Can I take Uber from SJO to Los Sueños?

Yes. Uber operates legally from Juan Santamaría Airport. Use the designated rideshare pickup area inside the terminal. A standard UberX to Los Sueños runs ~$80–$110 (check the app for a current estimate) depending on traffic and time of day; UberXL (needed for larger groups with luggage) costs roughly 50% more. The app works reliably for this specific route. One caution: Uber availability drops sharply outside the San José metro area, so don't plan to use it for getting around the resort or making day trips from Los Sueños.

Is the drive from San José to Los Sueños safe?

Yes. Route 27 is a modern, well-lit toll highway in good condition. Daytime driving is straightforward. The mountain section has some curves and the altitude change requires standard attention, but it's nothing compared to older Costa Rican mountain roads. Night driving is also fine, the highway is marked and maintained. The main practical advice: avoid Friday afternoon (3–7 PM) when the road fills with San José residents heading to the coast, and Sunday evening returning. If your schedule has flexibility, a midday arrival on any weekday is the smoothest trip.

Should I rent a car for Los Sueños?

It depends on how you plan to spend your time. If your trip revolves around the resort (fishing, golf, the marina, the beach club) you don't need a car. Taxis from the resort to Jacó cost about $15–$20 each way, and our concierge can arrange any excursion pickup. But if you want to go to Manuel Antonio for a day, hit the farmers market in Jacó on your own schedule, or explore the coast more freely, having your own car makes the whole trip easier. Our honest take: for stays of 5+ days with any interest in day trips, rent the car.

Where do I stop for groceries before arriving at Los Sueños?

**AutoMercado at Plaza Herradura**, the shopping center directly at the Herradura exit ramp off Route 34. It's a full-service supermarket with a good wine section, fresh produce, imported snacks, and everything you need to stock a villa kitchen. It's right on your route in, so stop before you check in rather than backtracking later. Hours: Mon–Thu 8 AM–9 PM, Fri–Sat 8 AM–10 PM, Sun 7:30 AM–9 PM.

How long does the drive from SJO to Los Sueños actually take?

Under normal conditions: **1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes**. The variation is mostly traffic leaving San José, not the highway itself. Budget 1 hour 30 minutes if you're arriving between 7–9 AM on a weekday (rush hour), Friday afternoon (weekend traffic), or Sunday evening (return traffic). A midday arrival on a Monday through Thursday is typically 1 hour 10–15 minutes door to door.

How to Get to Los Sueños from San José Airport (SJO)

About 80 km. Roughly 1 hour 15 minutes. Almost entirely on Route 27: one of the best highways in Central America.

That’s the direct answer. You leave San José’s Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), get on the toll road almost immediately, and follow it west through the Central Valley mountains before the highway drops down toward the Pacific coast. If traffic cooperates (and outside of Friday afternoons, it usually does), you’ll be pulling into Los Sueños Resort with time to change, grab a beer at the marina, and watch the sunset.

The drive itself isn’t the decision you need to think about. The decision is how you make it: because that choice affects your first hour, your flexibility for the week, and somewhere between $0 and $150 depending on what you pick.

Option 1: Private Transfer or Shuttle

Best for: Most resort guests. Especially families, anyone with more than one bag, and groups who just landed after an overnight flight and want someone else to handle it.

This is what the majority of Los Sueños guests use, and for good reason. You exit customs, find a driver holding a sign with your name, load up, and get dropped directly at your villa or condo gate. No navigation, no worrying about whether you have colones for the toll, no figuring out where to park.

Cost: A private transfer runs roughly $130–$150 one way for a vehicle carrying up to 4 passengers (luggage included). For larger groups, minivans typically run $150–$180. Round-trip bookings with the same operator usually save $20–$30.

Shared shuttles to the Jacó/Herradura corridor run $35–$55 per person through operators like Interbus, GrayLine, and Transportation in Costa Rica. Available pickup times from SJO are typically 8:30 AM and 2:30 PM daily. The tradeoff: shared shuttles may stop at other hotels along the way, adding 30–45 minutes to the trip. Good for solo travelers; less ideal if you have a group.

