If you booked the Riu Guanacaste or the Riu Palace as part of a package, you were probably offered a shared airport shuttle along with it. It works, but it waits for several flights to land and then stops at most of the resorts on the gulf before it reaches Matapalo, so a 35-minute trip can stretch past an hour and a half. Many of the families we drive to the Riu tried the shared bus once and switched. This page explains what the direct ride looks like, what it costs, and what there is to do once you are there.
Quick facts
| Distance from LIR | 33 km (20 mi) |
| Drive time | 35–40 min, paved the whole way |
| Private transfer, 1–5 passengers | $120 per vehicle, fixed |
| Private transfer, 6–9 passengers | $130 per vehicle |
| Private transfer, 10–12 passengers | $185 per vehicle |
| Included | Taxes, tolls, flight tracking, child seats, one stop for groceries |
| Gated access | No community checkpoint |
Where the hotel is
The two Riu hotels stand side by side on Playa Matapalo, a long, undeveloped Pacific beach north-west of Playas del Coco that you reach through the town of Sardinal. The Riu Guanacaste is the older and larger of the two, and the Riu Palace is the newer, more upscale one. Together they are the biggest all-inclusive complex in Guanacaste and the usual choice for package travellers from Canada and the United States. From Liberia Airport it is 33 km: west on Route 21 to Guardia, then the road through Sardinal and a final paved stretch down to the coast. Allow 35 to 40 minutes.
The drive from the airport
Your driver waits at the arrivals exit holding a sign with your name. We track the flight, so if it lands early or late the driver is still there when you walk out, and you leave as soon as you have your bags rather than waiting for a van to fill. The road is paved from start to finish and you never go through Liberia town, since the airport sits west of the city and Route 21 heads straight for the coast. The range we give for the drive time comes from daytime traffic at the junctions along the way, nothing more. If you need to stop for groceries, cash or a pharmacy, tell the driver; the vehicle is yours for the trip.
Live prices and booking are on the LIR to Riu Guanacaste & Riu Palace route page.
Arriving at the hotel
The Riu complex has one entrance gate shared by both hotels. The guard asks for the guest name and points the vehicle toward the right lobby. There is no community checkpoint and no need to register in advance, although we pass your driver's details to the hotel anyway so that a late arrival goes smoothly.
What is around the Riu Guanacaste & Riu Palace
Playa Matapalo is a beautiful beach with nothing on it apart from the two hotels. There is no town, no shop and no restaurant outside the resorts. Sardinal, ten minutes inland, is a working Costa Rican town with a supermarket and a few sodas, but it is not somewhere tourists go for an evening. For a night out, Playas del Coco is twenty minutes by car and has the restaurants, bars and public beach that most Riu guests visit at least once during their stay. Tour buses collect guests at the lobby, so few people here need a car.
If you want to see how this hotel fits with the rest of the coast, and which beaches have a town you can walk to, our guide to the best hotels in Guanacaste by zone covers all of them.
Ways to get there from LIR
| Option | Time to the hotel | Cost | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private transfer | 35–40 min, direct | $120 fixed for 1–5 passengers | Driver registered at the gate, flight tracked |
| Hotel car service | Same drive | Premium rate through the concierge | Usually the most expensive option |
| Rental car | Same drive plus pickup paperwork | $40–90 a day plus mandatory insurance and a deposit | Only pays off if you leave the resort every day |
| Shared shuttle | 1.5–2.5 h with stops | About $25–35 a person | Waits for other flights, which is slow with children |
| Airport taxi | Same drive | $100–150, negotiated on the spot | No flight tracking, cash only, no child seats |
For two people a private transfer costs about the same as a taxi and takes the guesswork out of the arrival. For a family of four it works out cheaper per person than a shared shuttle and takes less than half the time.
A few things our drivers would tell you
- For a family of four, a private transfer usually costs less per person than the tour-operator shuttle and takes a fraction of the time.
- Tell us which Riu you are staying at. The two lobbies are about 500 metres apart and it saves the driver circling the complex.
- The resort shops charge a lot for sunscreen and snacks. A stop at the supermarket in Sardinal on the way in costs nothing and saves money over a week.
Booking
The Liberia Airport to Riu Guanacaste & Riu Palace private transfer can be booked online in a couple of minutes at a fixed price per vehicle, with the flight tracked, the driver registered at the resort and child seats included. If you would rather ask something first, write to us on WhatsApp and one of the drivers will answer.
Frequently asked questions
How far is the Riu Guanacaste from Liberia Airport?
About 33 km, a private transfer of 35 to 40 minutes on paved roads via Sardinal. The Riu Palace is on the same beach, next door.
How much is a private shuttle from LIR to the Riu?
Ruta Pacifico charges a fixed $120 per vehicle for 1 to 5 passengers, $130 for 6 to 9 and $185 for 10 to 12, with taxes, flight tracking and child seats included.
Is a private transfer better than the Riu package shuttle?
The package bus waits for several flights and stops at multiple resorts, and often takes an hour and a half. A private transfer leaves when you land and takes 35 minutes. For four or more people it is usually cheaper per person as well.
Is there anything to do outside the Riu resorts?
Not on foot. Playa Matapalo has no town. Playas del Coco, 20 minutes by car, has restaurants, bars and shops and is where Riu guests usually go for a night out.
Book your private shuttle
Door to door anywhere in Costa Rica at a fixed price, with flight tracking and free child seats.