Guides for the whole trip
What we tell guests on WhatsApp, written down: routes, timing, what is worth booking ahead and what is not.
Travel · Oct 1, 2026
How long is the flight from Canada to Costa Rica?
Nonstop flights from Canada to Costa Rica take about 5 hours from Toronto to over 7 from Vancouver. City-by-city times to San José and Liberia, seasons, time zones and arrival tips.
Travel · Sep 29, 2026
How long is the flight from the US to Costa Rica?
Nonstop flights from the US to Costa Rica take about 3 hours from Miami to about 7 from Seattle. City-by-city times to San José and Liberia, the time zone and arrival tips.
Travel · Sep 29, 2026
San José or Liberia airport: which one to fly into
Fly into San José (SJO) for Escazú, Punta Leona, Cahuita and usually Monteverde, and into Liberia (LIR) for Sámara. Sourced drive times from both airports and where to sleep the first night.
Travel · Sep 25, 2026
How Tres Mares started: one spare room and 17 coins
How Tres Mares began: a balcony in Medellín, one spare room, 17 coins on a glass plate and, years later, a container loft in Monteverde.
Punta Leona · Sep 17, 2026
Hotel Punta Leona or a house with a pool
A hotel with restaurants, pools and activities, or a house with a kitchen, washer and own pool in the same Punta Leona: what each gives and when each wins.
Punta Leona · Sep 17, 2026
Punta Leona houses with a pool: which to pick
Our three houses with a pool in Punta Leona, for 8 each or 16 when two are booked together, from $266 a night: private or shared pool, distance to the beach and which group each one fits.
Punta Leona · Sep 17, 2026
Punta Leona with kids: house, beach, tips
Punta Leona works with kids because pool, beach and supermarket are on foot. Which house to pick, Casa Azul's unfenced pool, the macaws and the drive.
Punta Leona · Sep 17, 2026
What a night in Punta Leona costs
Our Punta Leona houses start at $266 a night for eight. What Airbnb adds, the club pass, the 13% tax, the 10% service charge and fuel from San José.
Cahuita · Sep 16, 2026
Cahuita vs Puerto Viejo: which one for you
Cahuita is the quiet town with the national park at its doorstep; Puerto Viejo, 17 km south, has the restaurants, bars and bike-to-beach culture. How to choose, and how to do both from one base.
Travel · Sep 16, 2026
Costa Rica from Canada: what to expect
Nonstop flights of five to seven and a half hours, no visa for up to 180 days, US dollars over Canadian, and a dry season that matches your winter. What changes.
Travel · Sep 16, 2026
Costa Rica from Europe: what to expect
Nonstop flights of 10 to 11 hours, no visa for up to 180 days, US-style plugs, dollars everywhere and a 6 to 8 hour time difference. What changes.
Travel · Sep 16, 2026
Costa Rica from the US: what to expect
Costa Rica is a 3 to 6 hour nonstop from most US hubs, no visa for up to 180 days and dollars accepted. What changes: driving, insurance and the bill.
Monteverde · Sep 16, 2026
Monteverde luggage storage and early check-in
There are no luggage lockers in Monteverde. At all four Tres Mares stays in Monteverde you can drop bags from about 11:00 while the clean finishes and check in early once it is done. How to ask.
Escazú · Sep 16, 2026
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.
Monteverde · Sep 16, 2026
How to get from San José to Monteverde
Three ways from SJO to Monteverde in 2026: a rental car on Route 606 (about 3 hours, paved, no 4x4 needed), a shared shuttle from $54, or a private transfer, plus the road to avoid.
Kirkland · Sep 16, 2026
Kirkland for Seattle and Eastside visitors
Kirkland puts you on Lake Washington 12 miles from Seattle, 6 miles from Bellevue and about 16 minutes from Microsoft, with a beach and a wine country next door. How to get around and what to do.
Travel · Sep 16, 2026
Málaga and the Costa del Sol: a first guide
Málaga gets 2,905 hours of sun a year and a 12-minute train from the airport to the center; the city has accepted no new tourist rentals since August 2025.
Monteverde · Sep 16, 2026
Monteverde in 2 nights: an itinerary
A two-night Monteverde plan for time-poor couples: arrive by noon, drop bags, hanging bridges, a night tour, the reserve at opening, a coffee tour, and the road out after breakfast on day three.
Punta Leona · Sep 16, 2026
Punta Leona beaches: Playa Blanca and Mantas
Playa Mantas has the parking lot and the gentle waves; Playa Blanca is the white-sand cove you reach on foot around the point at low tide, or since June 2026 by road. Access, parking, tides, macaws.
Sámara · Sep 16, 2026
Is Sámara worth visiting? A couples' guide
Yes, if you want a beach you can swim in and a town you can walk. Sámara's reef-sheltered bay, Isla Chora by kayak, Playa Carrillo and turtle nights at Ostional, planned as three days.
Kirkland · Sep 16, 2026
Washington State from abroad: what to expect
Costa Ricans need a B1/B2 visa, most Europeans a $40.27 ESTA; then a $3 train, 10.4% sales tax at the register and a dry summer. Washington State from abroad.