this terminal.
There is a food court where you can recharge your batteries before leaving. There is everything from fast food to a typical Costa Rican and Caribbean food restaurant.
Also, there is a pharmacy if you want to buy something to alleviate an ailment that you have at the moment or that you might have during the trip.
You can find a mini supermarket and a cell phone store that sells cables, headphones among other things.
There are also restrooms, but be careful, because they charge about 500 colones($1) to use them.

To use the bus service there are ticket booths where you can buy the ticket that allows you to get on the bus. We are not sure if the ticket office accepts debit or credit cards so it is better to have cash on hand.

Another great advantage of the Gran Terminal del Caribe is its proximity to San Jose. If your bus leaves in a few hours, you can take the opportunity to visit Barrio Amón, the Central Market or Parque Morazán.



passenger unloading area at the large caribbean terminal
This is the area where people get off the bus

More information

If you need more details of schedules, ticket prices and routes that serve in this terminal they attend consultations by Whatsapp at (506) 6034-2578.
They also take calls at (506) 2222-0610. Also on the website www.mibus.cr you can book the bus ticket and pay there. Remember to arrive on time for the departure time, preferably 20 minutes before.

Tickets, at 2025 prices, range from 1500 colones (3 US dollars) to 6000 colones (12 US dollars).

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This article was made by a human being, who visited this terminal to obtain all this information and take pictures.