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 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, and it can be the better choice if Sámara is one stop on a bigger Costa Rica itinerary, say, driving the country and working your way along the coast. For a fly-in beach week, Liberia wins.
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?
No. Shared and private shuttles run from both airports straight to Sámara, and plenty of our guests arrive that way, never miss having a car, and rent an ATV or golf cart in town when they want wheels for a day.
A rental makes sense if you like exploring on your own schedule, plan day trips beyond Nosara, or are touring the country with Sámara as one stop. If that's you, pre-book at the airport and get a 4x4 for the green season (May to November) or for dirt roads to beaches like Barrigona and Camaronal. An international driver's license works fine.
Either way, once you're here you barely need wheels. From our villas it's a 10-minute walk to the beach, 8 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 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 book direct, or write us at stay@villasdualis.com with any trip-planning question. We answer those happily, booking or not.