If you are in Costa Rica, taking the ferry is an activity you can’t miss. It’s one of the most interesting places in the country, and it’s not something you can try everywhere. I had the opportunity to try the ferry myself last year.
There are many beautiful beaches in Costa Rica, and the Paquera ferry can take you to most of them. This includes Montezuma, Malpais, Santa Teresa, and others. If you are looking forward to trying this new experience, you’ve landed on the right page.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the Puntarenas ferry terminal and how to purchase tickets for it. I will tell you all from experience, so you can take what you read here as tips for when you go there.
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How to Get a Puntarenas Ferry Ticket
Although going to the Puntarenas ferry terminal is an excellent experience, things don’t end there. The whole idea of getting on a ferry is going to another place. Hence, the first you should do before buying tickets online is to choose which place you want to visit between Santa Teresa Beach and the others mentioned before.
That being said, here are the main steps you should follow to purchase tickets and enjoy your ferry trip:
Buying Tickets Online
Once you know where you want the ferry to take you, you need to purchase tickets online. People can also buy them at the ferry ticket office, but I personally prefer to do it this way.
The process of buying tickets online is simple. You only need to go to the Quickpay CR Website and go to the ferry section. There, you will have to state what beach in Costa Rica you want to visit and click next.
Since it’s a ferry, there are several types of tickets available, each of them with different pricing. Naturally, getting a ticket for a trailer is more expensive than buying one for a small car or people traveling on foot.
If you are traveling on a rental car, you need to specify it when you buy the tickets. You need to do this whether you buy them online or at the Puntarenas-Paquera ferry terminal.
After you choose your tickets, you will have to submit your personal information. This includes your passport or ID information, credit card details, email, and phone number. Then, you only need to use your credit card to pay and wait for the website to process your payment.
If you are going to the ferry in a car, you will have to submit your vehicle’s license plate number. People going on a rental car only need to type RENTALCAR there. This, of course, only applies when you get your ticket online. People who buy them at the ticket counter only need to tell the person there the car they are using for the trip.
When the website confirms you bought your Costa Rica ferry tickets correctly, they will send them to the email you submitted before. Keep in mind these tickets are non-refundable, so make sure all the information you gave to the website is correct. You can screenshot the email the company sends you if you want to do so.
Although this didn’t happen to me, it’s common for people buying Puntarenas-Paquera ferry terminal tickets to see there are no options available for the date they chose. This doesn’t mean there aren’t more left but rather that the ones left are at the ferry terminal. Hence, you will have to go there to buy them.
How to Get to the Ferry Terminal
If you want to take this ferry ride and buy the tickets at the terminal, the process is simple too. However, you should go there at least an hour before they open, as the place is prone to be crowded. Normally, the Puntarenas-Paquera ferry terminal is open from 12:45 pm.
The road that leads to the ferry is called “Paseo de los Turistas.” You shouldn’t take more than two hours to get there if there are not many people on the road. However, this could change depending on what time of the year you go there.
Regardless of that, you can find the ferry’s location on Google Maps. You only need to type “Puntarenas ferry,” and it will take you right to the ticket counter.
It’s easy to tell the place apart from others, as it’s a big blue structure that says: “FERRY A PAQUERA BOLETERIA.” Apart from having to buy everything in Costa Rica and not online, the process from there is exactly the same.
What to Do Once You’re in the Ferry Dock
Once you buy your Costa Rica ferry tickets, you need to go to the dock. If you are going by car, you will need to go to the vehicle loading line and wait until you can park your vehicle or rental car inside.
Although you bought your tickets at the Puntarenas to Paquera ferry terminal, the line to the ferry Playa Naranjo is right next to it. Make sure to get in the right line. Try to arrive early to make the process easier for you and the people with you. One hour earlier should be enough too, as we told you at the ticket counter.
You can’t load your car on the Costa Rica ferry with passengers inside. Everyone with you must take their tickets and enter the Puntarenas-Paquera ferry like people with on-foot tickets.
There is a special line for on-foot passengers. You only need to show your ticket to the person there, and they will let you on the ferry.
What Is So Good About This Costa Rica Ferry?
