Flying is an excellent way to get around Costa Rica for those on a flexible budget and straightforward itinerary. Not only does it saves a ton of time but the entire experience is an adventure in itself as you fly in a small airplane over the lush rainforests, vast coastlines and beautiful beaches.
If you plan to take a local flight in Costa Rica to get around the country for your trip, here is what you need to know.
Costa Rica Domestic Airlines
There are not many domestic airlines anymore compared to before COVID. Right now, Sansa Airlines is the one with the most flights. There is another airline called Costa Rica Green Airways but with only three routes.
There is also a Costa Rican charter company called CarmonAir for private charters (domestic and international).
Sansa Airlines
Sansa has been operating for 40 years and currently, Sansa offers the most destinations and flights. They fly to all many main tourist destinations in Costa Rica: Liberia, Tamarindo, La Fortuna, Nosara, Puerto Jimenez, Golfito, Drake Bay, Puerto Limon, Quepos, Tambor and Tortuguero as well as Managua in Nicaragua.
Costa Rica Green Airways
The only destinations Green offers as of this moment are Quepos and Tambor from San Jose. They also go to Bocas del Toro in Panama.
Costa Rica Domestic Airports
You can take domestic flights from the two main international airports in Costa Rica: Juan Santamaria International Airport (San Jose International Airport or SJO airport code), Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (Guanacaste Airport or LIR airport code). There are also domestic flights to the Limon International Airport with Sansa.
There are also small airstrips throughout Costa Rica, open only for charters and private flights (such as Sirena Aerodrome in Corcovado National Park or Punta Islita).
What to Know About the Domestic Airports in Costa Rica
Some local airports charge a fee to guests use the airport which is to be paid upon arrival.
The local airports are a bit away from the town, usually around a 10-15 minute drive. Car rental agencies can deliver cars to local airports, and you will also find local taxi drivers when you land offering rides.
Most of the domestic airports are more like airstrips, particularly in the more rural areas like Drake Bay, Puerto Jimenez, Tamarindo and Tambor. They’re not huge airports, sometimes they’re just in a cow field and have a small office building for check in.
However, the San Jose Domestic Terminal is a proper terminal being the launch point for nearly all the flights.
San Jose Domestic Terminal
The San Jose Domestic Terminal is right next to the San Jose International Airport, designated for local flights only.
How to Get To the San Jose Domestic Terminal
You can get there directly via taxi or Uber, they will drop you off right at the front of the terminal.
If you are taking the public bus, you’ll get off at the stop in front of the SJO International Airport and then you walk to the terminal. The walk is only about a 2 minute walk on the sidewalk so it is doable with luggage.
For Uber, set Terminal Domestica SJO as your destination.
Check In
For local flights, you need to be at the airport to check in one hour before your flight. You do need to go through security (metal detector) and take out your laptop and check your bags.
The Sansa Air counter opens around 420 AM and security opens at 5 AM. If you arrive earlier than 430 AM, the airport is open and you can wait in the seated area for the counter to open. After check in, they give you a plastic boarding pass with your destination on it which you need to hold onto.
Once you pass security, there is a waiting room with a cafe and souvenir store and bathrooms. The cafe opens around 515 AM.
They do not give you a boarding time but about 20-30 minutes before your flight, they will start calling out flights (for example, Sansa FLIGHT NUMBER 550 AM to Tamarindo) so line up, show your ID and give your name to the agent and then follow them out to the boarding area.
For domestic flights, you’ll walk right out into the runway and walk up a narrow ladder to get onto the plane.
Guanacaste Airport Domestic Flights
There isn’t a dedicated domestic terminal in Liberia so you will go to the normal Guanacaste Airport (Liberia International Airport) and Sansa has their counter inside the main terminal. You’ll go through the same security and airport terminal as international flights.
Routes and Schedules
An important thing to know about schedules and routes for local airlines is that there aren’t going to be routes for all destinations.
