Costa Rica's Juan Santamaría Airport sits outside San José, and transfers from there to Pacific coast beaches, Caribbean coast towns, or the Arenal Volcano area involve real road distances through mountain terrain. A transfer to Manuel Antonio or Tamarindo is a three-to-four-hour road journey where a pre-arranged vehicle with a driver who knows the route, the road conditions, and the specific lodge location is worth considerably more than an improvised taxi. For visitors connecting from the airport to a domestic flight or a shuttle service, timing precision makes pre-booking the sensible approach. Costa Rica's geography means the transfer is often the first real part of the holiday.