Pura Vida Hotel is your gateway to travel in Costa Rica - we advise on the road less traveled and we just happen to be the #1-rated Bed & Breakfast/Inn among 57 properties in Alajuela, Costa Rica, according to TripAdvisor (4.8/5, over 1,200 reviews).

You will find us exploring our country every few weeks even though we have been here 24 years now.

The hotel holds a 9.3 "Superb" rating on Booking.com. We are ideally located for your first day in Costa Rica as we are located just 4 km north of Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) We are a convenient base for day trips to volcanoes, coffee plantations and your next stop in Costa Rica - particularly if you are heading for La Fortuna as you can avoid any city driving on your first morning here.

Where else in Costa Rica does Pura Vida Hotel recommend staying?

When your travels take you to other parts of Costa Rica, we're happy to point you toward hotels we personally use and trust. We stay at these places ourselves — in Monteverde, Montezuma, the Osa and the Caribbean — and every one is run by an owner who lives on site and knows their area inside out.

These are independently owned and operated hotels, not part of Pura Vida Hotel.

See the places we like to stay when we travel in Costa Rica.

Should I rent a car or hire a driver/guide near Pura Vida Hotel?

This is the question we hear most often.

The best place to start exploring Costa Rica's natural wonders is right here at Pura Vida Hotel, just 4 km from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO). We sit in the Central Valley, close to San José but away from the capital's traffic, which makes us a convenient base for day trips into San José, to the Irazú and Poás volcanoes, shopping in Sarchí, or your starting point to the Caribbean, Tortuguero National Park.

There's more than one way to see Costa Rica, and almost all of them beat standing at a swim-up bar in a giant resort with a thousand other guests, sipping something lime-green while a cover band grinds through pop hits for the tenth time that week.

That said, it still beats sitting through a two-hour stadium pop concert on your one week off. Just saying.

What are the benefits of renting a car during a Costa Rica trip?

Car rentals in Costa Rica aren't cheap. But between our road conditions, taxi costs once you reach your destination, and the time it takes to get anywhere, a rental car is usually the better deal — and it lets you actually stop at the interesting places along the way. Most guests who book a shuttle straight to the beach find they spend the savings on local taxis anyway, and miss out on the detours that make the trip memorable. We hope you'll use Pura Vida Hotel as your base to explore the rest of the country.

When should I hire a driver/guide instead of renting a car?

If you'd rather not drive in a country with inconsistent signage and, let's say, flexible road etiquette, hire a driver/guide for transfers or for touring once you've arrived.

For 2–3 people, a private shuttle service like Interbus (a company we recommend) is the most economical option. For 4 or more people, a private driver/guide costs about the same or less — and comes with your own English-speaking naturalist guide who knows local spots most visitors never see. Keep in mind you'll likely spend close to what you saved on a rental once local taxis are added in, and you may miss some harder-to-reach places at your destination.

Interbus and private driver/guides are independent services we recommend, not operated by Pura Vida Hotel.

What day trips can I take from Pura Vida Hotel?

Rent a car for a few days, or book a private naturalist driver/guide for the day, and you can build your own itinerary. Our day trips page has a long list of things to do in the area around Pura Vida Hotel.

Should I book an organized tour in Costa Rica?

You can book an organized tour with an experienced, professional guide — by bus, boat, foot, or small plane — to almost anywhere in the country, at reasonable prices. Tours run from a single day to a full week and can often be arranged with just a few hours' notice, though the best guides get booked up, so plan ahead if you can. (Guides who don't speak English and drive questionable vehicles can also be found in minutes — you have choices.)

Let us know if you'd like help getting organized, or have questions about a specific destination you're considering. Email us anytime — we get out into Costa Rica about once a month ourselves, so there's a decent chance we've already been on the trail you're asking about.

GPS/PHONES/SIMS etc

Our car rental company Alamo offers a gps/phone but most people today have decent roaming prices on their own cell phone.    Alternately you can sort out an e-sim ahead of your trip or pickup a SIM chip at Claro desk in SJO baggage claim.  Many guests marvel at how anyone navigates a country where most roads don't have names.

Getting a little lost and meeting locals along the way is part of the fun of Costa Rica. We do recommned the excellent Toucan map for those that like paper maps — that, plus a basic compass, will get you almost anywhere.