Costa Rica Airports: Which International Airport to Fly Into?

Finding out which of the two international airports in Costa Rica into is the first step in planning your Costa Rica trip. In this guide, you will learn about the two main international Costa Rica airports and which international airport in Costa Rica you should fly into.

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Costa Rica International Airports

The main international airports in Costa Rica are Juan Santamaría International Airport (also known as San Jose International Airport) and Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (also known as Guanacaste Airport or Daniel Oduber International Airport, formerly named Liberia International Airport).

The airport code for Juan Santamaría International Airport is SJO. The airport code for Guanacaste Airport is LIR.

Costa Rica’s airports, LIR and SJO are 210 km (130 miles) apart.

Which of the two Costa Rica International Airports to fly into?

We get this question a lot. Which Costa Rica airport is best to fly into?

Of the two international Costa Rica airports, which one you fly into will depend on mainly your itinerary and a couple of other factors. Here is what you need to know about Costa Rica airports.

San Jose International Airport (Juan Santamaria International Airport)

Juan Santamaria International Airport is the biggest and busiest airport in Costa Rica with the most gates and international flights. The airport code is SJO.

Juan Santamaría International Airport is actually not in the capital city of San Jose. This airport is in the Alajuela province, about a 30 minute drive to downtown San Jose. The San Jose domestic airport servicing Costa Rica’s domestic airlines is right next to the international airport.

You should fly into Juan Santamaría Airport if you are going to the Caribbean, Central Valley Region, Central and South Pacific, Osa Peninsula, North Zone and South Zone

SJO International Airport is the closest airport to many destinations and natural attractions in Costa Rica.

These are places such as Puerto Viejo, Tortuguero, Sarapiqui, Jaco, Manuel Antonio, Grecia, San Ramon, Cartago, Turrialba, Uvita, Dominical, San Vito, La Paz, Bajos del Toro, San Gerardo de Dota, Santa Teresa, Puntarenas, San Isidro de Perez Zeledon, Drake Bay and Osa Peninsula.

Major Airlines That Offer Flights to SJO Airport

Major airlines have direct flights to Costa Rica such as American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta, United Airlines, Jet Blue, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Aeromexico, Volaris, Arajet, Air France, Air Canada, Avianca, British Airways, Condor, Copa Airlines, Edelweiss, Iberojet, Iberia, Latam, KLM, Southwest Airlines, Lufthansa and Wingo.

You can find direct flights from North America, Latin America (Central America and South America) and Europe from countries such as United States, Canada, Mexico, France, Spain, England, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama and Guatemala.

What to know about flying into Juan Santamaría International Airport

• Flights to Costa Rica to this airport is a bit cheaper than Guanacaste Airport. Make sure to check both international airports in Costa Rica when looking for flights to Costa Rica to comparison shop.
• Taxis and Ubers are available.
• For car rentals, you will take a shuttle to the car rental agency’s office to pick up the car.
• Private shuttle drivers will wait for you directly outside the exit terminal.
• For shared shuttles, you will need to taxi to the Denny’s Restaurant or Rostipollos restaurant down the street for pick up.
• To catch the bus, walk down to the main street and you will see the bus stop.
• Due to all the mountains, flying into San Jose generally has intense turbulence when landing!
• There are a ton of airport hotels by San Jose International Airport with free airport shuttle. One of our favorites is Adventure Inn (get 10% off in the link)
• The traffic in San Jose is very bad and driving is not as easy as Guanacaste Airport. If you’re planning to rent a car, drive carefully and be prepared for traffic if landing at rush hour.
• Immigration and customs in San Jose Airport takes much longer than Liberia. Many flights land at the same time, especially on the weekends. Have patience when waiting in line for immigration.
• Best to arrive 3 hours early to San Jose Airport for departures.
• This airport has a VIP lounge for Star Alliance VIP Passengers and a VIP Lounge for BAC Credomatic American Express, Matercard or visa cardholders.

San Jose Domestic Terminal

Next to the international airport is the domestic terminal. This other airport is ONLY for domestic flights, with the main two domestic airlines: Green and Sansa Air. They receive flights to and from destinations in Costa Rica such as La Fortuna, Quepos, Drake Bay, Golfito, Tamarindo, Puerto Jimenez, etc.

