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Tres Mares Co.
Sunset over the Escazú hills and the valley from the window at Alta Pietra

Costa Rica · San José

Escazú

The soft landing

Escazú is the hillside suburb west of San José on the airport side, 17 to 19 km and 20 to 30 minutes from SJO. Tres Mares has one apartment here with a pool, a hot tub and a view.

Best for First or last night · Late arrivals and early flights · Remote work with a view

1 stay in Escazú

Where to stay in Escazú

Living room with gray sofa and armchairs facing the window and hills

Alta Pietra

An oversized one-bedroom apartment with a king bed, city and mountain views, a pool and a hot tub in Escazú

4 guests · 1 bedroom · 1.5 baths

4.93 (97 reviews) on Airbnbfrom $150 / night

Why stay in Escazú?

Escazú is the hillside suburb west of San José on the airport side, 17 to 19 km and 20 to 30 minutes from SJO per Nest Stays, and the place most travelers should sleep on their first or last night in Costa Rica. It has the restaurants, the malls, the private hospital and the expat households, which is why Costa Rica Travel Life calls it the city’s most upscale suburban district and the safe, quiet choice. Our one apartment here, Alta Pietra, sits in Bello Horizonte with a pool, a hot tub and a view over the valley.

Late arrivals and early departures are what it is for, along with anyone who wants a day of city comfort between two long drives. Remote workers like it too: the apartment has a work desk, and the Wi-Fi reaches the pool.

How do you get from the airport to Escazú?

By car, take the General Cañas highway (Route 1) from SJO, join the Próspero Fernández (Route 27) and exit at San Rafael de Escazú. Nest Stays puts it at 20 to 30 minutes outside the weekday rush hours of 7 to 9 and 17 to 19. You never cross downtown, and the roads to Bello Horizonte are smooth; no 4x4 needed.

Without a car, the official orange taxis line up outside arrivals, with taxi officials just before the exit doors. Uber is cheaper, 6,000 to 10,000 colones to Escazú per Route Pura Vida in May 2026, but drivers cannot pick up at the terminal; you walk to the bus stop on the main road past the parking garage. Uber operates in a legal gray area in Costa Rica and is still the everyday option for locals and visitors alike.

How many nights do you need?

One on each end of the trip, or two if you want a museum morning and a volcano. Alta Pietra has a two-night minimum, so the practical pattern is two nights at the start (land, sleep, one day trip, then drive out rested) or two at the end. Airlines suggest arriving three hours before an international departure per Two Weeks in Costa Rica, and the $29 departure tax is included in most tickets.

What is there to do?

Avenida Escazú and Multiplaza. The dining and shopping strip and the mall with more than 350 stores, open 10:00 to 21:00 Monday to Saturday and until 20:00 on Sunday, about 8 minutes from the apartment by car.

The museums downtown. The Museo del Oro Precolombino under the Plaza de la Cultura is open 9:15 to 17:00 daily, 8,400 colones for foreign adults, and the ticket includes the Numismatic Museum. The Museo del Jade on Avenida Central is open 8:00 to 17:00, $16 for foreign adults. Both are a 10 to 25 minute Uber from Escazú per Costa Rica Travel Life.

Poás Volcano. About 50 km and 1.5 hours from San José per Mytanfeet. Open 8:00 to 16:00 with last entry at 14:00, tickets only through SINAC’s online system, $16.95 for non-residents over 13 and $5.65 for children. There are no tickets at the gate.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Five waterfalls and 3.5 km of trails, open 8:00 to 17:00 year round, $56 plus tax for adults and $40 for children 3 to 12 on prices valid through 15 December 2026. The park says 45 minutes from the airport; Costa Rica Vibes says about an hour.

Irazú Volcano. Open 8:00 to 16:00 with last entry to the craters at 14:00, online tickets only, $16.95 for non-residents, 31 km from Cartago. kimkim puts both Irazú and Poás under two hours from San José.

The walkable block. Restaurante Monarca at Butterfly Kingdom is a 1-minute walk, the Coffee and Kids café 3 minutes and a Fresh Market 10 minutes, with the quiet garden paths outside the building for a morning walk.

When should you go?

Escazú works in any month, because you are only sleeping and eating here. The IMN describes the Central Valley’s regime as a dry season from December to March, April as the transition, rain from May to October with a lull in July and August, and September and October as the wettest months. Costa Rica Vibes puts San José’s daytime highs at 24 to 29 °C and nights at 15 to 20 °C, with green-season showers arriving around 14:00.

Where do you eat, and what about cash and groceries?

Our short list from the apartment: La Divina Comida (Peruvian fusion, 8 minutes), Taj Mahal (Indian, 7 minutes), Los Anonos (Costa Rican, 6 minutes), L’Île de France (French, 9 minutes) and P.F. Chang’s (8 minutes), all by car, plus the Monarca a minute away on foot. AutoMercado, the upscale supermarket, is 5 minutes away, with another branch inside Multiplaza open mall hours; Fresh Market’s Escazú branches open 6:00 to 22:30 every day. ATMs sit at Multiplaza’s financial center. The public bus from Escazú center to San José cost 505 colones in 2025 and takes about 25 minutes, but for a short stay Uber at $3 to $8 within Escazú is the practical choice.

