LOGISTICAL AND PLANNING INFO

FLIGHT

The most common way to travel to Costa Rica is through San Jose, Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO).

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

  • You must have a return ticket leaving Costa Rica, your airline or immigration may ask to see this information.

A visa is not a requirement for North American or European students. If you travel from Asia or Africa, you might need a visa to go through the USA or Europe. To check if you need a visa to enter Costa Rica go to www.migracion.go.cr

GETTING TO PUERTO VIEJO, AFTER LANDING IN SAN JOSE

The most common way to travel to Costa Rica is through San Jose's, Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), located near Alajuela northwest of San Jose. To get from the San Jose area to Finca Tierra, you have four options:

1. Shuttle bus service from your San Jose hotel to Puerto Viejo:

Interbus Online

San Jose to Puerto Viejo 2:30pm $57

Puerto Viejo to San Jose 6:00am and 1:30pm $57

Caribe Shuttle

San José to Puerto Viejo / Cahuita (Caribe Shuttle)

Our shuttle will pick you up at your hotel downtown San José or at the Denny's near the airport and drop you off at your hotel in Puerto Viejo or Cahuita. Daily Departures at 5:30 AM & 2:00 PM (Currently around $30)

Puerto Viejo- San José 6:00 AM $55

Puerto Viejo-San José 12:30 PM $55

  • Duration: 5 Hours (approx.)

If you chose a shuttle service, you'll need to exit the shuttle near the Puerto Viejo bus station, they are hotel to hotel services so you should ask drop off outside HOTEL MARITZA - PUERTO VIEJO. Right across the street is the taxis station, where you can find a 4-wheel drive taxi able to make it up the hills to Finca Tierra. 

2. Public bus service, MEPE, to Puerto Viejo from San Jose costs about $10.  It departs from Terminal MEPE Atlantico Norte, located in the Barrio Mexico of San Jose. "Parada del bus de Mepe, para Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, antigua parada de bus de San Carlos."  To ensure that you get a bus ticket, plan to arrive at the station at least 30 minutes before your intended departure time.  Make sure that your ticket is to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.  The bus station in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is ~6 km (~3 miles) from Finca Tierra.

3. Car rental is a possibility, but only for confident drivers, as many roads in the Southern Caribbean region are unpaved and full of potholes, and highways numbers and streets names are not well marked. Small, four-wheel SUV models are recommended. Alamo and Adobe have offices in Puerto Viejo.

4. Taxi service from San Jose airport to Finca Tierra is around $150 to $300, and must be negotiated at the terminal. 

MEPE BUS SCHEDULE:

San Jose to Puerto Viejo:  6 am - 10 am - 12 pm* - 2 pm - 4 pm

Puerto Viejo to San Jose:  7:30 am* - 9 am - 11 am - 4 pm

*These buses pass the intersection of Olé Caribe Road, from which Finca Tierra is located ~3km (1.5 miles).

RECOMMENDED HOTELS AND HOSTELS IN SAN JOSE:  

Hotel Aranjuez,  hotelaranjuez.com, San Jose Center - from $32 

Casa del Parque hostelcasadelparque.com   from $10 dorm

Vida Tropical, vidatropical.com, 10 min from airport - from $36

RECOMMENDED HOTELS AND HOSTELS IN PUERTO VIEJO:

Pagalu, pagalu.com from $13 dorm

Hotel Puerto Viejo hotelpuertoviejocostarica.com from $16 private room

La Ruka, larukahostel.com from $12 dorm

Azania Bungalows, azania-costarica.com  from $80

MORE TRAVEL INFORMATION:

Check out the Puerto Viejo Satellite Travel Section, as well as their other sections to find out more about the area. http://www.puertoviejosatellite.com/

DIRECTIONS TO FINCA TIERRA

GETTING TO FINCA TIERRA FROM PUERTO VIEJO:

We recommend taking a taxi from Puerto Viejo to the farm. It is about a 15 to 20-minute drive from Puerto Viejo's center. Here we are on google maps.

Once in Puerto Viejo, continue on the coastal road, Hwy 36, for ~3 km to Cócles.  After you pass, on the left, the Cócles soccer field, located between speed bumps in the road, then about four city blocks further along, turn right at the upcoming intersection, "Olé Caribe Road.”  

Finca Tierra is 2.8 km (~1.75 miles) on this road, near its end, always bearing left at forks in the roadway.  We are located after a farm called "One World". From the coastal road, it’s about a 30-minute walk or a 15 to 20-minute bike ride. 

