The Villas of Caballitos del Mar

Location

In the jungle, but right on the beach...

The villas are located about 1km south of Dominical, Puntarenas, Costa Rica between the Costanera Sur (Southern Coast Highway) and the ocean. We were fortunate to find property in the Maritime Zone, which allows us to build close to the ocean, but with restrictions to protect the spectacular Costa Rican environment. The three villas, owned by two close families, are virtually identical. This makes Caballitos del Mar ideal for multiple families that want to vacation together, yet have separate accommodations.

Great kayaking in the mangroves 15 minutes away

Dominical is a popular small town that appeals to visitors interested in surfing, eco-tourism, or the excellent Spanish language school, Adventure Education Center, or AEC. The town is not built-up like some of the coastal cities to the north, and has fewer than 1,000 residents. It has the feeling of Kauai or some of the South Pacific island chains, with a laid-back tempo and friendly people.

The town's location makes it convenient for many south coast destinations, including Manuel Antonio National Park, Quepos, the Corcovado Peninsula, Uvita, and a large number of secluded beaches and surf spots.

Driving time from Juan Santamaria Airport or San Jose is about three hours by way of the coast, and four hours by way of the mountains. We've driven both routes many times, and while we prefer the coast route, we recommend that you experience the mountain route at least once to see a different aspect of the country.

On the beach, but secluded. View from the terrace.

The homes are all three bedroom and either three or four bathroom, two story, and approximately 2,200 sq.ft. (200 m^2) living space. Each home has a pool, laundry facilities, a full kitchen, and lots of ceiling fans to keep the air moving. The bedrooms are air-conditioned, although it's not necessary for most of the year. See these VRBO links: Villa 1, Villa 2, and Villa 3. If you prefer, you can look at them on Airbnb: Villa 3 on Airbnb.

The homes face the ocean and it's a 30 second walk to the semi-private beach. Dominical is a 20 minute walk by the beach (low to medium tide), where you can find restaurants, a beach with lifeguards, groceries, surf schools, and the language school.

Flying To and From Costa Rica from the U.S.

Getting There

While there has been the promise of a “southern” airport for more than a decade, your only choice is Juan Santamaria Airport in Alajuela, a city near San Jose. The airport code is SJO. Your airline choices are American, United, Continental, Frontier, Taca, Alaska, Southwest and a few others. We generally fly American via Dallas or Miami. From the West Coast, it takes about seven hours in the air, regardless of which route you take. From the East Coast, it can take a five hours in the air via Ft. Lauderdale or Miami. Gateway cities, depending on the airline, include Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Dulles, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami.

Many flights end up departing from the US around 5:00pm, and arrive around 8:30pm, in Costa Rica. Incidentally, Costa Rica is in the Central time zone and does not change for daylight savings time, so it is permanently UTC -6 hours. While it’s possible to drive to Dominical after renting a car at night, we don’t recommend it because the roads are not well marked in many cases, and it can be difficult to find your way. (Relatively new Highway 27 and the improvements to Highway 34 have mitigated this warning somewhat, but perhaps wait until you're second trip to drive at night from the airport.) We recommend, instead, to stay near the airport overnight and get an early start the next day. Alternatively, you can take an early flight from Miami or Dallas, and arrive in Costa Rica before noon. Or take the redeye options from Los Angeles which arrive at 6:00am or so in SJO.

Alaska Airlines now serves San Jose (and Liberia) with a single flight per day out of LA. Interestingly, this takes off around 9:00am, and lands mid-afternoon, then returns an hour later. Prices were about $400 r/t in the "green season". 

If staying near the airport, consider the Marriott (extremely nice, about $200 per room per night) or the Studio Hotel in Santa Ana (about $100, and a tremendous deal).

Renting a Car

All major agencies are represented in the area surrounding the airport. We’ve had good luck with Toyota Rent-a-Car, which is very close to the airport and offers competitive rates on Rav4s and Prados (like a Land Cruiser in the US). We don’t recommend the compact SUVs due to poor crashworthiness, terrible performance, small cramped cabins, and the noise.

Arrange to be picked up when you make your reservation. As you exit the airport, you’ll be enveloped in a sea of men who offer taxis, other transportation, and all sorts of help. While a little intimidating, we’ve found them to be extremely helpful in contacting the rental car agency or just solving problems. 500-1000 colones (one to two dollars) is a good value for their services. Our experience is that they are there to serve your needs, not rip you off.

Getting Back

Many flights depart at 9:00am and 11:00am. While the 9:00am flight seems like it would be too early, you can leave Dominical around 4:00am, drive up the coast and get to the rental car agencies around 7:00am, and still have time to spare at the airport. The sunrise is beautiful as you drive up the coast, and there is little traffic. You’ll encounter some rush hour traffic as you get close to San Jose. We still think it’s the best option, and we’ve never missed a flight. Plus, you avoid the cost of an airport hotel.

You can get gas before returning your car right off the highway leading to the airport. As you drive north, you’ll pass the Firestone factory on the left. Take the next exit and turn left as you get to the surface streets. There will be a gas station immediately on your left. It’s equally easy to get back on the highway.

The airport tax is around $28.00, and can be paid in American dollars. Pay the airport tax before getting in line at the airline counters. American Airlines now (2016) includes the airport tax in their ticket price, which is a big convenience. Other airlines may have followed suit; the lines at the "tax counter" were dramatically shorter than in previous years.