Zaid Abuhouran & Steve Motion

The Nicoya Peninsula is considered a Blue Zone. This means the average life expectancy is higher here (along with just eight other places in the world!), and it has the world’s lowest rate of middle age mortality and second highest concentration of male centenarians. Pura vida, right?


You may or may not have heard about the expression “Pura vida” before we gave it to you as our website password. It means “pure life”. You will hear it a lot on your visit to Costa Rica. “Pura vida” is a valediction, an affirmation, and a state of mind, reflecting an appreciation for the awesomeness of life. This concept of Pura vida makes Costa Rica a perfect location for our wedding, and for relaxing and renewing your energy. Get ready! 


Please follow the visa guidelines for travel to Costa Rica there are no visas required for US/UK passport holders or those with a greencard/work permit. Please see below regarding COVID-19 specific measures.

Entry Requirements in the times of COVID-19 can be found here. 

One requirement that the country has recently implemented is all tourists must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. More details can be found by visiting This Page dedicated to vaccinated entry requirements. 

For those of you that require a negative Covid-19 test to return to the US, it’s recommended to purchase a pre-packaged (tele-health observed) test kit or use an approved at home rapid test and schedule a tele-health service. That way you can do the test from the comfort of your accommodations and receive a fit to fly certificate via email before you travel.

The location is remote, and like most remote places, it is absolutely worth the time it takes to travel there. We know this will be worth the journey!

We recommend arriving to San Jose on June 8th and spending the night there before going to Manzanillo on the 9th. We also recommend staying an extra night in San Jose on the night of the 13th and flying out on the 14th if you don’t want to rush to the airport the day you leave Manzanillo. Or of course stay in the region and enjoy a vacation! 

From the UK:

Flights from London to San Jose (SJO) fly daily and can cost as little as £415 return if you book well in advance. The flights are 14 hours so we recommend arriving in San Jose on June 8th and spending the night there to break up the journey.

From the US:

Flights to San Jose are frequent and and cost as little as $180 round trip. Fly into Juan Santamaría International Airport in San Jose (SJO). You can drive from San Jose at your leisure or catch a 20 mins connecting flight from SJO to Manzanillo or Tambor - see below for details on local connecting flights.

How do I get from San Jose Airport (SJO) or Liberia Airport (LIR) to the Ecolodge / Casa?

You can get to the town by a number of ways to suit your budget and preferred travel time.

Internal Flights from SJO or LIR

Internal flights can be booked from the servicing airlines website directly, NOTE the existing schedules can be found here and are very reasonable. 

Recommended Option ($$) - Tambor Airport (TMU) is serviced by Green Airways, Sansa, and other domestic companies and is a 50 min drive from Calamocha. You can pickup a rental car from Tambor Airport and return it on the way back. Book your flight here booknow.costaricagreenair.com/

Closest Option ($$$) - Manzanillo Airstrip is serviced by Green Airways and Carmon Air (only by private charter) and is a convenient 10 min drive from Calamocha. If you are coming in a larger group you may find this a viable option. You may need to have a car rental company in Santa Teresa drop off a car to the airstrip for you - they do this all the time but need to be booked in advance.

Our suggestion is to book your main flights into Costa Rica ASAP to get the best prices and then schedule internal travel when it is published.

By Car from San Jose ($)

Drive from San Jose to Puntarenas 1.5 hours and take the scenic 1 hour ferry to Paquera. Afterward enjoy the winding jungle roads on the Nicoya Penninsula for another hour to get to Calamocha. Total is about a four hour drive from the capital city (but may be the most scenic way to arrive!). Be sure to schedule your drive to and from the venue according to the ferry schedule: https://nicoyapeninsula.com/travel-info/ferry/

By Bus ($)

Buses can carry you from San Jose to fairly close the venue. There is a 6 am bus from San Jose to Cobano

or

2 pm: San Jose to Playa Carmen, Mal Pais crossroads

The journey takes around 6 hrs. From either bus stop, you will need to take a taxi to Calamocha.

Private Shuttle ($$)

Private shuttle companies offer transfer in smaller, air-conditioned mini-busses for a more comfortable and slightly shorter journey. If this is your preferred method of travel let us know and we can provide you with shuttle companies and check flight arrival times from other guests. 

It's recommended to have a car to get around when staying at the lodge. We will be in the rainforest and that means there will be some (hopefully not too much) rain each day. This can make roads a bit muddy and difficult to navigate by foot. Coordinate with people you know that are coming and share a rental car from the airport, bus, etc. If you book in advance they can be as cheap as $21 a day. 4x4 or Mini SUV recommended. 

ATV - Feeling adventurous? Once you arrive in Manzanillo you can rent an ATV /  quadbike to get around between the lodge / your casa and restaurants. This option will be lots of fun but not weatherproof so your hair might get wet ;-)