Thanks for your advice. We rented a car in San Jose. I think it will be an adventure, but I think we will enjoy every minute. Even if we don't use the car much in Santa Teresa, the cost is similar to getting private transportation or air to and from...and then at least we will have the car while we are there if we need it. We can't wait.

There is nothing crazy about renting a car and driving to Santa Teresa. You will definitely need a vehicle to get around the area, it is a long stretch of road and you will be happy you rented one.

We are also looking into rental car vs private shuttle vs airplane hop from San Jose to Santa Teresa. I spoke to some travelers who said that car rental agencies tack on all kinds of extra charges when you get there or are done w/the rental. The cost becomes almost double than what you had expected. I've heard from quite a few folks, so just wondering what others have experienced or have specifics rental companies that are good to use.

We rent from wild rider when ever we are in Costa Rica and are doing so again in April. They are excellent to deal with and no extra fees or surprises. They will help with directions and with schedules /drive times to the ferry

Basically, do your research and nail down exactly what they will be charging you for. There are numerous threads on this forum about what to expect when you rent a car and all of the nitty-gritty details of add-ons and options. Personally, I try to rent from a small company and also send my friends to the same one. There have never been any issues other than you have to get in touch with him early into your planning schedule because he is slow to respond to emails. If we happen to have to rent from one of the big companies, we make sure we get the zero deductible so that there are no surprises when we turn the car in.

Hi Amy,

Have you completed your trip already? I originally planned on taking the small plane from San Jose to Tambor and then a taxi to Santa Teresa, but the airstrip is closed down for repairs so I am scrambling to find the best alternate for our trip on March 26. We were thinking of renting a 4x4 but am not sure how long the drive is or if it is a confusing drive? We had thought we would either rent a ATV or 4x4 once there but now thinking maybe just rent 4x4 from airport. I was just wondering if you had any thoughts on this?

AdventureTraveler_12:

The drive is pretty straight forward. 1.5 hrs from SJO to Puntarenas ferry dock, 1.5 hrs on the ferry, 1-1.5 hrs from Paquera dock to Santa Teresa.

If you don't want to do the drive, grab one of the shuttles that run between the vicinity of the airport (SJO) and Santa Teresa, there are many to choose from. The cost is between $40 and $45/person.

Hello. We are in Santa Teresa right now. We heard that Tambor is closed from a couple here who didn't know until they arrived in San Jose. Regardless, we are still glad we rented in San Jose. The journey here including ferry took five and a half hours, but we made the ferry by inches..gate closed..but they waited for us. Costa Ricans are great that way. Getting out of airport area in San Jose was gridlock. One hour to drive about 3 miles but after that wasnt bad. The road from paquera is dirt and bumpy but my husband is adventurous and we made it fine. We did not do GPS which was a mistake but we got lucky and didn't get lost..no street sign, etc. good luck and enjoy! It's great here.

Amy J:

The road from Paquera to Cobano is paved and has had all the potholes fixed. The road from Cobano to Santa Teresa is dirt and rough and dusty.

If you don't have a GPS, get a good map. Maps have worked for many years until GSP became available a few years ago. Costa Rica is an adventure no matter how prepared you are! Enjoy your travels!