Sámara sits on the Nicoya Peninsula in Guanacaste, and half the questions we get before a stay are some version of "how do we actually get there?" Here's the honest answer, from a family that's done the drive more times than we can count.
Which airport: Liberia or San José?
Fly into Liberia (LIR) if you can. It's about two hours from Sámara on a fully paved road, and the route is simple. San José (SJO) has more flight options and sometimes better fares, but plan on a four-plus hour drive or a domestic connection. For a one-week beach trip, those extra hours matter.
The drive from Liberia
Head south on Route 21 toward Nicoya (about 90 minutes), then follow the signs to Sámara on Route 150 (about 45 minutes). That last stretch winds through the hills and drops you into town. The whole way is paved. Search "Villas Dualis" in Waze or Google Maps and it will route you to our front gate.
Do you need a rental car?
For the drive in, yes, a rental is the practical choice, and it's worth pre-booking at the Liberia airport. Get a 4x4 if you're traveling in the green season (May to November) or plan to explore dirt roads to beaches like Barrigona or Camaronal. An international driver's license works fine.
But here's the thing about Sámara: once you arrive, you can park the car and forget it. From our villas it's a 9-minute walk to the beach, 6 minutes to the town center, 4 minutes to a great French bakery, and 1 minute to the nearest convenience store. Plenty of our guests don't drive again until checkout.
Getting around town
If you want wheels for beach-hopping, everything is rentable in town and all of it is street legal:
- Golf cart — the easiest option for town hops and families. Stick to paved roads.
- ATV or 4-seat UTV — for jungle and beach trails. ATVs run about $65 to 90 a day, UTVs $120 to 150. Helmets always; fines for riding without one run about $95.
- Bicycle or e-bike — $15 to 30 a day. Bring water and sun protection.
- SUP or kayak — $25 to 50 a day for calm-bay paddling.
A few honest road notes
The road to Nosara is rough for the first 20 minutes, then paved. Skip dirt-road adventures during heavy rain. And at night, drive slowly everywhere: livestock on rural roads is a real thing, not a guidebook cliché.
Where you're headed
Villas Dualis is two identical private pool villas a 9-minute walk from Sámara Beach. We send every guest a Google Maps pin, gate code, and door code before arrival, so landing here is the easy part. Check availability and save 10% with code DIRECT10, or write us at stay@villasdualis.com with any trip-planning question. We answer those happily, booking or not.