Private transfer · door-to-door
Private Transfer to Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, from SJO and Liberia
Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve stands at the end of National Route 253 on Peninsula Papagayo, 35 km from Liberia airport by the hotel's own count. We meet you at LIR or SJO and drive you to the resort in a vehicle for your group alone: from $110 per vehicle from Liberia, up to five passengers, and from $340 from San José.
Location
Where Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is
- Location
- End of National Route 253, Peninsula Papagayo, Nacascolo, Liberia canton, Guanacaste
- Distance
- 35 km from Liberia airport, per the hotel's own page; one press release says about 45 minutes
- Opened
- February 2025, the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Central and South America
- Rooms
- 107 ocean-facing rooms and suites plus three treetop tents; separate private residences and a ten-bedroom villa
- Recognition
- Three Michelin Keys in the 2026 selection, the only new top-tier hotel in the Americas that year
- Check-in / check-out
- 3:00 pm and 12:00 noon; the minimum age to check in is 21
This is the Ritz-Carlton people mean when they search for a Ritz-Carlton in Costa Rica. It opened in February 2025 as the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Central and South America, a line the company reserves for a handful of remote, design-led properties. The resort sits above the cliffs of a dry tropical forest inside the gated Peninsula Papagayo development, with Playa Pochote below and a funicular running down to the beach club. In its 2026 selection the Michelin Guide moved the hotel to three Keys, and it was the only hotel in the Americas to enter that top tier for the first time that year.
The accommodation is spread across the hillside rather than stacked in one block. The hotel lists 107 ocean-facing rooms and suites, three treetop tents, a four-bedroom grand villa and a group of private residences, and a ten-bedroom house for large parties. Some rooms and villas are reached over a wooden suspension bridge that crosses a ravine, which is worth knowing if you travel with several large cases. The resort also describes an 18-hole golf course, a spa of roughly 27,000 square feet and a collection of more than 550 artworks, so many guests arrive for a week or more and plan only a handful of outings.
Because there is no guest shuttle, the transfer is yours to arrange. The hotel's website says it does not run its own airport shuttle and points guests to a reservation-only transfer service from both Liberia and San José, and it asks for the children's ages when you book. A private vehicle booked ahead gives you a fixed fare and a driver who is already watching your flight. The resort is inside our Papagayo fare zone, so the price is the same as for the neighbouring hotels on the peninsula, with no extra charge for the longer road inside the development.
From the airports
Getting to Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve from SJO and Liberia
From SJO airport (San José)
From San José the resort lies about 241 km away by the hotel's own figure, and our fare table gives approx. 4 h 15 min of driving. The road runs north on Route 1, the Inter-American Highway, past Cañas and Liberia, and then turns toward the coast. Most guests who fly into SJO do so because the fare is better or the connection is easier, and the drive then becomes the first afternoon of the trip. Your driver waits outside customs with a sign bearing your name, and we suggest an early flight if you want to be at the resort for dinner. The fare is $340 per vehicle for up to five passengers, $385 for up to nine and $470 for up to twelve.
From Liberia airport (LIR)
Liberia is the practical airport for Nekajui. The hotel's page gives the distance as 35 km, a press release puts the drive at about 45 minutes, and our fare table gives approx. 30 min for the road alone; the last stretch is on the private roads of the peninsula, where the speed is limited, so we plan about 45 minutes door to door. Your driver meets you after immigration and baggage claim, and at the gate of Peninsula Papagayo the vehicle is announced to the resort. The fare is $110 for up to five passengers, $165 for up to nine and $250 for up to twelve.
Fares
Prices to and from Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Per vehicle, not per person. US dollars, taxes included, same fare in both directions.
| Route | Staria (1–5) | Hiace (6–9) | Maxus (10–12) | Driving time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SJO Airport ↔ Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve | $340 | $385 | $470 | approx. 4 h 15 min |
| Liberia Airport (LIR) ↔ Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve | $110 | $165 | $250 | approx. 30 min |
Onward trips from Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
| Route | Staria (1–5) | Hiace (6–9) | Maxus (10–12) | Driving time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Fortuna ↔ Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve | $285 | $330 | $415 | approx. 3 h 15 min |
| Monteverde ↔ Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve | $275 | $320 | $405 | approx. 2 h 45 min |
| Manuel Antonio ↔ Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve | $420 | $465 | $550 | approx. 5 h 45 min |
| Rincón de la Vieja ↔ Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve | $260 | $305 | $390 | approx. 1 h 30 min |
| Nosara ↔ Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve | $280 | $325 | $410 | approx. 2 h 45 min |
| Jacó ↔ Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve | $335 | $380 | $465 | approx. 4 h |
- Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is in the Papagayo fare zone. Fares are set by zone, not by hotel, and there is no surcharge.
- VIP: +$80 per vehicle. Extra hours of stops: $35 each, up to 4.
Before you go
Practical notes for Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
- Give us the name on the reservation and tell us if you booked a residence or the ten-bedroom house rather than a room. The driver then matches what the gate and the front desk expect.
- Check-in is at 3:00 pm and check-out at noon, according to the hotel. If your flight lands early, we can still collect you on arrival; the room may not be ready, but the resort will usually look after your bags and send you to the restaurants or the beach.
- Travelling with a large party or with golf clubs? Tell us the number of bags. Five people with four sets of clubs may need the next vehicle size up, and the 6 to 9 passenger fare is $165 from Liberia.
- Moving on after your stay? From the resort door the fares in our table are $285 to La Fortuna, $275 to Monteverde, $260 to Rincón de la Vieja, $280 to Nosara, $335 to Jacó or $420 to Manuel Antonio, up to five passengers.
Questions
Questions about transfers to Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
How much is a private shuttle from SJO or Liberia airport to Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve?
From SJO: $340 (Staria, 1–5 passengers), $385 (Hiace, 6–9) or $470 (Maxus, 10–12). From Liberia: $110, $165 or $250. Per vehicle, taxes included; the return costs the same.
How long is the drive from Liberia airport to Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve?
Our fare table gives approx. 30 min. The hotel's own page puts the resort 35 km from the airport and a press release speaks of about 45 minutes. We plan for the longer figure so that a slow stretch inside the peninsula does not matter.
Does the Ritz-Carlton Reserve provide an airport shuttle?
No. The hotel states that it has no shuttle service and lists a reservation-only transfer company instead. A private transfer with us is a separate booking that you can make without involving the hotel.
Will the driver take us to the resort itself?
Yes. The transfer ends at the resort, not at the peninsula gate. Put the hotel name and your reservation name on the booking so the driver is announced correctly at the entrance.
Our flight lands late in the evening. Can you still collect us?
Yes. We track your flight, so a delay does not lose your pickup. Tell us your arrival time and we will confirm the pickup.
Can we travel from Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve to La Fortuna or Monteverde afterwards?
Yes. The fare from the resort is $285 to La Fortuna and $275 to Monteverde for up to five passengers. With Tropical Experts VIP (+$80 per vehicle) you can add one to two hours of stops on the way, and extra hours are $35 each, up to 4.
How do I book a transfer to Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve?
To book online, type “Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve” in the calculator (it appears under Papagayo), then choose your date and vehicle. You pay by card through Tilopay, and you can cancel free of charge up to 48 hours before pickup.
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