Whether coming by van, car, or taxi, to make it the last 300 meters (~.2 mile), you must have a 4-wheel drive vehicle.  We send out an Arrival email 2 weeks before courses begin, which has up-to-date recommended taxis.

If you have a 2-wheel drive vehicle, look for the gate posts just before the road starts a long descent.  Park in the farm entrance parking lot and walk the last 300 meters.

OUR LOCATION

Finca Tierra is near Playa Cócles beach, just outside of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca (or Puerto Viejo de Limón) in Limón Province, Costa Rica, Central America.  Information about our village can be found here.

Our official address is: 'Playa Cócles, Calle Ole Caribe, 2.8 km adentro siempre a la izquierda, Finca Tierra'. 

 

ON-SITE

ARRIVE

Check-in is on Sunday at 2 pm, followed by a brief orientation and dinner. The course starts on Monday at 8 am. All coursework ends on the second Saturday. Check-out is on Sunday at 11 am, following breakfast.

WEATHER CONDITIONS

  • The location is a humid tropical forest, where it can rain at any time.

  • Temperatures range from a nighttime low of 24°C (75°F) to a daytime high of 30°C(85°F)

  • Be prepared for these conditions: hot, humid, rainy, and muddy.

  • During extreme rain/humidity, things can grow mold, especially leather, but potentially anything, so avoid bringing items with fabrics/surfaces that are difficult to clean easily.

WHAT TO BRING

  • Rubber Boots ( or let us know your size a minimum of 3 weeks before the course starts. The price is $20)

  • Flashlight or headlamp

  • Sunscreen

  • Bug repellent

  • Tall socks (half calf or above are ideal, like football/soccer socks)

  • Lightweight working pants and shirts

  • Sandals

  • Bathing suit

  • Umbrella

  • Notebook and pen

  • Gardening gloves

  • Personal medical supplies

  • Beach towel (We supply towels for showering on the farm only)

OPTIONAL ITEMS TO CONSIDER:

  • Portable speakers

  • Musical instrument(s)

  • Raincoat (for travel)

  • Water bottle

INTERNET AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Wireless internet is available in the common area. Please note that internet access in Costa Rica and especially in the jungle can be very slow or sporadic during peak times of day and peak weeks or weekends.

Finca Tierra's electricity comes from an off-grid solar system. This means that as the sun shines, we have plenty of power, and outside of daylight hours, we try to limit our power usage as much as possible. So, while it is possible to recharge your electrical items, please keep in mind that if it is overcast or night-time, there will be no power available to recharge. Laptops, mobile devices, cameras, and backup batteries may be charged from 9 am to 3 pm. They must be unplugged before and after these hours.

LAUNDRY AND TRANSPORTATION

A typical hand washing station is available for washing and drying clothes. The farm provides fresh towels and sheets during your stay. Local wash and dry services are available on the weekend in the local town.

The farm is located about a mile and a half from the beach and public transport. Taxis cost about $12 to Puerto Viejo center. Typically students prefer to walk to the beach and share a taxi to town.

REFUND POLICY

Final payments are due two weeks before course commencement. Tuition is refundable until 30 days before the course start date. The USD $400 deposit required to reserve your space is non-refundable.

If Finca Tierra is forced to cancel an event due to unforeseen circumstances, you will immediately receive a full refund. All other refunds can take between 7-30 days to process.

Please note that travel to and from Finca Tierra is the attendee’s responsibility. Finca Tierra is not responsible for any loss or travel reimbursement should the course be canceled or under other circumstances. We Recommend Travel Insurance. Please purchase ASAP so that you can be refunded if you must cancel.

Guests can be asked to leave for any reason that is disruptive to the operation of the courses.

UNIVERSITY CREDIT

We have had quite a few students who received grants from universities, Many of which cover our course fees but not airfare. You should meet with a professor, academic advisor, study abroad office or the department chair and explain what you what to do and check to what grants you can apply.

Here is some info a past student wrote about her grant experience to share with future students.

"I received a grant to do a PDC through applying to one of the many grants that my university offers to undergraduates for experiential learning opportunities. I searched through my university's website, chose the grant that fit my project the best, and applied in the spring semester hoping to do the course in the summer. In the application, I wrote a proposal of what I intended to use the money for and needed a letter of recommendation from a professor supporting my proposal. An essential part of my application was emphasizing how the PDC applies to my educational and professional goals, and how I could bring back what I learned to the greater student and local community. "

Academic credit depends on your school and program. We have had participants receive four credit hours. This could be internship credit, independent study credit or study abroad credit. To start, meet with a professor or academic advisor to see what options are available to you in your field of study. We are happy to provide a program syllabus to present or answer any questions.

,