QUICK TIPS ON GETTING TO COSTA RICA ~ PASSPORTS? ~ RETURN TICKETS? ~ VACCINATIONS? ~ TRAVEL LIGHT – THIS IS THE TROPICS ~ LEAVE YOUR DIAMONDS AT HOME
- Passports are needed. Make sure you have some blank pages. For years there was a requirement that your passport be valid for an additional six months after your arrival. This is no longer the case. It need only be valid for a minimum of one day from the day you enter Costa Rica. http://www.costarica-embassy.org/index.php?q=node/48
- However, as airlines and immigration officials have been working with the OLD RULE for so long – they may rely on the old rule of six months of validity. Beware! (You never know how things are going to work out when you head into the immigration or airline line – best of luck!)
- Flying into Costa Rica, you need proof of an exit strategy (i.e. return tickets, etc). Tourists can only stay 90 days in Costa Rica and then must exit.
- If you are flying in from Europe, Asia, Africa, etc. passing through the USA to Costa Rica, check to see if you need a US Visa (even though you are just passing through the USA)
- If coming from South America or Africa, you may need a Yellow Fever shot.
- If coming from Panama, contact us re a novel way to get here: “Why be a Tourist, When you can be a Traveler?”
- Tourists from many parts of the world do not need a visa to enter Costa Rica. Visa requirements are based upon Nationality.
Most major airlines fly into the capital of Costa Rica: San Jose (SJO). There are also a few international flights to Liberia (LIR) in northern Costa Rica.
GETTING TO IGUANA LODGE ~ FLY TO PUERTO JIMENEZ – AND WE ARE ABOUT TEN MINUTES AWAY ON THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACH ON THE OSA – no kidding!
Depending upon the season and your arrival time into Costa Rica, you can often fly to Puerto Jimenez on the same day:
- During the dry season in Costa Rica (Dec – April): there are about ten flights a day to Puerto Jimenez, the last one leaving SJO around 4 PM.
- During the wet season in Costa Rica (May – November), there are fewer flights, and usually the latest flight from SJO leaves around noon.
TRAVEL HINT: If you want to get down to the Osa Peninsula as quickly as possible and stay as long as possible, look for international flights that arrive into San Jose by 1 PM in the dry season, and 10 AM in the wet season. When leaving the Osa, look for international flights that leave no earlier than 10 AM.