The soft landing: how we host here

Alta Pietra is an oversized one-bedroom in Bello Horizonte for up to four: a king bed, a sofa bed for two more, one full bathroom with a tub and a half bath, central air conditioning, floor-to-ceiling windows with city and mountain views, a full kitchen with a dishwasher, a washer and dryer, a dedicated work desk and free gated parking. It starts at $150 a night with a two-night minimum and is rated 4.93 by 97 guests on Airbnb (checked September 2026). The building’s security staff hand over the keys; message us your flight number on WhatsApp and we confirm the arrival time and send the instructions before you land. From here, Punta Leona is about 90 km down Route 27 for a beach first night, and Monteverde about 3 hours north. Escazú for a layover or first night near SJO plans both ends of the trip.

Sources for this guide
  1. Nest Stays, Escazú guide (distance from SJO, safety, Uber)
  2. kimkim, guide to San José (Escazú, 24 hours in San José)
  3. Wikipedia, Escazú canton
  4. Two Weeks in Costa Rica, arriving at SJO airport (October 2025)
  5. Two Weeks in Costa Rica, departing SJO airport (October 2025)
  6. Two Weeks in Costa Rica, first-time visit tips (dark at 6 p.m.)
  7. Two Weeks in Costa Rica, hotels near SJO (August 2025)
  8. Costa Rica Vibes, San José hotels (September 2026)
  9. Drink Tea and Travel, Uber in Costa Rica (May 2026)
  10. Route Pura Vida, Uber and taxis in Costa Rica (May 2026)
  11. Uber, SJO airport pickups
  12. US State Department, Costa Rica travel advisory (April 2026)
  13. Costa Rica Travel Life, where to stay in San José (July 2026)
  14. Experience Costa Rica, Escazú vs Santa Ana (February 2026)
  15. Multiplaza Escazú, official site
  16. SINAC, Parque Nacional Volcán Poás (hours, tickets)
  17. Mytanfeet, Poás Volcano (January 2026)
  18. La Paz Waterfall Gardens, official prices and hours
  19. SINAC, Parque Nacional Volcán Irazú
  20. Museos del Banco Central, Museo del Oro Precolombino (tickets)
  21. Museo del Jade, visitor information
  22. IMN, climate regions of Costa Rica
  23. Costa Rica Vibes, San José weather (September 2026)
  24. Fresh Market, store locations
  25. Busco Bus, Escazú centro to San José fares 2025

Plan your days in Escazú

Escazú for a layover or first night near SJO

Sleep in Escazú, 20 to 30 minutes west of San José airport, for a layover or your first and last nights in Costa Rica: how to get there late, what a free day buys, and when to leave for the flight.

Guests ask us about Escazú

How far is Escazú from the airport?

17 to 19 km, about 20 to 30 minutes when traffic cooperates, per Nest Stays' Escazú guide; kimkim says thirty minutes. Escazú is west of San José, on the same side as the airport, so you never cross downtown. Take the General Cañas highway (Route 1) from SJO, then the Próspero Fernández (Route 27), and exit at San Rafael de Escazú. Weekday rush hours, 7 to 9 and 17 to 19, can double it.

Is Escazú a good place to stay for a first or last night?

Yes, it is the sensible one. Flight times often leave you with a night near the airport at either end, and Costa Rica Vibes advises against downtown for those nights because of the traffic to SJO. Escazú gives you a 20 to 30 minute run to the terminal and restaurants and supermarkets within minutes. At Alta Pietra you also get a pool, a hot tub and a view over the valley to start or end the trip.

Is Escazú safe?

It has the best reputation in the metro area. Nest Stays calls it consistently rated one of the safest areas in Costa Rica, home to diplomats and international school families, and Costa Rica Travel Life calls it safe and quiet. The US State Department rates the country Level 2 (April 2026) and says petty crime is common, so keep the ordinary habits: nothing visible in the car, taxis or Uber after dark. Alta Pietra is in a secure building with gated parking and an elevator.

Can we walk to restaurants from the apartment?

Yes, a few. Restaurante Monarca at Butterfly Kingdom is a 1-minute walk, Coffee and Kids café 3 minutes, a pharmacy and convenience store 3 minutes and a Fresh Market grocery 10 minutes on foot. The bigger names (La Divina Comida, Taj Mahal, Los Anonos, L'Île de France) are 6 to 9 minutes by car, and Multiplaza with its 350 stores is about 8 minutes. Uber within Escazú runs $3 to $8 per Nest Stays.

Does the apartment have parking?

Yes, free gated parking inside the building, plus a secure entrance with an elevator and keys handed over by the building's security staff. The roads to Bello Horizonte are paved and you do not need a 4x4. If you are returning a rental car at the airport the next morning, the drive is 20 to 30 minutes outside rush hour; add the time to refuel near the terminal.

Is it worth staying a night in San José?

As a buffer, yes; as a destination, only if you want the museums. kimkim notes that international flight schedules often require at least 24 hours in San José, and Two Weeks in Costa Rica warns not to drive long distances after dark, which falls at about 18:00 all year. Escazú makes that buffer pleasant: a pool, dinner within minutes, and the Gold Museum and Jade Museum downtown 10 to 25 minutes away by Uber if you have a free morning.

How do we get from the airport to Escazú late at night?

Take an official orange airport taxi from the line outside arrivals; the taxi officials stand right before the exit doors. Uber works too and is cheaper (Route Pura Vida quotes 6,000 to 10,000 colones to Escazú in May 2026), but drivers cannot pick up at the terminal, so you walk to the bus stop on the main road past the parking garage. Message us your flight number and we send the building instructions before you land.

Can we use the pool and is there a gym?

The pool and the hot tub, yes, and the Wi-Fi reaches the pool. The apartment itself has a dedicated work desk, a washer and dryer, a dishwasher and central air conditioning. We do not list a gym, so do not count on one; for fresh air, take the quiet garden paths outside the building.