It is possible to land at the SJO International Airport and take a connecting flight to your final destination via a domestic flight. Make sure to check domestic airlines schedules that you have a long enough layover to go through immigration and customs at the international airport and then check into the domestic airport. For domestic flights, you need to arrive at the terminal 1 hour before departure.

Guanacaste Airport

LIR Airport is the second of the two international airports in Costa Rica. Daniel Oduber International Airport is not as big as San Jose but is growing substantially. It is about a 15 minute drive from Liberia, the capital city of Guanacaste and offers easy access to the beaches on the Northern Pacific coast The Guanacaste Liberia Airport is the hub for Guanacaste, Nicoya Peninsula and Northern Lowlands.

Both of Costa Rica’s airports are constantly undergoing renovations and expansions to accommodate more and more tourists every year. Every year, more airlines fly into LIR Airport, so you can find a reasonable price for non stop flights to Costa Rica.

You should fly into Liberia International Airport if you are going to Gulf of Papagayo, Conchal, Tamarindo, Langosta, Flamingo, Brasilito, Las Catalinas, Avellanas, Grande, Negra, Playas del Coco, Ocotal, Hermosa, Panama, La Cruz, Curubande, Dreams Las Mareas, Bijagua, Liberia, Tilaran, Nuevo Arenal, Rincon de la Vieja, Samara, Ostional, Junquillal, Punta Islita, Nicoya or Nosara.

Airlines Flying into Guanacaste Airport

Airlines that offer flights to Guanacaste Airport are American Airlines, Air Canada, Air Transat, Alaska Airlines, Copa Airlines, Delta, Edelweiss, JetBlue, KLM, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, Sunwing, Tui, United Airlines and Westjet.

You can find direct flights from North America (USA and Canada), Latin America and Europe.

What to know about flying into Guanacaste Airport (Liberia International Airport)

• Driving from Liberia Airport is very easy.
• There are not many airport hotels around since the closest beach town (Playas del Coco) is only a 25 minute drive away. The Hilton Liberia Airport Garden Inn is really the only one super close by with a free airport shuttle.
• Liberia does not have a separate terminal for domestic flights. Domestic flights with Sansa Air depart from the same terminal. There aren’t as many domestic flights as San Jose.
• For those renting a car at Liberia Airport, you will take the agency’s shuttle to their office to pick up the car.
• Private shuttles will wait right outside the airport exit terminal.
• Shared shuttles need to taxi to the Hilton Garden Inn Guanacaste Airport down the street.
• For the public bus, it will depend on which bus you are taking. There is a bus stop right outside the airport for some routes. For other routes that don’t pass by the airport, you will need to walk around 20 minutes to the main road to the bus stop.
• Recommended to arrive 2-3 hours before departure.

You Can Fly to Either Airports for These Destinations

Since the travel time between the two is about the same from both San Jose and Liberia, you can fly into either international airport for these destinations. You can pick the airport and itinerary that works best for you.

I personally recommend to fly into Guanacaste because it’s much easier to drive from there than San Jose. But if you fly into San Jose, you can take the Puntarenas Paquera ferry over to Paquera/Tambor/Montezuma/Santa Teresa.

• Tambor
• Paquera
• Montezuma
• La Fortuna
• Monteverde
• Santa Teresa

Best Flight Deals to Costa Rica

Here is our guide to finding cheap flights to Costa Rica. Below are some quick tips.

Get a travel credit card and learn how to utilize it to pay for flights and hotels with points. I am no expert in this but I have the Chase Sapphire credit card that gets a lot of points when I use it to spend on food, gas, etc.

Avoid visiting during peak travel times such as Christmas, New Years, Easter Week and summer vacation. Pick travel dates during low season such as May, June, September and October. This is a great tip for saving money when traveling to Costa Rica.

Sign up for flight deal subscriptions such as Going or Dollar Flight Club. They alert you to flight deals, last minute deals and cheap flights.

Put a Google Alert for your desired flight on Google Flights. That way you can know immediately when the price has dropped.

Try to be flexible. Sometimes just leaving one day earlier or arriving one day later can save you a ton of money!

Costa Rica Vacation Checklist

• First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
• Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
• Click the link to get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List so you know what essential items to bring.
• Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica.
• Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica.
• Save money with Mytanfeet Deals for tours and hotels. Save more money with our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.

Join our mailing list and get our free Costa Rica eBook! 

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