~Directions and Transportation from San Jose~
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PACIFIC ROUTE (SUGGESTED) DETAILS... Click on map to enlarge>>> From the Airport (SJO) drive west on Highway #1 for 7.5 km to Coyol exit and take overpass onto Route #721 south to Highway #27 a toll highway that accepts dollars or colones. Head west to Orotina. Just after Orotina's toll booth, exit onto coastal Highway #34 towards Jaco. Option: If you would like to have a stop along the way, to either have a meal or spend the night. We highly suggest Hotel Villa Caletas just north of Jaco. The restaurant and gardens are a wonderful way to break-up the trip to our southern area. |
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Head South past Jaco, past Hermosa, past Parrita, and when you get to Quepos veer left and follow signs to Dominical, passing a MaxiPali on the left (with a green roof). Maxi Pali is owned by Wal-Mart, and a good place to stock up on food and other supplies. DO NOT veer right into Quepos unless you want to check it out, follow signs to Dominical for about 45 minutes continuing on hwy 34 South, past Savegre, past Parrita, past Matapalo, and once you pass a large gas station after Playa Guapil on the right you are getting close. You will come to an intersection with a police check point just before the Dominical bridge. Turn left uphill on Route 243 just before the police check point. This paved road leads up to Platanillo < Click for MAP
In Platanillo there is a walking bridge over the road, from it you are only 100 meters away to the road to Corazon del Rio. After the one bend after the walking bridge take a quick right turn off the paved road onto La Carretera Ceiba, drive 1.7 km to our location. Casa Corazon del Rio is located just 100 meters (south) from our neighbor: La Ceiba EcoAdventures who you will pass on your right.
In Platanillo there is a walking bridge over the road, from it you are only 100 meters away to the road to Corazon del Rio. After the one bend after the walking bridge take a quick right turn off the paved road onto La Carretera Ceiba, drive 1.7 km to our location. Casa Corazon del Rio is located just 100 meters (south) from our neighbor: La Ceiba EcoAdventures who you will pass on your right.
We are on Google Maps: Corazon del Rio, Platanillo Latitude 9.288116 / Longitude 83.805610
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You may see some large road signs for our neighbor La Ceiba EcoAdventure's Waterfall. Traveling from Dominical through Platanillo you will pass under a small overhead walking bridge, turn right just 100 meters past the bridge,the middle photo above is the turn to take that will bring you to 1.5 km (1 mile) to Casa Corazon del Rio, drive slow.
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~Transportation from San Jose~
Destination: There are two major airports in Costa Rica, you will want to fly into San Jose (SJO).
Finding the best flight: If you have not discovered the online flight matrix site we highly suggest it. You can specify duration limit, number of connecting flight options, range of flight time departure. If you find a fare you like, you can give the flight information to the airline you choose. When booking, we highly suggest scheduling a flight that arrives in San Jose (SJO) before or around noon time, as you will have a beautiful 3 hour drive ahead of you and with a stop along the way it is nice to get to Corazon del Rio and settled in before sunset at 5:30.
For late arrival flights or early morning departures, here are a few suggested convenient hotels near the airport that provide free shuttle service to the airport: Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn and Mango Hotel. If you'd like to save a bit, you can find a place near the airport or along the way on airbnb or HomeAway, there are plenty.
Transportation options:
Rental Car: The best way to travel in Costa Rica as you'll have the freedom to go on expeditions whenever you want. The roads in Costa Rica are quite good, but getting to some remote areas like Corazon del Rio it is better to rent a 4x4 because traveling unpaved roads can get muddy and slippery after a rain. The roads from San Jose to Dominical are excellent! It will take you about 3 hours. We suggest Solid Car Rental or Hertz they are across from the airport and provide free shuttle. I have heard good things about Vamos but have yet to try them. This informative article from Vamos is about the insurance requirements in Costa Rica. Hertz, Solid and National also have locations in Quepos and Uvita which can be beneficial if assistance is needed. Rental Car Map for San Jose areas.
Shared Shuttle Service to Dominical: A cheaper alternative – when traveling with less than 4 people – (like MonkeyRidecr.com, SuperShuttlecr.com). This will take a little longer since it will pick-up and drop-off people along the way. If the minivan gets full, it can get quiet tight and less comfortable. The trip from San Jose to Dominical via shared shuttle will be around $55 USD per person and about 4 hours.
Private Shuttle Service to Dominical or Platanillo: If you have five or more in your group, you might look into scheduling a private shuttle, A big deciding factor for everyone is cost. Of the two options, shared shuttles generally cost less at first glance. They typically range from about $45-65 per person, depending on the exact connection. if you have a larger family or group. We usually recommend private shuttles for a family of four or larger because the price is the same or even lower, depending on the ages of the children. Being private, most will bring you up to Platanillo versus dropping you off in Dominical (ask them when booking). We suggest contacting: Interbusonline.com or CostaRicaShuttle.com .
Private shuttle prices vary widely depending on the distance you are traveling and how common the route is. To give you a general idea, expect to pay around $175-$200 (total, not per person) to get somewhere that is 2-3 hours away.
A quick comparison for a shuttle route between SJO Airport and La Fortuna:
Shared Shuttle: $54 per person. Leaves only at 8:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m.
Private Shuttle: $174 total (up to 5 passengers). Leaves at a custom time.