For example, you will readily find routes from San Jose to La Fortuna or San Jose to Tortuguero, but there won’t be schedules for direct routes such as Tortuguero to Puerto Jimenez. For those routes, most likely you will have to stop in San Jose and book two separate flights.
Luggage
Each airline has their own luggage rules and restrictions. Airlines offer different price points to include less or more luggage. There are super saver fares with really limited luggage and no check ins, or more flexible fares. In case you go over your allotted weight limit allowed for your fare type, they will charge you at check in.
Every passenger will be weighed with their carry on luggage before getting on the plane. They are extremely strict with weight so make sure you weigh your luggage beforehand.
Costa Rica Domestic Flights Reservations and Prices
All Costa Rica domestic flights have to be prepaid and most have a nonrefundable policy like commercial airlines. We always recommend to purchase them as soon as you know your dates because there are only so many flights and seats on these planes.
As for prices, local flights are not cheap in Costa Rica. For example, a one way flight from San Jose to Tamarindo is around $90-155 USD for a 45 minute flight in high season. Low season prices are cheaper though (like May, June, September and October). If you’re flying around Christmas and New Years or Easter, book your tickets asap.
Our Experience on Costa Rica Domestic Flights
We have flown around Costa Rica quite a bit, mostly Tamarindo – San Jose as we live in the Tamarindo area. But we have also flown to La Fortuna, Quepos/Manuel Antonio, Drake Bay and Puerto Jimenez.
Each time has certainly been an adventure and we’ve flown in all sorts of conditions from rain storms, high winds and clear days. I will say that as someone who gets car sick easily and still is a nervous flier, I do not particularly enjoy these domestic flights all that much due to the movement of the plane. You feel every single movement on these little planes and it is nerve wracking if it is windy.
So if you are like me, take anti-nausea before you go. Breathe in and out deeply and don’t take that many photos or use your phone – you will get dizzy.
I also recommend to book flights as early in the morning as possible. I’ve taken the 5-6 AM flights which were amazingly stable with barely any movement and have also taken afternoon flights where it was so rocky I thought we were going to drop out of the sky!
But overall, I absolutely love how much time it saves and the views are INCREDIBLE! Here are some photos of the flights we’ve taken.
Sample Itineraries That Include Costa Rica Domestic Flights
You don’t necessarily have to fly the entire time to get around Costa Rica. More likely than not, you can’t anyways due to limited routes and schedules. For those who don’t want to take public buses or shuttles, don’t want to drive that much or just simply want to save time, many people will mix it with a rental car or shuttle.
Want to rent a car? Get our Costa Rica car rental discount!
Some examples are below.
San Jose – Tortuguero
As Tortuguero is a water locked village with no land access, the only ways to get there are by boat or plane. If you take the boat, it’s a very nice ride through the river and canals but from San Jose, this can take around 3-4 hours (ground + boat transportation). Tortuguero has an airstrip so you can fly from San Jose – Tortuguero in about 30 minutes.
From the Tortuguero airstrip, you can take a boat to your hotel. Then you can fly back to San Jose after your time in Tortuguero or take the boat/shuttle to your next destination.
San Jose – Tamarindo/Nosara/Liberia in Guanacaste
If for some reason, you are flying into SJO Airport instead of LIR Airport and going to destinations in Guanacaste, you can take a domestic flight to Tamarindo, Nosara or Liberia. When you land, pick up your rental car and drive off to your next destination.
Normal driving time: ~4-5 hours. Flight time: ~40 minutes.
San Jose – Tambor
Many people will fly to Tambor airport and pick up their rental car or take a taxi to get to Santa Teresa or Montezuma. If they take a taxi to Santa Teresa, a lot of people will rent an ATV while in Santa Teresa to get around.
This saves a TON of time as the travel time from San Jose – Santa Teresa/Montezuma is around 5-6 hours. Flight is around 35 minutes, drive from Tambor airport to Santa Teresa is around 40 minutes, to Montezuma is 30 minutes.
