Hotel Pasatiempo

The easiest way to get to Tamarindo is to fly into the Liberia International Airport instead of San Jose. If you have the possibility of flying into Liberia you will save yourself a lot of driving time.
It will take you about one hour to drive from the Liberia airport. It will take you four hours or more to drive from San Jose. More and more airlines are starting service to Liberia so check out the rates. It may be worth it for you.

The best option to get to Tamarindo is to rent a car. If coming from San Jose or from Liberia you can rent a car from close to the airport (but free transportation to the rental car office is provided from the airport).
The drive from San Jose is long, but the roads are well maintained throughout. You will not need a 4×4 to get to Tamarindo, but if you plan on exploring a lot of the little beaches and areas around Tamarindo 4×4 will be helpful. There are a lot of unpaved roads if you head to the beaches south of Tamarindo.

If you don’t feel comfortable driving that long distance on your own, the cheapest option is to take the public bus. The bus leaves from San Jose every day at 11:00am and 3:30pm. It will take you about five hours to get to Tamarindo. The public bus from Liberia to Tamarindo leaves almost every hour from 3:50am until 6:00pm.
It’s not the most comfortable ride, but it’s cheap (under $12 per person). Definitely get there early before the departure time because once all the seats are taken you may be left standing for a long ride.