The best option is to arrive at San Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. From SJO you have the most options of land shuttles and local flights to Santa Teresa. The second option is to fly to Liberia (LIR), in the northwest region of Costa Rica, one hour away from Tamarindo and six hours away from Santa Teresa.
ARRIVAL VIA AIR
SAN JOSE (SJO) – TAMBOR (TMU): Take a 25 min flight from San José (SJO) to Tambor (TMU), this is the closest airport to Santa Teresa, which is approx. 30-40 min away by car. A one way flight cost approx. USD 80-120. You can book your flight directly at FlySansa.com.
Once in TMU we can arrange a pick-up 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.
LIBERIA (LIR) TO TAMBOR (TMU): During high season (Dec-Apr) flysansa.com has one or two direct flight connecting Liberia (LIR) to Tambor (TMU). Beyond high season there might be no direct flights connecting Liberia (LIR) to Tambor (TMU). You will have to fly via San Jose (SJO) and then connect to Tambor (TMU). The whole flight itinerary can take up to 4 hours and around USD 180 for a one way trip.
ARRIVAL VIA LAND
SAN JOSE (SJO ) – SANTA TERESA: Direct land shuttles leave from downtown San Jose at 6 am (and 2 pm on high season) and from SJO Airport at 6.30 am (and 2.30 pm on high season), and take 6 to 7 hours to arrive to Santa Teresa. It will drive you from SJO to the port of Puntarenas where you hop off, grab your bags and take a 90 min ferry trip to Paquera. Once in Paquera you will hop on to a shuttle bus that will drive you to to Santa Teresa. The cost for a one way trip is approx. USD 50. We suggest booking this through us in case your trip is delay and you need someone to handle the rescheduling of your trip.
LIBERIA (LIR) – SANTA TERESA: Daily shuttles depart at 8 am (and 2 pm during high season) and requires a minimum of two passengers to depart and the trip usually costs USD 60.
WHAT IS THE CHEAPEST WAY TO ARRIVE TO SANTA TERESA? Public buses connect San Jose with Santa Teresa twice a day. They leave San Jose downtown station at 6 AM and 2 PM and make their stop in Alajuela (nearby SJO Airport) at 6.30 AM and 2.30 PM. They usually take 7 hours to arrive to Santa Teresa and a one way trip costs USD 15. The bus is usually punctual but you better be at the bus stop 15′ to 30′ before and you should double check departing times at https://www.laterminalcostarica.com/.
IMPORTANT: Before booking make sure you have planned your logistics from your arrival airport to Santa Teresa.
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 3 pm). Similarly, your departure flight should be planned the latest you can in 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.