Other Notes
If you are landing from an international flight and want to take a domestic flight to your next destination the same day, we recommend to give yourself at least a 3 hour layover in between. It’s better NOT to plan a tight connection.
You need to check in one hour before domestic flights and it’s important to consider that immigration and customs at SJO Airport may take longer than anticipated.
Then if you are checking in luggage, you need to wait for it to come out. Additionally, if your inbound international flight has any delays, you will be happy your domestic flight is later.
Also, you need to walk to the domestic terminal which is super close (like 2 minutes normally) but if you’re bringing a lot of luggage or traveling in a big group, give yourself more time to walk there.
Read more Costa Rica itineraries here!
Kristina Ballou says
Hello, have you ever flown Costa Rica Green Airways? Also, is there a restaurant in the domestic flight building?
Thank you
Sammi says
I haven’t, I usually fly Sansa as they have more destinations. There is a small cafe with coffee and snacks in the domestic flight terminal
David says
Hi! How does seat selection work ?
Sammi says
There are no pre seat selections, just whoever is first in line goes in first and chooses first. If you want to choose your seat, line up first.
Alex says
How reliable are the flights? Particularly Drake to San Jose? Do they often get cancelled due to bad weather? We are planning to fly back from Drake to SJO at 9am on our last day, to catch our international flight at 16.30
Sammi says
It all depends on conditions
Brooke says
Sansa offers two fares “Regular” and “Full.” I am struggling to understand the difference between the two. Do you happen to know what that would be? If it is in regards to baggage I am not finding that listed anywhere. Thanks so much!
Sammi says
They have a little question mark next to the fare that has a description of each one.
Josie says
To get the question mark to remain long enough to scroll down to the bottom where it explains what it is, hold the mouse down on the question mark and drag it up to the pop up before it disappears.
Here’s the difference:
Full FARE CONDITIONS
Changes: With more than 10 days before flight: No penalty fee. With more than 3 days before flight: with a penalty fee of $50 p.p. +IVA With less than 3 days before flight: Not changes allowed // Open Ticket: With more than 10 days before flight: without penalty fee. With more than 3 days before flight: with a penalty fee of $50 p.p. +IVA With less than 3 days before flight: Not changes allowed // Refund of 85% Just available With more than 15 days before a flight .//Baggage Allowance:40LBS//Charge per each extra pound $1//
Regular FARE CONDITIONS
Changes: With more than 10 days before flight: with a penalty fee of $30 p.p. +IVA With more than 3 days before flight: with a penalty fee of $50 p.p. +IVA With less than 3 days before flight: Not changes allowed // Open Ticket: With more than 10 days before flight: with a penalty fee of $30 p.p. +IVA With more than 3 days before flight: with a penalty fee of $50 p.p. +IVA With less than 3 days before flight: Not changes allowed // Refund: This ticket is non-refundable//Baggage Allowance:30LBS//Charge per each extra pound $1.5//
Shannon says
the full is more flexible in terms of when you can cancel / make changes and you have a slightly higher baggage allowance. You have to scroll right to the bottom of the description to see it.
Kent Johnson says
Hello,
I’ve just discovered your blog today. Thank you for all of the useful information.
Does SJO airport have baggage storage services so that I can leave my larger checked bag at SJO when traveling on Sansa?
Thank you
Sammi says
Unfortunately not to my knowledge
Anne says
I’ve read that Sansa typically does not have your baggage fly with you and there could be hours before you receive them. I have several flights booked with them and am very concerned about this. Does Costa Rica have a courier that would take my luggage from one place to another so I know I’ll have it?
Sammi says
Hi Anne, to be honest I have never heard that and we have flown Sansa many times and they brought our luggage in the same plane, they do have a weight limit so you’ll pay an extra fee if you’re over weight but we’ve never had our luggage come separately…I would contact them to be sure what their policies are
Yana says
Hi there, love your blog it’s super helpful. I need to buy a ticket from Quepos to Tambor, and I know it has to have a stop-over in SJO. How much time do I have to allow for the stopover at SJO?
