Travel Planning

Advice to plan, book, and pack for your visit

Getting to & from Costa Oeste

*The Costa Esmeralda Airport (ECI) is currently closed. We will update you once this changes. Flights to Daniel Odubar Airport (LIR), Costa Rica, or Augusto C. Sando International Airport (MGA), Nicaragua are available. We can help arrange for reliable and professional taxi service from the airport to our doorstep. If flying into LIR, the taxi service will escort you across the land border.

You can also into Managua, Nicaragua’s Augusto C. Sandino International Airport (MGA), which has the most direct flights. It’s about 2-2.5 hours by car to Costa Oeste and is paved for the majority of the way. Small cars can access the hotel in the dry season, but we recommend 4x4 in the rainy season.

Ask us to arrange a taxi or personal driver from either airport so you don’t have to negotiate with on-site transportation companies.

Getting around locally

We can arrange any type of transportation you need. Nicaragua is still considered an adventure travel destination, so bicycles (free to use from Costa Oeste), motos, and taxis are the typical ways travelers get around. (Uber and Lyft haven’t made their way to us yet!)

Although you can rent a car during your stay, it’s not necessary, and most people find they aren’t as comfortable driving here compared to back home. If you want to rent a car, we recommend hiring a taxi first to feel out the roads.

When to visit

It’s tropical and beautiful year-round, and there’s plenty to see and do anytime you visit.

May to November is our rainy season when the rains come and goe throughout the day. Our beach changes too: rocks are exposed more during the rainy season when the bigger waves erode the beach, while it is mostly sand from December to May when the waves are smaller. For road advice, check with us a day before you arrive if you’re visiting during the rainy season.

to help you pack

What to bring (& other tips)

Pack your bathing suit, sunblock, and bug repellant for your adventures, and you’ll be good to go! And don’t forget to bring electronic necessities like chargers, which are hard to find in remote areas like ours.

You’ll want to have cash on hand. U.S. dollars are accepted at most places but it’s good to have cordobas (“cords”). We recommend using the ATM at the airport or in a city before you arrive. There is also an ATM about 20 minutes away from the hotel.