It is the sentence that recurs most often across this site, and it deserves its own page. Across much of our network, the flight ends where another leg begins, one we do not operate.
Where it happens
This is not an exception. It is the dominant pattern at remote destinations:
| Destination | What the final leg is |
|---|---|
| Drake Bay / Osa | Dirt track or boat, depending on the lodge |
| Tortuguero | River |
| Islas Secas | By sea, coordinated by the resort |
| Guna Yala / San Blas | Boat to the island |
| Bocas del Toro | Boat from Isla Colón to Bastimentos, Carenero or Solarte |
At every one of them the airport is a waypoint, not the destination. And at every one of them that leg is normally coordinated by the lodging, not by us.
Why this matters for the price
Because it changes what you are comparing.
The fare on our pages covers the flight we operate. It does not cover the boat, the four-wheel drive or the river launch. If you compare the Drake Bay fare against Tamarindo — where you land and you are there — you are comparing different things.
We say so on every affected destination page, before the price rather than in the small print. This page exists to explain it once, properly.
Ground transfer is not included in the fare: your accommodation or a local operator arranges it.
The right booking order
This is the actionable part, and it runs against what almost everyone does.
The lodging and its transfer first. The flight second.
The reason is simple: we can fly at many different times. The lodge, by contrast, has a boat that leaves when it leaves, a river with a tide, or a driver who makes one run a day. The rigid link is not the air one.
When someone books the flight first and then discovers the lodge boat left at three, the thing that has to move is the flight. And moving it costs.
So do not just ask the lodging whether it offers a transfer — ask what time the last one leaves. It is the single figure from which your entire arrival day works backwards.
What we do and what we do not
We do: coordinate the arrival time with the lodging when you give us the contact, and tell you if the slot you want does not fit what we know about the destination.
We do not: contract, quote or guarantee the final leg. It is not our service, and pretending we control it would be selling something we cannot deliver.
Ground transfer is not included in the fare: your accommodation or a local operator arranges it.
What tends to go wrong
Sea state. In San Blas and Bocas the boat depends on conditions that give no notice. The tide. On river approaches such as Tortuguero, the hour matters. The last run of the day. Many lodges have a single afternoon transfer. Missing it means a night where there was no plan.
None of those three is solved by a better aeroplane. They are solved by booking with margin and in the right order.
Frequently asked questions
Does the flight drop me at the lodge?
At remote destinations, no. The airport is a waypoint, and the final leg runs by land, river or sea, normally coordinated by the lodging.
Is that leg included in the fare?
No. The fare covers the flight we operate. The boat, four-wheel drive or river launch are not our services and we do not quote them.
What do I book first?
The lodging and its transfer. We can fly at many times; the lodge boat leaves when it leaves. The rigid link is not the air one.
What if I miss the lodge transfer?
Many lodges run a single afternoon transfer. Missing it usually means an unplanned night. That is why booking with margin matters.
Do you coordinate with the lodging?
We coordinate arrival time if you give us the contact, and we flag it if the slot you want does not fit. We do not contract or guarantee the final leg.
Which destinations does this apply to?
Drake Bay and Osa, Tortuguero, Islas Secas, Guna Yala and Bocas del Toro, among others. At all of them the airport is not the destination.