Thank you.
Sammi says
For local flights, you’ll go to a completely separate building than the international flights so it should be fairly quick since there aren’t many local airlines, it’s a very small terminal
Nicole says
Hi Yeison, Samantha,
thanks so much for all this helpful information! Do you know if there is an airline operating from Boco del toro (BOC) to Tortugero (TTQ). I can not find any without 26 hours travel time. If not.. is there are package from Moin to Tortugero? Thanks for your help! Nicole
Sammi says
Hmm I am not sure to be honest, you would need to check the local airlines like Sansa. You may have to do Bocas – San Jose – Tortuguero
Briana says
Hello :), I am flying into San Jose airport and then traveling straight to Monteverde. From Monteverde I’ll be going to Arenal and then back to San Jose to head home. I’ve looked into the different ground transportations but I am having a hard time understanding my flight options. Is there a way to fly to Monteverde from San Jose? and is there a way to fly from Monteverde to Arenal? and then from Arenal to San Jose? … I’m only here for a week so I’d like to enjoy as efficiently as I can lol
Thank you!
Sammi says
Unfortunately Monteverde does not have a local airport so there is no way to fly there
Frances says
Hi, do you know if Sansa only release flights a few months at a time? I am trying to book to go from SJ to Puerto Jimenez and there is not much showing after August?
Thanks in advance
Fran x
Sammi says
I think so since the schedule depends on seasons and demand so they should update it soon
Soozie Laubach says
Hi! I’ve been an avid lurker for a while. We’re flying to sjo then on to the states. It’s there a map somewhere showing me how to get from one place to the international side? Thanks
Sammi says
Hi Soozie, the SJO Airport is very small so you will have no problem navigating it
Jani says
Hi,
Planning a trip back to Costa Rica in March just wondering if you have a promo code for Sansa Airline? I love your blog!
Thank You
Jani
Sammi says
Unfortunately we don’t 🙁
Linda Rudolph says
Hello,
I’m flying on Sansa in April, but can’t find any information about carrying liquids in carry on luggage. Do you know if they allow liquids and how much?
Thank you!
Linda
Sammi says
Hi Linda, I recommend to reach out to them directly regarding their liquid policies to be sure.
Linda Rudolph says
Thank you! I will do that! I wasn’t sure if there is a separate security check in for domestic vs international flights.
Thank you again!
Sammi says
You’re welcome Linda, the domestic and international terminals are not in the same building and there are separate security checks for both.
Juliette says
Hi! Thanks for this well written article. Do you have any advice on switching from a domestic to international flight in SJO? Are the terminals walkable or do we need to get a cab? So hard to figure out on any map.
Sammi says
You could walk, the domestic terminal and international are almost right next to each other, but if you have a lot of luggage, I’d take a cab.
heather says
Hey! This information was very helpful and I just booked with Skyway, but I just wanted to let you know the coupon code didn’t do anything. (It seemed to be valid but it didn’t give me a discount or anything.)
Sammi says
Hi Heather, if you entered the coupon, it should automatically give prices with the discount (it won’t say like original $X, discount $X, it’ll just have one price) and you can compare it to the website. But if it didn’t give any discount, feel free to email us at services @ mytanfeet . com and I’ll pass it to the manager just in case they were updating their site or something!
Kalista says
Hello,
I am trying to find flights for May 8th 2020 from sjo to fon but I am unable to select the date. Is that mean the flights are sold out or have not become available?
Thanks!
Sammi says
Unfortunately they don’t have flights to or from La Fortuna in low season (May – beginning Dec)
Sammi says
Yes, the local airlines all have restrictions for weight since they are small planes. For example, Skyway has a weight limit of 300 lbs per person and if they weigh over 300 lbs, they must purchase an extra seat.
Laura says
Are the domestic flight planes okay for plus-sized people?
Tash M says
This is such a comprehensive and well written article. This will come in useful when I plan a Central American adventure. Cheers!