If you’ve never been to Costa Rica or tried a ferry, you must wonder what is so special about it. Let me tell you that the experience of going to the beach on a ferry with my family was one of the best things I could do on a trip to Costa Rica.
When you travel by ferry, you can see all the other beaches in the Southern Nicoya Peninsula. That includes San Jose, Malpais, and more. The view is beautiful.
However, that’s not the only appeal you will see when you buy tickets to this ferry. Once there, you can buy all kinds of drinks and food you want for the trip. There are often recreational activities for people of all ages and a cabin with air conditioning and TVs in case you just want to chill until you get to the beach.
The Puntarenas to Paquera ferry is pet-friendly. There’s an area inside it that focuses entirely on playing with your pets, so you can even make some new friends there if you want. You shouldn’t take much to get to the beach by ferry, but you will have enough time to enjoy it.
What Beaches Should I Visit?
I had the opportunity to visit many beaches when I went to Costa Rica. The Paquera one, along with the ferry trip, was the most enjoyable one for me. The beach is beautiful, and I had the opportunity to meet other people there.
Although many people go to that beach every day, I never felt like there wasn’t enough space for all of us. Everyone can have fun there. Apart from that, it’s a safe place for people of all ages. I went with my family, and my kids could play as much as they wanted knowing nothing would happen to them.
Apart from that beach, the San Jose one was beautiful too. I also liked the Samara, Jaco, Manuel Antonio, Punta Uva, and Dominical beaches. If you have enough time, make sure to visit them too.
Additional Tips for the Puntarenas Ferry Trip
If you want to enjoy this trip to the fullest, you need to keep away anything that could bother you or your family while you are there. Although I had an excellent time in Costa Rica, there are some things I would have loved others to tell me before I went there.
The first one is to be aware of how hot the sun is in the country. This ferry generally takes 70 minutes to get to the beach. I got a sunburn while I was there. You should wear hats and suncream to keep that from happening.
However, people wearing hast should always hold on to them, as there’s a lot of wind on the Puntarenas ferry too.
Regarding the website where you can buy the tickets to the Puntarenas to Paquera ferry, it’s important you know many parts of it are in Spanish. The process is quite simple, and you don’t need to be fluent in the language to go through it, but you do need to understand what some words mean before buying anything.
Here are a few of the most important ones:
- Vehiculo – Vehicle
- Numero de placa del vehiculo – License plate number
- Vehiculo liviano – Passenger vehicle
- Correo electronico – Email address
- Nombre del cliente – Client’s name
- Numero de telefono – Phone number
The last tip we will leave here is to ask the pilot of the ferry what route they are planning on taking to go to the beach. What they pick will determine how fast they can get there. The trip shouldn’t take more than 70 minutes, but it’s good to know if that will change to manage your schedule.
If you keep track of time correctly, you will know how to organize your schedule correctly and will have time for all the things you want to do. Costa Rica is a place with many fun activities for tourists, so make sure to enjoy all of them the most you can.
For detailed ferry tips, you can refer to our Puntarenas, Costa Rica Ferry guide to ensure a smooth trip.
Final Thoughts
Whether you go to the San Jose, Paquera, or Montezuma beaches, the truth is Costa Rica is a beautiful place to visit. There are many things to do there, and after going once, I can tell you it’s truly underrated. If you go there, don’t miss the chance to get on a ferry.
As I mentioned before, ferries don’t sell all their tickets online, so you will always have the chance to get one at the ticket booth. They are not that expensive, so don’t worry about that.
The Nicoya Peninsula has some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever visited, and they for sure are places I would visit over again. It was a pleasure to tell you about my experience there and hope it was helpful.
You can go to my website to read similar blog posts about my trips. I like to help people have the best experience they can when they travel, so you will surely find something useful there.
About Tim Schmidt
Tim Schmidt is a 20+ year Entrepreneur and Digital Marketer. A Fort Lauderdale-based "Digital Nomad," he enjoys traveling as much as possible with family and friends. AllWorld is his escape to document all of his adventures, including being a hardcore "foodie." He has property in Costa Rica and visits several times each year and is happy to offer his expert advice for planning your trip.
