Before booking make sure you have planned your logistics from your arrival airport to Santa Teresa. Avoid misunderstanding and incurring costs that you can avoid if you plan accordingly.

Plan your arrival flight as early as possible, in order to make it to the land shuttles or local flights. Otherwise it may be necessary to schedule a night in SJO, as there are no shuttles nor flights during the evening (i.e. after 4 pm). Similarly, your departure flight should be planned the latest you can on your departing day so that you can leave your hotel in Santa Teresa early in the morning and arrive early in the afternoon to SJO for your international flight. Otherwise you should plan your last night in San Jose and not in Santa Teresa.

You can book all your local flights and land transportation with us. Let us know your flight schedule and we will help you plan your logistics in the most cost and time efficient way. Check the location of Believe Lodge in Google Maps here and of Nautilus Villas here. 

SAN JOSE (SJO) – TAMBOR (TMU):

Take a 25’ flight from SJO to Tambor (TMU), this is the closest airport to Santa Teresa, one hour away by land transportation. A one way flight may cost U$S90 to U$S 130. We can book the flights for you. 

LIBERIA (LIR) TO TAMBOR (TMU):

During high season (Dec-Apr) usually there are direct flights connecting Liberia to Tambor with a 30-min-flight. Beyond high season there might be no direct flights connecting LIR to TMU. You might have to take a flight with stop at San José and then Tambor. 

TAMBOR TO OUR ACCOMMODATION

Once in TMU we can arrange a pick-up taxi for USD 60. Our driver will be waiting for you holding a sign with your name on it. If your flight is delayed we will make sure he waits for you. You can always choose not to book the pick up and bargain with local drivers. You may pay U$S 45-50, not cheaper than that, and you take the risk of not finding any driver upon arrival. Note that TMU airport is just a runway in the middle of the jungle.

Public buses connect San José with Santa Teresa once a day. They leave San José at 2.30pm. The route goes from San  José, pass by  Paquera- Tambor- Cóbano- Montezuma and finally ends at Santa Teresa. This usually takes 7-8 hours to get to Santa Teresa and a one way trip costs arround U$S20.  

There is another bus that leaves at 6 am and takes you until Cóbano. Then we can arrange a pick up taxi from there to Santa Teresa.

Taking the bus can be a little bit tricky or dodgy, especially for solo travelers visiting Costa Rica or Central America for the first time. You must take a taxi from SJO Airport and ask the driver to drop you off at “Puente Villa Bonita” (Villa Bonita bridge) bus stop. Taxi should cost around U$S 10 and you will have to wait for the bus by the highway as shown in the picture on the left. There is no proper bus stop, signage nor shelter. I would only take this option if you are used to traveling solo or if you are really on a tight budget. Otherwise, go for the shuttle bus that will pick you up at SJO Airport and we can always contact them directly if it is needed.