GETTING HERE FROM SAN JOSE
From San Jose
FROM SAN JOSE BY CAR
Take the Caldera Highway or Route 27, it will cost you about $5.00 in tolls along the way.
Most of the airport car rental agencies have offices across Route 1 from the airport. When you exit the rental agency, return to Route 1 by driving on the access road between the Holiday Inn (on the left) and the Denny’s restaurant/Fiesta Casino (on the right), then turning right. You must immediately cross into the left lane and turn left onto the exit lane to Route 1. Merge onto Route 1 and continue past the airport terminal turnoff. Immediately after passing the turnoff into the airport, you will be in the left lane (“San Ramon”); stay in that lane rather than the right lane, which exits to Alajuela and check your odometer reading. Continue on Route 1, about 7 kilometers, and look for a pair of bridges spanning the highway (one bridge is concrete, the other is a steel truss bridge) and turn right off the highway onto a ramp that circles to the right and puts you on the truss bridge. Cross the highway and continue straight for about 3 kilometers. Nearing Route 27, you will cross a railroad track and immediately come to a traffic circle. Follow the traffic circle and turn right onto the Autopista (the sign says “Orotina” or “Caldera”). Stay on this highway, following signs for Caldera and Puntarenas.
When you reach downtown Puntarenas, continue straight to the end of the road (you will know it is the end of the road because you will see the Gulf of Nicoya), take a right and you will reach the car line for the ferry. We recommend getting to the ferry early, because space is limited and it is on a first come, first serve basis.
Buy a ferry ticket to Paquera. As ferry times are constantly changing, it is always a good idea to check a day or two in advance by emailing us or reviewing the ferry schedule. There are two ferries currently operating, the Tambor 2 and Tambor 3. Each holds about 160 cars and have air conditioned passenger cabin with snack bar. The cost is approximately $22 one way.
After the 1-hour scenic ferry ride, you arrive in the port in Paquera. Continue on this road towards downtown Paquera, Tambor, and finally Cobano. You will pass through Tambor and Cobano. In Cobano, you will come to a 4-way stop with Banco Nacional de Costa Rica on your left, continue straight and follow the signs to Mal Pais and Santa Teresa. When you reach the crossroads separating Mal Pais and Santa Teresa, you will take a right, drive about ¼ mile, we will be your very next right hand turn. You will see our sign (Soleil Casas Villas) as well as a small restaurant called Tacos and Soda Piedras on the corner of our street. Make a right turn we will be up the road about 20 meters, please make another right and continue straight to the gate, our reception is on the side of the garage by the parking area.
From San Jose By Car
Take the Caldera Highway or Route 27, it will cost you about $5.00 in tolls along the way.
Most of the airport car rental agencies have offices across Route 1 from the airport. When you exit the rental agency, return to Route 1 by driving on the access road between the Holiday Inn (on the left) and the Denny’s restaurant/Fiesta Casino (on the right), then turning right. You must immediately cross into the left lane and turn left onto the exit lane to Route 1. Merge onto Route 1 and continue past the airport terminal turnoff. Immediately after passing the turnoff into the airport, you will be in the left lane (“San Ramon”); stay in that lane rather than the right lane, which exits to Alajuela and check your odometer reading. Continue on Route 1, about 7 kilometers, and look for a pair of bridges spanning the highway (one bridge is concrete, the other is a steel truss bridge) and turn right off the highway onto a ramp that circles to the right and puts you on the truss bridge. Cross the highway and continue straight for about 3 kilometers. Nearing Route 27, you will cross a railroad track and immediately come to a traffic circle. Follow the traffic circle and turn right onto the Autopista (the sign says “Orotina” or “Caldera”). Stay on this highway, following signs for Caldera and Puntarenas.
When you reach downtown Puntarenas, continue straight to the end of the road (you will know it is the end of the road because you will see the Gulf of Nicoya), take a right and you will reach the car line for the ferry. We recommend getting to the ferry early, because space is limited and it is on a first come, first serve basis.
Buy a ferry ticket to Paquera. As ferry times are constantly changing, it is always a good idea to check a day or two in advance by emailing us or reviewing the ferry schedule. There are two ferries currently operating, the Tambor 2 and Tambor 3. Each holds about 160 cars and have air conditioned passenger cabin with snack bar. The cost is approximately $22 one way.
After the 1-hour scenic ferry ride, you arrive in the port in Paquera. Continue on this road towards downtown Paquera, Tambor, and finally Cobano. You will pass through Tambor and Cobano. In Cobano, you will come to a 4-way stop with Banco Nacional de Costa Rica on your left, continue straight and follow the signs to Mal Pais and Santa Teresa. When you reach the crossroads separating Mal Pais and Santa Teresa, you will take a right, drive about ¼ mile, we will be your very next right hand turn. You will see our sign (Soleil Casas Villas) as well as a small restaurant called Tacos and Soda Piedras on the corner of our street. Make a right turn we will be up the road about 20 meters, please make another right and continue straight to the gate, our reception is on the side of the garage by the parking area.
FROM SAN JOSE BY PLANE
Flying from San Jose is a quick and easy way to get to the Santa Teresa area. The flight is only 25 minutes! Both Sansa and GreenAir have flights that leave from San Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) and arrive in Tambor. Be sure to choose Tambor as your flight destination. Once you land, the Tambor airport is about a 1 hour drive from Santa Teresa.
Here are two companies that you can book flights with. Sansa is a regional airline and GreenAir offers primarily chartered service. Click on image to continue on to the airline’s website.
Once you arrive at the Tambor Airport, there are 2 options for getting to Santa Teresa. We can either arrange for a Taxi to come pick you up at the airport or you can make a car rental reservation and have them meet you at the airport.
The cost for us to arrange a Taxi for you from the airport is $60 one way up to 4ppl
Here are the 2 companies that you can reserve a car rental with from the Tambor airport. Click on image to continue on to the car rental website.
FROM SAN JOSE BY SHUTTLE
If you would like transport arranged for you by ground, please ask and we will be happy to arrange a shuttle van.
By shared shuttle: These air-conditioned and comfortable tourist mini-buses will pick you up from your hotel or SJO airport in San Jose, and transport you directly to Casas de Soleil for a cost of $55/person for a shared shuttle (leaves at a set time twice daily in the high season, once daily in the green season).
A private shuttle that leaves whenever you want (dependent on ferry sailings) is $300/one way trip, up to 4 passengers, extras would be $15/each. There is also a $220 private shuttle option that drops you off at the ferry (Puntarenas) with your bags, and another van picks you up on the other side (Paquera).
FROM SAN JOSE BY PUBLIC BUS
Direct buses depart twice daily (6am & 2pm) from nueva Megaterminal, Avenida 7, Calle 10, Contiguo al Cine Libano- this bus station is in downtown San Jose. Look for the bus with destination “SANTA TERESA/ MAL PAIS”. The cost for the direct bus is approximately 7000c (~$14) and covers your admission fee to the ferry. Your luggage will be safe under the bus, make sure to get your claim ticket and be sure to keep an eye on all carry-on bags, and also remember to take what you will need for the ferry with you onto the bus because it’s difficult to retrieve anything from the luggage area once it’s locked up.
The 6am bus arrives at roughly 12:30pm and the 2pm bus arrives at roughly 8:30pm.
NOTE: Bus and ferry times are subject to change. For bus schedules, please check: https://www.facebook.com/TransCobano/