Fly into Juan Santamaría (SJO), outside San José. Liberia is the other international airport and it is the wrong direction for Jacó. From SJO, the usual line is the toll highway, Route 27, toward the Pacific, then the coastal road south into town.
How long it actually takes
About an hour and a half is a fair planning number when the road is moving. Friday afternoons, Sunday returns, and holiday weekends are not that number. If your flight lands after 4 p.m. on a Friday in high season, tell the driver the truth and do not book a 6 p.m. dinner in town.
What we would book
- A private van for a family or a group with boards and bags. Sedan if you are two with carry-ons.
- The flight number, so a late plane is the driver's problem.
- A party bus only if the arrival itself is the event. It is a worse idea at midnight than at 2 p.m.
- A public bus if you are traveling light and unhurried. With eight people and a week's luggage, it is the expensive way to save money.
Rental cars work if someone in the group likes driving in the rain and reading toll lanes. You do not need one to enjoy the house. Town is walkable, and the days that leave Jacó can include their own transport.
The last ten minutes
Check-in is a lockbox, from 3:00 p.m. The driver can wait through the explanation if you arrive after that. There is one parking space behind an electric gate — useful if you did rent a car, and not a second space if you also asked for a golf cart. Tell us which one you are bringing.