FAQs

A: Samara is about 2 hours from Liberia airport. Depending on your arrival or departure time you can take a legal taxi, shared shuttle, private shuttle or public bus. Keep in time the bus will be long and you would have to transfer stations along the way and the bus drops off on the highway about 1.5 km from the airport entrance.

A: Samara is about 2 hours from Liberia airport. Depending on your arrival or departure time you can take a legal taxi, shared shuttle, private shuttle or public bus. Keep in time the bus will be long and you would have to transfer stations along the way and the bus drops off on the highway about 1.5 km from the airport entrance.

A: We get asked this often. Yes, there are many vegetarian restaurants in town and other restaurants offer true vegetarian options other then salads, it is possible to see the menus in the restaurant section of this website. Samara even has a professional gluten-free chef. We also have two organic markets that have many healthy food options to cook at home.

A: This is usually the very first question. There is a lot to do in the Samara and Carrillo area. #1 is to relax in the shade under a palm tree and watch the waves rolling in while the tropical breeze cools you down. But, After that, you can Surf, Kayak down a river and through mangroves, Snorkel to see the colorful fish around the coral reefs, See dolphins playing in the ocean and turtles laying eggs on the beach, Stand up paddle. On land you can hike with a naturalist, zip-line, take a horse or ATV tour to see other beaches. If you want to get high, we have a gyrocopter in town to take you on an aerial tour of this amazing area. For fun there is yoga, salsa lessons, a gym and massages or how about a Costa Rica cooking class?

A: Yes. We have a whole coast line of amazing beaches. Samara is a very special beach. It is family-friendly offering shade and 6 restaurants right on the beach. 7km South is the spectacular beach of Playa Carrillo, This beach is palm tree-lined and what comes to mind when you say the words “Tropical Paradise”. heading South from Carrillo you can explore the turtle beaches of Playa Camaronal and Playa Corizlito both are great advanced surfers beaches. There is Playa Punta Islita with a 5-star beachfront restaurant, heading South will lead you to Playa Coyote, then crossing rivers will get you to Santa Theresa and Malpais and the Cabo Blanco National Park. Between the park and Samara, there must be over 15 beaches to visit. Heading North from Samara is Playa Buenavista only 4km away, then the white sands of Barrigona beach, Barco Que Brado, Guiones, Nosara and all the way up to Avellanas, Tamarindo, Flamingo, Playa del Coco and into the Papagayo area adding up to over 20 more beaches. So there is a lot to see and something for everyone, However, We feel Samara and Carrillo are the best beaches in Costa Rica for relaxing and enjoying the Pura Vida of Costa Rica.

A: There are lots of animals around if you keep your eyes open. In Samara, monkeys are everywhere along with iguanas, coatis, and many birds. In the water dolphins live here all years and with the coral reef in the bay there are many colorful tropical fish the kids enjoy seeing the Nemos (Clown fish) the most.. We have a few turtle nesting beaches near by. There are guided hikes into the jungles. We also have a Scarlet Macaw breading program, A monkey rescue center. Not far from Samara are river boats tours skirting a the Palo Verde National Park also the largest private preserve and wetlands in Central America including a bird breeding island all geared towards birdwatching. A little further away in the Monteverde Cloud Forest, Arenal Volcano, Rincon de la Vieja all home to 1,000’s species of birds, butterflies, and animals all available.

A: Costa Rica has always been segmented into the dry and wet seasons. However, global warming has not spared Samara. Fortunately, we feel it has changed for the better! The dry season is normally from December to April. These months are mostly described as sunny, no rain, nice constant breeze, low humidity. The wet season is from April to Nov, with some dry weeks somewhere in July. Typically, it is sunny in the mornings, cloudy in the early afternoon, some rain in the late afternoon, starry skies in the evening and showers during the night. Now that sounds perfect!

A: Samara and Carrillo are typical local CR town. They are small enough that you still get the true cr essence but developed enough that you don’t get board, with lost of your basic necessities at your fingertips. Anything North of Samara is commercially very developed and anything south of Samara is smaller so Samara and Carrillo are the perfect balance.

A: There are tons of great restaurants in Samara and Carrilo for every type of pallet. You have a choice of Italian, French, local foods, seafood, pizza, German, and many more! Samara has many restaurants right on the beach, perfect for a romantic dinner or an enjoyable afternoon snack by the beach

A: Even though CR is a small country, it does take time to get from point A to point B. The easiest way to get to Montezuma and surrounding areas would be a shared shuttle that departs Samara at 8:15 am and 2 pm every day as long as there are 2 people. The ride is about 4 hours. If you are on a budget and prefer to take the local buses, keel in mind that this will take you anywhere from 10-12 hrs so leave early to make sure you get there in one day. Take the 4:30 am Alfaro Express Bus towards SJO and get off in Barranca. Take a taxi to the ferry. Take the ferry to Paquera. Continue to your destination using the local buses. Check out www.thebusschedule.com for exact times and layovers.

A: Yes, Costa Rica has an Air Departure Tax and Land Departure Tax. If you are flying out it can only be paid at the airport but check your ticket as some airlines are now including the departure tax in the ticket price. If you are crossing by land into Nicaragua or Panama you will need to pay the land departure tax at the boarder or to save time the tax can also be paid at our office in Samara.

A: We have two banks, Banco Nacional (BN) and Banco de Costa Rica (BCR), have ATM’s. Depending on your card you can get US dollars or Colones. The ATM’s are closed from 10 pm-5 am daily.

A: If you have the time to go to Nicaragua, it is well worth the trip. Granada is particularly interesting, with so much history, beautiful colonial architecture, cobblestone streets also with great food and shopping. The easiest way to travel to Nicaragua is via the Tica Bus, a greyhound-like tourist bus. The bus departs San Jose daily at 6 am, 7:30 am and 12:30 pm passing by Liberia approximately 3 hours later. All three busses go to Managua and pass Rivas. The 7:30 am by dose not go to Granada.