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There are 4 ways to get from San José to Dominical by bus, car, or shuttle. Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner.
- Dominical Town
- Dominical Beach
- Dominical Weather
- Things to Do in Dominical, Costa Rica
- Dominical, Costa Rica Location
- How to Get to Dominical, Costa Rica
- Dominical Hotels
- Dominical Restaurants
- What to Know About Dominical
- Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
Dominical is a small, chill beach town with a complete lack of a commercial feeling. You will see many tourists, backpackers and surfers walking or riding their bikes around, families playing at the beach and dogs roaming around. There are two main roads in Dominical, the one through town and one running parallel to the beach. The town is teeny tin...
Playa Dominical is known for consistent waves, great for experienced surfers. It’s a long beach stretching 4 km (2.5 miles) with a rocky shore and dark water. Since this area is proper tropical rainforest, everything stays green and lush all year round thanks to the high humidity. Sunsets here are beautiful as any beach on the Pacific coast of Cost...
In the Central and South Pacific coast of Costa Rica, the weather is much more humid thanks to the tropical rainforests. Domincal’s weather follows the typical tropical season with dry and rainy seasons but this area tends to rain more and may rain even in the dry season months. We were in Dominical for a week in February and it rained hard almost ...
The best thing to do at Dominical is surfing but there are a ton of amazing places to see and visit in the area. As part of the Costa Ballena, you can easily do many fantastic day trips from Dominical.
Dominical is 209 kilometers (130 miles) from San Jose, about a 3.5 hour drive in the Puntarenas province. It is considered to be in the South Pacific, specifically part of an area called the Costa Ballena.
Driving
From San Jose, there are two ways to get to Dominical but the best route to take is the Route 27 and then Route 34. This takes around 3.5 hours. This route is very straightforward and easy to drive going along the coast. You can use Google Maps and Waze as your GPS to get to Dominical.
Bus
There are public buses from San Jose every day at 6 AM and 3 PM from Calle 5, AV 18-20 with Tracopa. This takes 7 hours. There is also a bus from Quepos every day at 6, 9, 2:30 PM and 5:30 PM. Another bus from San Isidro de General leaves at 9 AM and 4 PM. These buses continue onto Uvita.
Shuttle
Only a few companies offer shared shuttles to Dominical like EasyrideCR. This is around $59 USD per person for a shared from San Jose. A private shuttle from San Jose to Dominical is around $250 USD for 1-8 people. Contact us if you’d like a quote for a private shuttle!
You won’t find a five star all inclusive resort in Dominical but you will find hostels, lodges, hotels and vacation rentals. Camping on Dominical is also very popular, you can bring your own tent and find a spot on the beach. We stayed at Villas Rio Mar which was a 5 minute walk to town. It’s a full service hotel with a pool, restaurant and cabinas...
Dominical has a decent selection of restaurants. Some places we liked were Tortilla Flats and Roca Verde. Other good ones are Cafe Mono Congo, La Junta and El Pescado Loco. You can find restaurants right next to the beach with live music and happy hour. If you have a 4×4 car, head to Jolly Rogers for some of the best chicken wings and burgers in Co...
Dominical has a different vibe than the other beach towns in Costa Rica. There are still a lot of expats and immigrants in Dominical and many of them are young or middle aged adults who are into the free spirit, holistic and organic lifestyle and/or are surfers. Additionally, the vibe of Dominical and Santa Teresa are very similar as they’re both s...
First time to Costa Rica? Read ourFirst Time in Costa Ricaguide.Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read ourHow to Get Around Costa Ricaguide to find the best transportation method for you.Click the link to get our detailedCosta Rica Packing Listso you know what essential items to bring.Do not forget to purchaseTravel Insurancefor your trip to Costa Rica.Dominical is located on Costa Rica’s southern Pacific Coast. It is about one hour south of Manuel Antonio and 3.5 hours from Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) near San Jose. Dominical town center is right off the highway, tucked next to the Baru River. Here, you will find one fairly short road leading through town.
- Learn to surf. One of the number one reasons people come to Dominical is to surf. Dominical Beach produces good waves for both intermediate and beginer surfers, and the best part is, you can surf all year round.
- Visit Nauyaca Waterfalls. The most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen in Costa Rica is the Nauyaca Waterfalls. These two spectacular waterfalls are a combined 197 feet tall (60 meters) and are surrounded by lush rainforest and wildlife.
- Drink craft beer at Fuego Brewing Co. Dominical may be a small hippie town, but it still has its own local craft brewery that is also one of the best restaurants in Dominical.
- Explore Manuel Antonio National Park. Around 50 minutes north of Dominical is one of Costa Rica’s best national parks. Manuel Antonio National Park is a gorgeous coastal park with tons of wildlife and untouched beaches.
May 6, 2024 · How far is Dominical from San Jose Costa Rica? Dominical is approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) southwest of San Jose, Costa Rica. The driving distance between the two places is around 190 kilometers (118 miles), and it usually takes around 3 to 4 hours to drive from San Jose to Dominical, depending on traffic conditions and the specific ...
Jan 8, 2024 · From San Jose, expect the drive to cover around 209 kilometers (130 miles), which can take approximately 4-5 hours depending on traffic and weather conditions. As you travel from either San Jose or Quepos, make sure your vehicle is in good shape for mountain roads if you choose that route.
