Thanks Roadadvisor! I think I can handle this question....except for the weather part...as Roadadvisor has already stated, usually, it rains in the afternoon or night, but this year, the weather has been so different and what usually occurs has not been the case. The crystal ball is broken! All I can say is that you will see sun and rain, how much of each? who knows!

You are correct on staying the night in the central valley and depart the next day. If you are not wanting to wait until the afternoon to catch the direct bus to Santa Teresa, then I suggest the next best thing is to catch one of the shuttle buses which leave around 8 AM. Check out the Q & A on transportation on the Santa Teresa page, top right side for further links to shuttle buses. They are usually around $40-45.

If you stay near the airport, in Alajuela, you will get a head start with the shuttle bus connections.

You can rent a 4x4 or Quad when you get to Santa Teresa if you feel you need the transport. The roads are in bad shape, muddy, potholes filled with water and slow going, especially after a good rain. It is best to check out a couple of places that rent down here when you get here and see if you can get a better deal rather than arrange something ahead of time.

As for your departing flight, you should get back to Alajuela the day before your flight in the morning. You have to be there at least 2 hours ahead of your flight time and the ferries that you need to take do not run all night, so your idea to stay up all night and take a taxi back is not going to work. The only way you can maximize your time in Santa Teresa is to take a regional flight back (one of the late afternoon flights) and enjoy an evening out in the city.

Stay safe and have a fun vacation.

www.adventure-inn.com

close to the airport best for early AM flight

come back the night B4

Have fun,

Everyone has their favorite place to stay near the airport - my favorite is Hotel Los Volcanes which is an old house that has been re-done. They have several types of rooms and a HUGE breakfast included as well as free internet. It is located near the center of Alajuela where you can do some shopping or banking or find a good restaurant and it is safe to walk around. You can even get an ice cream and sit in the Park. It is about 5 minutes to the airport and a taxi costs about $4.

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