San Jose and general travel information

Things To Do In

San Jose

Most people fly into San Jose. SJO is a really efficient airport. Only a few minutes usually to clear immigration. Please double check entry requirements/restrictions carefully well before your departure.

Flights into SJO arrive either early in the morning, midday or early in the evening. How you get to the Casa depends, in part, or your arrival time. Check in at the house is no earlier than 3 pm unless specific authorization for an earlier arrival has been arranged. Check out at the home is no later than 10 a.m. unless specific authorization for a later departure has been arranged. Flights out of SJO leave either early morning or early afternoon.

Depending upon your arrival and/or departure time. You may need to overnight in SJO. There are several hotels near SJO including a Courtyard Marriott (Alajuela), a Hampton Inn a Holiday Inn Express just minutes away. Slightly farther away are a Marriott (Belen) and a Doubletree.

Uber works well in San Jose and is MUCH, MUCH cheaper than taxis.

If you need to eat dinner in San Jose great restaurants include Park Café (you need a reservation), Furca (steakhouse), Restaurante Silvestre (international) and La Divina Comida (Peruvian). Others can be found on Trip Advisor and other usual travel sites.

Most guests rent a car to drive the about 3 hours to the Casa. There are numerous rental car agencies most of which have booths at the airport right outside customs. These take you on shuttles to the car rental lots. You can make other arrangements too. RENT A 4WD. You won’t need it for 99% of your trip but you have to have it for the last 100 yds up the hill to the Casa and for many side trips. If you aren’t used to driving in other countries get the insurance. Oddly, the insurance on the rental car can cost more than the car itself.

There are shuttles from SJO to Dominical but they are rarely used by guests of the Casa. Also, some people choose to take an air shuttle to Quepos from SJO and then rent a car in Quepos but it really doesn’t save much time and costs a decent amount of money.

There are three main shopping malls/areas in San Jose relatively near the airport if you have to shop for anything. City Mall (5 minutes from the airport), Multiplaza (high end stuff) and Avenida Escazu. Grocery shopping is best done near the Casa.