Casa Roja Planning and Arrival Guide
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Casa Roja Planning and Arrival Guide Arriving in Costa Rica At the Airport Getting to Casa Roja from San José Shuttles Domestic Flights Rental Cars Hotels Near San José Preparing for Your Vacation Pre-Plan Activities Beach Towns Between San José and Casa Roja Boca del Río Sierpe, Costa Rica All photos taken by Casa Roja and FISHBIO friends and families. As you prepare for your Costa Rica vacation, we recommend that you review this brief guide for an overview of your travel options. First and foremost, if you encounter any issues or delays upon your arrival in Costa Rica, don’t hesitate to reach out to Argenis (Are-yen-is), your local guide and caretaker at Casa Roja. His cell phone is (+506) 8499-5025. If you have a U.S.- based cell carrier you will likely need to dial +506 first. You can also reach him at the same number on WhatsApp. He will be the person who picks you up in Sierpe, and will be with you throughout your stay at Casa Roja. His English is good and he has been a nature guide in the Sierpe region for over a decade. 2 Arriving in Costa Rica Your options for getting to Casa Roja upon your arrival in Costa Rica depend on the time of day you land in San José. It takes about 5 hours to drive from San José to Sierpe, your jumping-off point to Casa Roja, and you will need to arrive in Sierpe before 5:00 pm in order to travel by boat to Casa Roja on the same day. If your flight arrives in San José in the afternoon, you won’t have time to travel all the way to Sierpe before dark (which restricts river boat travel). Also, you wouldn’t want to miss out on the Costa Rican scenery along the way! Lodging options in the town of Sierpe are very limited and “spartan”. If you need to spend a night before traveling to Sierpe/Casa Roja, you can either stay in a hotel near the airport, in downtown San José (not recommended due to potentially terrible traffic at rush hour), or in one of the beach towns along the way, such as Jacó, Quepos (near Manuel Antonio), or Dominical. Jacó is about 2 hours from the airport, Quepos just under 3 hours, and Dominical about 3.5 hours. If you arrive in San José in the morning, you have various options to continue to Sierpe and Casa Roja on the same day. For mid-day arrivals, we recommend that you continue onwards to one of the beach towns along the way, and spend a night there before traveling to Sierpe. If you arrive in the evening, a hotel near the airport is the most convenient option to get some rest before continuing your journey the following morning. This guide contains information to help you with your travel arrangements based on your circumstances and personal preferences. For assistance or recommendations specific to your needs, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Beach in Jacó 3 At the Airport Once you clear customs and walk outside the airport, the chaos begins. You will be greeted by a mob of drivers offering rides; a combination of official airport taxis (orange), and normal taxis (red). The red taxis are not authorized to operate at the airport, and are thus called “Taxis Piratas” who will take you to their car parked in the garage across the street, outside of the airport boundary. If you’ve arranged for pick-up by a private shuttle to Casa Roja or another destination, this is where your driver will be waiting with a sign with your name on it. Do not take a ride from anyone who is not expecting you. Hotel Shuttle Local airport hotels provide shuttles that can be found to the right when you exit the airport terminal. The closest hotels (Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express) use the same shuttle van that runs 24-hours a day at 15-minute intervals. As you exit the airport, the shuttle pick-up area for all hotels is just a few steps to the right. There is no sign designating a pick-up location, so expect to be a little unsure; just wait a few minutes and you’ll notice various shuttle vans stopping to drop-off/pick-up passengers. Here you will see Deli Malinche, a good place to grab a little food or drink, although don’t expect much. According to the internet it opens at 5 a.m. (but we have seen it open after 7 a.m.) and closes at 10 p.m. 4 Taxis In Costa Rica, official airport taxis are orange and charge higher rates than regular city taxis, which