Booking: Interbus (interbusonline.com) and GrayLine Costa Rica are the two largest shared shuttle operators with fixed routes. For private transfers, SJO Shuttle and Transportation in Costa Rica both have strong track records for the airport-to-Los Sueños run. Nest Stays guests: our concierge can arrange a private transfer directly: just ask before you arrive and we’ll have a vetted driver waiting at arrivals.

One thing to know: SJO arrivals can get congested. Your driver will be in the designated meet-and-greet area past customs, usually holding a whiteboard or printed sign. Have their phone number saved: connections occasionally need a brief call to coordinate exact location.

Option 2: Rental Car

Best for: Anyone planning to explore beyond the resort: day trips to Manuel Antonio, the farmers market in Jacó, or surf spots along the coast.

The drive from SJO to Los Sueños is one of the better rental car routes in Costa Rica. Route 27 is smooth, well-maintained, and well-signed. Waze works reliably throughout. Gas stations are plentiful along the highway (there’s one near the Atenas exit). You’ll pass through 3–4 toll booths; each costs roughly ₡500–₡800 (under $2), and you can pay in US dollars or colones. Keep small bills handy: a $20 at a toll booth is a problem.

For Los Sueños specifically, a standard sedan handles the route perfectly. The roads inside the resort and to Herradura beach are paved. If you’re planning excursions to more remote areas (Montezuma, Dominical, the back roads near Bijagual) a 4x4 is worth the upgrade. But for the resort itself and the Jacó-area beaches, it’s not required.

Cost: Standard rental cars in Costa Rica typically run $40–$80/day depending on vehicle class, insurer, and booking lead time. Costa Rica requires Mandatory Insurance (INS), which rental companies add to the rate: budget $15–$25/day for this. International driver’s licenses from the US, Canada, the EU, and most other countries are accepted for up to 90 days.

Parking: Los Sueños has secure gated parking within the resort. Your villa or condo will have an assigned space or instructions for the parking area.

Tip: Book your rental car before you arrive. Rates jump when you book at the airport counter on arrival, especially during peak season (December–April). All major international companies have desks at SJO (Alamo, Budget, Hertz, Avis, National) plus several well-regarded local companies like Adobe and Vamos.

Option 3: Taxi or Uber

Best for: Travelers who want door-to-door service without pre-booking, or those arriving late when other options are limited.

Official taxis from SJO are orange: these are the “Taxi Aeropuerto” vehicles that operate under a concession from the airport. They’re metered and licensed. You’ll find them in the official taxi stand outside arrivals. For a trip to Los Sueños, expect to pay $80–$120 depending on time of day and luggage. Confirm with the driver before getting in that they know the destination.

One important note: not all taxi drivers know “Los Sueños” by name. Say “Playa Herradura” or “Herradura”; those names are universally recognized and will get you there. The Los Sueños Resort entrance is on the main road in Herradura; once you’re at the town entrance, any driver will know where to go.

Uber is available in the San José metropolitan area and operates legally in Costa Rica (after a long regulatory grey period, it’s now properly licensed). From SJO, you can request Uber inside the airport’s designated rideshare area. Pricing to Los Sueños runs roughly ~$80–$110 (check the app for a current estimate) for an UberX, slightly more for UberXL (which you’ll need if you have more than 3 passengers with luggage). Note: Uber availability thins out significantly once you leave the Greater San José area. It’s reliable for the SJO-to-Los Sueños trip, but don’t count on it for getting around the resort or heading to Jacó.

Option 4: Public Bus

For completeness: Yes, there’s a bus. The Transportes Jacó line runs from Terminal 7-10 in central San José to Jacó several times daily. The fare is roughly ₡2,500 ($5 per person). From Jacó, you’d take a local taxi to Los Sueños (another $10–$15).

Total travel time: 2.5–3 hours depending on traffic and connections.

