Private shuttle · door-to-door
Private Shuttle from Herradura & Los Sueños to San José Airport (SJO)
From the marina at Los Sueños to the departures curb at SJO, door to door. One fixed price per vehicle, and a pickup time we calculate from your flight.
- Private vehicle
- Door-to-door
- Taxes & tolls included
- Child seats free
- 24/7
The service
Your private transfer from Herradura to SJO Airport
One price covers the whole vehicle: fuel, tolls, taxes, insurance, bottled water, WiFi and child seats, with nothing to pay on the day. Standard takes you straight there; VIP, for $80 more per vehicle, adds sightseeing stops and a driver who doubles as a guide.
On the road it is about 1 h 45 min. The pickup we confirm adds a margin for traffic and rain, so you are at SJO airport roughly 3 hours before an international departure, as the pickup table on this page shows.
The place you are leaving
Herradura in a nutshell
Herradura is a horseshoe-shaped bay on the Central Pacific, just north of Jacó, with a calm, dark-sand beach and a small village behind it. Los Sueños Resort & Marina, with the Marriott, a golf course, condominiums and one of the country's best-known sportfishing marinas, sits on the bay as a gated community.
Visitors come for fishing charters, golf and boat trips, and for a quieter alternative to Jacó that is still only a few minutes away. For the pickup, give us the name of your hotel, building or slip so the driver gets through the Los Sueños gate smoothly.
Time to spare?
Still have a morning in Herradura?
Sportfishing from Los Sueños
Charters leave from the marina for billfish and inshore fishing.
Golf
The La Iguana golf course at Los Sueños winds through the forest above the bay.
Boat trips and Jacó nearby
Catamaran and snorkel trips leave from the area, and Jacó's restaurants are a few minutes south.
Before you go
Before you leave Herradura
Charter time first
If you fish on your last morning, ask the captain for a firm return time and send it to us.
Check-out at the resort
Settle the bill the night before at the larger hotels to avoid the morning queue.
Last colones
Spend or change the last colones before the airport; the exchange rate at the terminal is poor.
The route
What to expect on the drive
- Driving time
- approx. 1 h 45 min without stops
- Main roads
- Costanera Sur (Route 34) north, then Route 27 toll motorway up to the Central Valley
- Pickup
- At your hotel, villa or lodge in Herradura
- Drop-off
- Departures entrance of the terminal
We collect you at the Marriott, at your condominium inside Los Sueños or at your rental in Herradura. Inside the resort, the driver waits at the lobby or the building entrance you give us. From Herradura the short access road leads back to Route 34 northbound.
The return is the outbound trip in reverse: north on Route 34 to the Tárcoles area, then Route 27, the toll motorway, up through the hills to the Central Valley. Tolls are in your fare, and the airport is close to where the motorway meets Alajuela.
Along the way
What you'll see between Herradura and SJO Airport
What passes the window on your last drive in Costa Rica:
Punta Leona
The wooded headland just north of Herradura, which the coast road passes on the way to Tárcoles.
The Tárcoles River
The bridge on Route 34 where crocodiles rest on the sandbanks below.
Up to the valley
Route 27 climbs from the warm lowlands through the hills around Atenas, and the air gets cooler as you go.
Tropical Experts VIP
VIP stops on this route
If the flight is late enough, VIP (+$80 per vehicle) adds stops on the way, up to two hours, with a guaranteed bilingual driver.
Tárcoles River bridge
A stop at the bridge on Route 34 to see the American crocodiles resting on the sandbanks below.
Before you travel
Road conditions on the way to SJO Airport
Route 27 is the quickest way from the central Pacific to the airport. The heavy traffic is on Sunday afternoons and evenings and at the end of holiday weekends, when the whole coast drives back to the valley; on those days we add more margin to your pickup time.
From the road
Driver's tips for this route
- Fishing gear and coolers travel fine, but tell us when you book so we send a vehicle with enough room.
- Change out of the beach clothes before the drive: the Central Valley is noticeably cooler than the coast, especially in the evening.
- Avoid a Sunday afternoon pickup for an evening flight if you can: that is when traffic on Route 27 is heaviest.
Airport logistics
Pickup time for your flight from SJO Airport
Suggested pickup times from Herradura for flights at the usual hours, with about 1 h 45 min of driving and a 45 min margin. They are a guide: we confirm your exact pickup when you book. Where the table suggests a night near the airport, ask us on WhatsApp: we can take you there the day before.
| Flight departs | At the airport by | Suggested pickup at your hotel |
|---|---|---|
| 6:00 a.m. | 3:00 a.m. | 12:30 a.m.very early: ask us about a last night near the airport |
| 9:00 a.m. | 6:00 a.m. | 3:30 a.m.very early start |
| 12:00 p.m. | 9:00 a.m. | 6:30 a.m. |
| 3:00 p.m. | 12:00 p.m. | 9:30 a.m. |
| 6:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 12:30 p.m. |
| 9:00 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. |
Give us the flight number when you book: if the airline moves your departure, we adjust the pickup. WhatsApp +506 8486 7057, any hour.
Fares
Prices for this route
One closed price for the whole vehicle, not per person. Prices in US dollars with taxes included; you pay online when you book and nothing to the driver.
| Vehicle | Passengers | Large bags | Standard | VIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Hyundai Staria1–5 passengers |
1–5 | 5 | $180 | $260 |
 Toyota Hiace6–9 passengers |
6–9 | 9 | $235 | $315 |
 Maxus V9010–12 passengers |
10–12 | 12 | $320 | $400 |
Extra hour of stops: $35 per hour, up to 4 hours. Photos show each model; you get the vehicle type you choose.
Google reviews
What travelers say
Short excerpts from real Google reviews of Tropical Experts Costa Rica.
“Muy agradable el servicio, nos encantó.”
Read all our reviews on Google and TripAdvisor.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: Herradura · Los Sueños → SJO Airport
How long is the drive from Herradura to SJO airport?
Approximately 1 h 45 min without stops; we plan an extra 45 min or so for the unexpected when we confirm the pickup.
What time will you pick us up for our flight?
It depends on the flight. We work back from an arrival at the airport 3 hours before an international departure, minus the drive and a margin. For example, for a flight at 3:00 p.m. we suggest a pickup at 9:30 a.m., and we confirm your exact time when you book.
How much is a private shuttle from Herradura to SJO airport?
$180 in a Hyundai Staria (1–5 passengers), $235 in a Toyota Hiace (6–9) and $320 in a Maxus V90 (10–12). Prices are per vehicle, in US dollars, with taxes included. VIP adds $80 per vehicle.
Can we fish on the morning of our flight?
With an evening flight, yes. Ask the captain for a firm return time and send it to us; we set the pickup after it, with the drive of about 1 h 45 min and the airport margin.
Do you collect inside Los Sueños?
Yes. Give us the building, villa or slip and the name on the reservation; the driver checks in at the gate and comes to your door.
Do we pay the driver anything?
No. The fare is paid in full when you book, by card through Tilopay or by SINPE Móvil or bank transfer arranged on WhatsApp. There are no surcharges on the day and nothing to pay the driver; tips are up to you.
Drop-off and pickup
Hotels we pick up from in Herradura
Any address in Herradura works; these are some of the hotels already in our booking form.
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