Getting Here:

Getting to Costa Rica is getting easier every year. The Juan Santa Maria International Airport is a modern airport just outside the capital city of San Jose and is the country’s largest airport offering many non-stop flights to and from popular American and European cities. North American travellers to Costa Rica appreciate accessibility with no jetlag. Situated in the Central Standard time zone, the time in Costa Rica varies by no more than two hours from any U.S. location.

Getting to the Pura Vida Ecolodge Reserve is effortless. You can catch a local forty-minute flight from San José to Palmar Sur via either SANSA (from San José International Airport) or via Nature Air (from San José Municipal Airport) or an even shorter flight to Quepos. These flights arrive at Palmar Sur in the morning and at Quepos throughout the day. You can have a rental car (always rent a 4x4 in Costa Rica) arranged for your arrival. A 20-minute scenic ride along the paved coastal road (passing the new 'ultra-modern' 85,000ft2 hospital in Cortez) will take you to the village of Coronado. From there it is a bumpy (4x4 only) but short and beautiful drive up to our mountain estate. Please note that (for privacy reasons) we are not signposted; make sure to bring the directions you receive after making your reservation.

If you wish to explore more of Costa Rica’s scenery, you may want to rent a car at one of many international rental car agencies in San José downtown or at the airport. With recent improvements in the road infrastructure the drive from San José to Pura Vida Ecolodge takes between 2.5 and 4 hours, depending on time of day and which of the two scenic routes you choose:

Go by way of Jaco and Quepos and enjoy the coffee plantations, ranches, and palm plantations – with a stop near Carara National Park and observe the crocodiles lazing in the river. Or, go south from San Jose, by way of historic Cartago, the scenic and lush mountain area of Chirripo (Quetzal area, Costa Rica’s most famous bird), and onto southern Costa Rica’s gateway town of San Isidro.

Either way, you’ll enjoy Costa Rica’s natural diversity, as well as the opportunity to stop for some local cuisine and several arts and crafts shops.

By Air - Flights: Sansa Air or Nature Air

Palma Sur – Flight time from San Jose 45 minutes (approx)

Daily flights (SJO to Palmar Sur) 10 am – Prices start from $70

Daily flights (Palmar Sur to SJO) 10.20 am – Prices start from $70

Quepos – Flight time from San Jose 22 minutes (approx)

4 flights a day (SJO to Quepos) – Prices start from $50

8 am, 11:05 am, 12:42 pm, 3:16 pm

4 flights a day (Quepos to SJO) – Prices start from $50

8:32 am, 11:37 am, 1:28 pm, 3:56 pm

Car Rental:

Approx prices

Jimmy 4x4 - $50.00 a day inc basic insurance & tax

Daihatsu Terios - $60.00 a day inc basic insurance & tax

Rav 4 - $80.00 a day inc basic insurance & tax

Fortuner - $110.00 a day inc basic insurance & tax

Taxis and ‘meet & greet’ services also available from both Quepos & Palmar Sur airports. Please enquire for further details.