Nearly every quote that has to be redone is redone for the same reason: a detail is missing that the accommodation already had.
These five questions solve it. Copy them into an email to your hotel and you will have the answers before you speak to us.
1. Which airstrip should I arrive at?
Not an obvious question. The closest on the map is not always the right one, and several destinations have two or three possible entrances depending on which side the accommodation is on.
Ask for the name of the field, not the region. "Osa" or "San Blas" are not usable answers: the first covers three airstrips on opposite sides of a peninsula, the second an entire archipelago.
2. Do you collect at the airstrip?
And if the answer is yes: is it included in my booking or arranged separately?
This is the question that saves the most money. Many lodges have it solved in their package, and arranging the transfer separately means paying for it twice — with no refund once both are booked. Ground transfer is not included in the fare: your accommodation or a local operator arranges it.
3. What time is the last departure of the day to the accommodation?
This is the one that fixes your flight time.
If the final leg is by river, boat or mountain road, it runs to a schedule nobody coordinates with ours. Arriving at the strip after that departure means sleeping where you landed. The final leg is by boat, run by a third party and dependent on sea conditions.
Ask for the second-to-last as well, in case you need margin. Flying with the day's final connection ahead of you is cutting it fine exactly where you should not.
4. How long from the airstrip to my room?
Not to the village: to your room.
Many destinations are long strips or archipelagos, and the difference between the first place to stay and the last is half an hour or more.
It is the detail most often underestimated, and the one that turns a comfortable margin into a tight one.
5. Is any permit or quota needed, and who handles it?
If your trip involves a national park or territory with its own administration, there are formalities that come before the flight and that we do not handle. Access requires an authorisation handled by the area’s administration or your local operator, on their own timescales.
Corcovado requires a quota and a certified guide. Guna Yala, community authorisation. In both, whoever books the flight first risks having the aircraft and not the entry.
With those five answers
The quote comes out definitive first time rather than provisional. And if any answer reveals a problem — your group does not fit the runway, the boat leaves earlier than you thought — you know it with time to change the plan.
An example of why it matters: Puerto Jiménez is 102.6 nautical miles from San José. With a large group, Golfito sometimes works out better — it is 10.0 nautical miles away — crossing the gulf by regular boat. That alternative only appears if we know where you are sleeping. The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
Frequently asked questions
Why do so many quotes get redone?
Because a detail is missing that the accommodation already had: the right airstrip, the last departure time, or the permit.
Which is the most important question?
The time of the last departure to the accommodation. It is what fixes your flight time.
Which one saves the most money?
Whether the transfer is included in your booking. Arranging it separately when it is already included means paying twice.
Why ask for the specific airstrip?
Because the closest on the map is not always the right one, and several destinations have two or three entrances.
Which destinations have permits?
Corcovado requires a quota and certified guide; Guna Yala, community authorisation. Access requires an authorisation handled by the area’s administration or your local operator, on their own timescales.
What do I gain from the five answers?
A definitive quote rather than a provisional one, and time to change the plan if something does not fit.
Enquire
The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
See also: Door-to-lodge transfer · Osa lodges · The links that are not ours · All destinations