The honest take: if you’re staying at Los Sueños, the bus isn’t the right call. The terminal is not at the airport. You’d need to get from SJO to downtown San José first (taxi or bus), find Terminal 7-10, check luggage handling, and then arrange onward transportation from Jacó. It works fine for budget travelers staying in town, but the logistics overhead versus the cost savings makes it a poor fit for a resort trip. We mention it because people ask: not because we recommend it.

The Drive: What to Expect

Route 27, the Caldera Highway, was a transformative infrastructure project when it opened in 2010. Before it existed, the drive from San José to the Pacific coast on Route 1 was a slow grind through mountain curves. Now it’s a legitimate modern highway.

Here’s what you’ll see leaving SJO:

You exit the airport and merge onto the highway heading west. For the first 20–30 minutes, you’re climbing through the Central Valley: coffee farms on hillsides, the valley spread out behind you, the kind of altitude that makes your ears pop. The scenery is genuinely good.

Then the highway crests and drops toward the Pacific. The descent is one of the most dramatic highway views in Central America, the coast appears in the distance, the air gets warmer, the jungle takes over the hillsides. It happens fast.

Watch for the Tárcoles Bridge sign near Carara, roughly 20–25 minutes before Los Sueños. Normally this is one of the best incidental wildlife stops in Costa Rica, the river below has one of the highest concentrations of American crocodiles anywhere, and they sun on the banks in numbers that feel almost implausible.

Important as of early 2026: The Tárcoles Bridge is currently undergoing a multi-phase structural renovation expected to run through mid-2026. Pedestrian access to the bridge walkway is restricted to transit only: crocodile viewing from the railing is not permitted while the bridge is an active work zone. Both lanes have been reopened for dry season traffic (Nov 2025–March 2026), but some construction activity remains in effect. For a proper crocodile experience, boat tours from Tárcoles village (about 2 km off the main road, signposted from the highway) offer water-level views that are honestly better anyway. Worth adding to your itinerary once you’re settled in.

After the bridge, you’re on the coastal highway. The Los Sueños exit is marked “Herradura”; exit right, follow the road through the small town, and the resort entrance is clearly signed.

Practical Tips

Arrive during daylight if you can. The drive on Route 27 is perfectly safe at night, but the mountain section is more enjoyable (and the crocodile stop is only worth it) in daylight. If your flight lands after dark, no problem, but if you have timing flexibility, a daytime arrival is better.

Save your accommodation address offline. Cell service on Route 27 is generally good, but Waze or Google Maps cached offline removes any navigation anxiety. Your villa’s address is “Herradura, Garabito, Puntarenas” for GPS purposes, with the specific resort address in your booking confirmation.

Tolls: colones or dollars. Toll booths on Route 27 accept both currencies. Each booth takes a few minutes if there’s a queue. The total toll cost for the SJO-to-Los Sueños drive is roughly $4–$6 depending on vehicle class. Keep small US bills (singles and fives) or a few hundred colones in your wallet, not buried in a bag.

Stock up before you arrive. There’s an AutoMercado at Plaza Herradura, the shopping center right at the Herradura turnoff, at the base of the exit ramp from Route 34. It’s a well-stocked supermarket (wine, produce, snacks, sunscreen, everything) and it sits literally on your way in. Stopping there first, before checking in, is the move. You’ll save a separate errand later and arrive with your fridge ready.

Cost Comparison

Option	Cost	Travel Time	Best For
Private transfer	$130–$150 (up to 4 pax)	~1 hr 15 min	Groups, families, convenience
Shared shuttle	$35–$55/person	~1.5–2 hrs	Solo travelers, budget-conscious
Rental car	$40–$80/day + tolls	~1 hr 15 min	Independent explorers
Taxi (orange)	$80–$120	~1 hr 15 min	Arrivals without pre-booking
Uber	~$80–$110 (varies; check app)	~1 hr 15 min	Flexible, digital booking
Public bus	~$5–$15/person	2.5–3 hrs	Budget only, not ideal for resort

Private transfer and rental car costs are for the SJO-to-Los Sueños route. Rental car daily rate does not include mandatory insurance ($15–$25/day). All prices in USD and reflect typical 2025 rates: confirm with operators for current pricing.