Why a massage right after landing helps
Long-haul travel leaves the body in a strange state: tired but wired, stiff from sitting, dehydrated and out of step with the local clock. Massage does not cure jet lag, but it works on the parts you can feel. Long, slow strokes with warm oil calm the nervous system, the opposite of the alert state most people are stuck in after a flight. Working the legs and feet eases the heaviness that comes from hours of sitting, and gentle attention to the neck and shoulders releases what the seat and the laptop left behind.
The result many clients describe is simple: they sleep deeply that first night and feel more like themselves the next morning. Pair the massage with water, a light dinner and an early night, and you give your body clock the best chance to adjust.
At the spa or at your airport hotel
- At the spa: Plaza Río Segundo, next to Escuela David, about 15 minutes from the terminal by Uber or taxi; relaxation massage from $40 / ₡20,000, our lowest price
- At your airport hotel: the therapist comes to your room in Alajuela or Río Segundo with table, linens and oils; $80 / ₡40,000 for 60 minutes, travel included
- Anywhere in the Central Valley: hotels, Airbnbs and homes in Heredia, Belén, San José, Escazú and Santa Ana; see hotel massage
- Evening sessions: open every day 9 AM – 11 PM, so a massage after a late afternoon or evening arrival is normal for us
- Late arrivals: sessions until 1 AM carry a late-hour fee (spa: +$20 at 11 PM, +$30 at midnight, +$40 at 1 AM; mobile double that); message us before you board
Which massage for jet lag?
The relaxation massage is the one to book if sleep is the goal: light to medium pressure, warm oil, nothing that stirs you up. If your neck and lower back are stiff from the seat, ask for medium pressure on those areas or choose the Best Combination, which adds firmer work and Thai stretches for the hips while keeping the calming rhythm. Save a full deep tissue massage for the next day; it is more intense and some people feel energised rather than sleepy afterwards. Travelling as a pair, a couples massage puts you side by side in the same room.
Before the flight home
Jet lag works in both directions. A massage on your last evening in Costa Rica, at the spa on the way to an airport hotel or in your room before an early flight, sends you home loose and rested and gives you a better chance of sleeping on the plane. With a late departure, book a session in the afternoon and go straight from the spa to the terminal; see massage near SJO Airport for timing.