There are two ways to get to Pavones from San Jose, by plane or by land. We highly recommend flying. Nearly all of our guests fly and taxi to Pavones.
By plane: The plane ride from San Jose to Golfito takes one hour and costs $114 one-way including taxes and fees. The taxi ride from Golfito to Pavones takes slightly less than two hours and costs $70 each way.
Sansa airlines – flights run from San Jose to Golfito at 5:45AM, 5:55AM, 11:41AM, 2:19PM and 3:31PM (changes seasonally)
By land: it takes approximately eight hours in a car or taxi (about $350) and fifteen hours by bus. We do not recommend driving a rental car. The roads are poor and the way is not clearly marked. At least one hour is on dirt or mud road and may require a 4×4 vehicle. If you have a large group, we have a tour guide with a deluxe van that can bring you to Pavones with a stopover and a 1/2 day tour on the way. Contact us for details.
Regardless of which surf camp you choose, we are happy to book the flights for you. It’s exactly the same price as advertised on the Sansa website, and it’s included in our All Inclusive Surf Camps. Please contact us if you would like us to assist you or make travel arrangements for you. We have preferred flights that coordinate with check in and check out times. Taking preferred flights also increases your chances of sharing the cost of the taxi ride.
The best flight over is the 11:41 AM flight (612). That gets you to Pavones in time for check in at the Riviera at 2:30 PM. Your international flight arrival time in San Jose (airport code SJO) should be three hours prior to the departure of your domestic flight. That means you should arrive in San Jose no later than 8:40 AM. The three hour layover is recommended in case your international flight is really delayed. It also takes into account the possibility of long lines at immigration and customs. Â We recommend that you leave the Riviera at 10:00AM in the taxi in order to catch the 12:54PM Sansa flight back to San Jose (arriving at 2:00PM). Sansa occasionally cancels the last flight of the day during the “green season” flight schedule without any notification. Your international flight should depart no earlier than 5 PM.