Our local transport service is: Domiloco Transport, Allan Mora 506-8615-3339 (he's also on WhatsApp) ~~~ For SJO airport transportation from Dominical they charge a minimum of $190 (this covers the first four passengers), after that it's $25 per extra passenger.
Public Bus Transportation to Dominical: There is no boarding buses at the San Jose Airport. You will need to take a taxi to the Plaza Viquez bus station in downtown San Jose, Tickets are about $8 USD per person one-way. It will take around 3 hours to get to San Isidro from San Jose by bus. The buses are in very good shape and because they are usually not that full, it is also quite comfortable. They leave every hour from 5:30 AM to 17:30 PM
The bus terminal of Tracopa in San Jose (on Calle 5) has buses with direct service to Dominical, it leaves daily at 6am and 3pm and cost around $14 USD per person. Musoc has buses that travel inland to San Isidro. Click here for bus schedule site If you plan on using the public buses to travel around the country. This tells you exactly which buses to take and when they depart for anywhere you would like to travel in the country.
Taxi to Dominical: A comfortable and relaxed way to travel to Dominical is going by private taxi. You will love the direct 3-hour ride. Cost can range from $100 to $150 USD one way. If by taxi, you can get a ride up the hill from Dominical to Platanillo. To get to our casa the taxi would need four-wheel-drive during rainy season.
Destination: There are two major airports in Costa Rica, you will want to fly into San Jose (SJO).
Finding the best flight: If you have not discovered the online flight matrix site we highly suggest it. You can specify duration limit, number of connecting flight options, range of flight time departure. If you find a fare you like, you can give the flight information to the airline you choose. When booking, we highly suggest scheduling a flight that arrives in San Jose (SJO) before or around noon time, as you will have a beautiful 3 hour drive ahead of you and with a stop along the way it is nice to get to Corazon del Rio and settled in before sunset at 5:30.
For late arrival flights or early morning departures, here are a few suggested convenient hotels near the airport that provide free shuttle service to the airport: Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn and Mango Hotel. If you'd like to save a bit, you can find a place near the airport or along the way on airbnb or HomeAway, there are plenty.
Transportation options:
Rental Car: The best way to travel in Costa Rica as you'll have the freedom to go on expeditions whenever you want. The roads in Costa Rica are quite good, but getting to some remote areas like Corazon del Rio it is better to rent a 4x4 because traveling unpaved roads can get muddy and slippery after a rain. The roads from San Jose to Dominical are excellent! It will take you about 3 hours. We suggest Solid Car Rental or Hertz they are across from the airport and provide free shuttle. I have heard good things about Vamos but have yet to try them. This informative article from Vamos is about the insurance requirements in Costa Rica. Hertz, Solid and National also have locations in Quepos and Uvita which can be beneficial if assistance is needed. Rental Car Map for San Jose areas.
Shared Shuttle Service to Dominical: A cheaper alternative – when traveling with less than 4 people – (like MonkeyRidecr.com, SuperShuttlecr.com). This will take a little longer since it will pick-up and drop-off people along the way. If the minivan gets full, it can get quiet tight and less comfortable. The trip from San Jose to Dominical via shared shuttle will be around $55 USD per person and about 4 hours.
Private Shuttle Service to Dominical or Platanillo: If you have five or more in your group, you might look into scheduling a private shuttle, A big deciding factor for everyone is cost. Of the two options, shared shuttles generally cost less at first glance. They typically range from about $45-65 per person, depending on the exact connection. if you have a larger family or group. We usually recommend private shuttles for a family of four or larger because the price is the same or even lower, depending on the ages of the children. Being private, most will bring you up to Platanillo versus dropping you off in Dominical (ask them when booking). We suggest contacting: Interbusonline.com or CostaRicaShuttle.com .
Private shuttle prices vary widely depending on the distance you are traveling and how common the route is. To give you a general idea, expect to pay around $175-$200 (total, not per person) to get somewhere that is 2-3 hours away.
A quick comparison for a shuttle route between SJO Airport and La Fortuna:
Shared Shuttle: $54 per person. Leaves only at 8:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m.
Private Shuttle: $174 total (up to 5 passengers). Leaves at a custom time.
Our local transport service is: Domiloco Transport, Allan Mora 506-8615-3339 (he's also on WhatsApp) ~~~ For SJO airport transportation from Dominical they charge a minimum of $190 (this covers the first four passengers), after that it's $25 per extra passenger.
Public Bus Transportation to Dominical: There is no boarding buses at the San Jose Airport. You will need to take a taxi to the Plaza Viquez bus station in downtown San Jose, Tickets are about $8 USD per person one-way. It will take around 3 hours to get to San Isidro from San Jose by bus. The buses are in very good shape and because they are usually not that full, it is also quite comfortable. They leave every hour from 5:30 AM to 17:30 PM
The bus terminal of Tracopa in San Jose (on Calle 5) has buses with direct service to Dominical, it leaves daily at 6am and 3pm and cost around $14 USD per person. Musoc has buses that travel inland to San Isidro. Click here for bus schedule site If you plan on using the public buses to travel around the country. This tells you exactly which buses to take and when they depart for anywhere you would like to travel in the country.
Taxi to Dominical: A comfortable and relaxed way to travel to Dominical is going by private taxi. You will love the direct 3-hour ride. Cost can range from $100 to $150 USD one way. If by taxi, you can get a ride up the hill from Dominical to Platanillo. To get to our casa the taxi would need four-wheel-drive during rainy season.