are colored red. Only take orange or red taxis at the airport; don’t take unofficial taxis, which may not have a meter or proper insurance, and may be looking to take advantage of novice travelers. Orange taxis are the only ones allowed at the arrival terminal and can be found to your left when you exit the terminal. There should be a taxi attendant there to help. Legal taxis will be red or orange and have an insignia with an ID number on the driver side and passenger side door. Elsewhere on your trip you may find red taxis, since they are standard through the country, and are generally considered safe. If you are staying in a hotel in downtown San José, expect to pay about $30 each way and be aware the trip can take well over an hour during periods of heavy traffic at rush hour. When traffic is light the trip to downtown San José hotels can be made in 20 minutes. 5 Getting to Casa Roja from San José Las Vegas Restaurant The small town of Sierpe, about 30 km (18 miles) upriver to the east of Casa Roja, is the main gateway to the Osa Peninsula, including Casa Roja. Whatever your chosen mode of transportation to Sierpe, the Las Vegas Bar and Restaurant is our meeting point in town. If you have any challenges during travel, find your way to Las Vegas in Sierpe, which you can’t miss in the middle of a small town. Argenis will be there waiting with the boat to take you downriver to Casa Roja. 6 Shuttles The easiest way to get to Sierpe (Casa Roja) is by private shuttle. We can arrange for a modern private shuttle to transport you from the airport, your hotel, or from anywhere else to Sierpe, where your guide and caretaker Argenis will pick you up in our boat. A private shuttle will take you anywhere you want to go, whenever you want to go. For example, guests can be picked up in the afternoon at the airport and taken to a beach or mountain resort for a night, then taken to Sierpe and Casa Roja the following day. Any combination of travel is possible. Pedro Alvarez (P: 506 8597-3140) is a trusted shuttle operator we work with regularly. He lives in Sierpe with his family and has a nice, new, modern shuttle van. The price for a private shuttle from San José to Sierpe, or Sierpe to San José, is about $300, but can be a little more for larger groups or from downtown hotels, or if you want to overnight along the way. We can quote you a price when we know your exact travel requirements. Pay Pedro directly once you arrive at your destination, in USD. Shared shuttle can be more economical. Shared shuttles operate on a regular schedule and can be an economical way to travel for a group of only one or two travelers, especially during low season. Several companies, including Easy Ride, Super Shuttle, Grayline, and Interbus, are available for booking a shared or private ride to Sierpe from San José. Pick- up is available from Juan Santamaria International Airport in San José. The drive from San José to Sierpe is 280 km and takes about 5-6 hours, depending on how often the shuttle stops. Booking is usually required at least 48 hours in advance, and at least two passengers are required to operate the shuttle. The price to Sierpe ranges from $79-98 per person. Las Vegas Restaurant Boat Launch 7 Shuttle Rates Phone Number Website / Email Comments Service Located in Sierpe Pedro $300- ѧ transalvarezso@hotmail. but can take you +506 8703-2121 Alvarez $400 com anywhere. We arrange for you. Minimum of 2 passengers to $79 Ԓ https://www. operate shuttle. A Super SJO to 1 (202) 448-2910 supershuttlecr.com/ single traveler can Shuttle Sierpe contact-reservations/ pay for 2 people. Departs at 5:00 AM, 3:00 PM Minimum of 2 passengers to $98 Gray Ԓ https://www. operate shuttle. A SJO to 1 (800) 719-3905 Line graylinecostarica.com/ single traveler can Sierpe pay for 2 people. Departs at 7:40 AM Minimum of 2 passengers to $79 operate shuttle. A Easy Ԓ https://www. SJO to 1 (703) 879-2284 single traveler can Ride easyridecostarica.com/ Sierpe pay for 2 people. Departs at 4:30 AM, 10:00 AM Minimum of 2 passengers to Costa $89 Ԓ https://www. operate shuttle. A Rica Trip SJO to 1-800-668-5056 transportationincostarica. single traveler can Guide Sierpe com pay for 2 people. Departs at 6:00 AM Minimum of 2 passengers to $145 Zuma operate shuttle. A SJO to +506 2642-0024 Ԓ http://www.zumatours.net Tours single traveler can Sierpe pay for 2 people.