Quickest way to Anamaya,

Fly San Jose to Tambor

Traveling to Anamaya Resort

International flights arrive in Costa Rica at the Juan Santamaria International Airport (considered San Jose Airport, SJO), about 20 min. outside San Jose. The best way to get to Anamaya is by plane, then renting a car if you plan to tour around, or we can arrange a taxi if you plan to spend most of your time on retreat at Anamaya. You can also drive from San Jose if you want an adventure, or take a direct bus if you want to save money.

Plane

From the Tobias Bolaños International Airport (SYQ) in San Jose, (a $5, 20 min shuttle from the Juan Santamaria international airport) you can fly to Tambor, a 24 min. flight. Book your flight on Nature Air. NOTE: they have limited luggage allowances.

From Tambor airport, we can arrange a taxi for you to Anamaya Resort, which takes about 25 min. It is $35 for a regular taxi or $55 for shuttle for up to 9 people.

Rental Car

We strongly suggest renting car, ideally 4x4 so you can have more freedom to explore the area. You can rent one in San Jose and drive all the way, about 5 hrs including the ferry, or simply arrange to rent a car in Tambor. We will be posting more information on the specifics of doing so soon...

Driving directions

From San Jose Airport, head west, away from San Jose city. You can follow signs to Puntarenas, where the ferry is located. (see below) After the ferry, follow all the traffic and the signs to Tambor (where the smalll airport is located) and then on to Cobano. There is one main road, so it is very easy to follow. Once in Cobano, turn left at the main intersection (at the bank) and continue on the main road to Montezuma (about 10 min). Go through (or past) Montezuma, then just past Amor De Mar Hotel, turn right up the steep hill following signs to Delicios. We are 200 meters past the Mariposario (or butterfly gardens. everyone will know where it is if you are lost). We have a big Anamaya sign out front. Turn in and follow the drive to the end and your home!

Ferry

When driving from San Jose to Montezuma or back, you will need to take the ferry. (not necessary if you are coming from Tambor Airport) It takes about 1.5 hrs in total. It's about 800 Col/person plus about 1,300 Col/car. We recommend getting to the ferry about 30 min before it is scheduled to leave to help make sure your vehicle gets a space on the boat. Taking the bigger ferry, "Tambor Dos" (times listed in BOLD) also helps ensure there is space. Here is the time schedule: (it changes regularly, so for the most up to date info, please call (506) 2661-2084, then press 4. It is in spanish) Current as of March 27, 2010.

Shuttle

We can book a shuttle for you via Montezuma Expeditions (or you can book directly for the same price), they leave from San Jose at 6:00am and 2:00pm. It is $40/person. (last updated March 28, 2010) You will need to take a taxi to the Montezuma Expeditions office in Alajuela, 5 min from the Airport. They will pay the taxi driver or reimburse you. Like the bus below, the shuttle price includes the ferry ticket, but in this case you don't leave your luggage on the shuttle. They drop you off at the ferry and give you a ticket to get on. You carry your luggage on the boat, then when you arrive you carry you luggage off the boat and get on another shuttle which will look just like the first one, with the Montezuma Expeditions logo on the side. They will drop you off directly at Anamaya, which is the main advantage of the shuttle. They also have shuttle service from Montezuma to San Jose, Fortuna, Monteverde, Jaco, Manuel Antonio, Dominical and Samara / Tamarindo.

Bus

Direct bus service from San Jose to Montezuma (Ph# 2642-0219). This bus leaves every day from the Coca Cola bus station in downtown San Jose at 6:00am and 2:00pm. The cost is $12 US. The CocaCola bus station is a 20 min., $20 Taxi ride from the international airport. The bus trip takes about 6 hours total.  There is one rest stop between San Jose and Puntarenas. In Puntarenas you must get off the bus and the driver will hand you a ferry ticket and a laminated card that you need to get back on the bus.  Follow the bus crowd onto the ferry for a beautiful one and a half hour ferry ride. The ferries have an air-conditioned passenger deck complete with snack shop and restrooms, as well as a large outside viewing area. Alcoholic beverages can be purchased. Upon crossing the gulf you will disembark in Paquera. Follow the passengers to the other side of the ferry terminal to re-board the bus and continue the journey to Cobano. In Cobano all passengers going to Montezuma switch to another bus, which takes you the final 20-30 minutes to downtown Montezuma.  Please let us know your arrival time, we will have a taxi pick you up at the bus stop in Montezuma ($5-6).