Getting Around Santa Teresa and Mal Pais

 

In Mal Pais and Santa Teresa, there are several choices for moving between places. Travelers have options
like rental cars, private vans, minivans, boats, ferries, shuttles, public bus, and even horses!
Depending on a route, budget, and length of stay, travelers can either choose one of them or their
combination.

Rental Cars

Rentals cars are often preferred by the tourists as they offer full privacy and freedom over the course
of traveling. There are quite a few numbers of services of rental cars in Mal Pais and Santa Teresa
regions of Costa Rica. However, some of them can trick you into paying more than necessary. Budget, Bego
and Terios are the recommended companies for rental cars. They will cost no more than a shuttle service
and provides better control over your plans. These companies are allotted with all sorts of
cars suiting the budget of travelers. Furthermore, the owners of cars are residents of Costa
Rica and they know their way around. Several roads of Mal Pais and Santa Teresa are rough and of dirt,
and the rental agencies’ owners are the best judges to let the renters know what kind of car will best
suit the roads and their needs. There are agencies by the airport and other local areas. They
become a big help if a car broke down on the way and allows you to swap them, thus preventing you from
hassle. Now coming on to the rates, the lowest price you can pay for a car is 70 to 90 dollars per day
depending on the season. The prices are high due to the rough roads which often cause the travelers to
damage them. In wet seasons, a 4WD is recommended while in dry ones, a 2WD is convenient. The
car is ideal for visitors living in the houses on the hills. If they are residing in other parts of the
town, they may not need the car. Moreover, there are numerous enticing places in Santa Teresa and Mal
Pais like waterfalls, beaches, nature reserves parks, bars and restaurants, so having a car also mean
you can head over anywhere anytime. Also, it is safe to drive in Mal Pais and Santa Teresa.

 

Public Buses

There is a daily public bus service to Mal Pais from San Jose. One advantage of buses is that the tickets
are cheap. They cost about 7 US dollars per person. Another benefit is that the buses cover most of the
places in the towns. However, all the buses take their routes from San Jose, and
this quality is often found to be inconvenient by the tourists as it adds considerable
time to their travel. Also, on busy days, one may have a hard time finding an empty seat.

 

Private Taxi

A private taxi can be hired to take you around the town. It will cost around 200 US dollars.

 

 Shuttles/Mini-buses

Shuttle comes to the rescue for those cannot    or do not want to drive. It is
an allocated, air-conditioned mini-bus or a coaster that differ from public buses as the seats are
reserved in advance. Shuttle service costs 45 to 50 US dollars.