San José (SJO) or Liberia (LIR)? Choosing your Costa Rica airport

Costa Rica has 2 main international airports, and choosing the right one can save you most of a day of driving. The short answer: Liberia for the northwest beaches, San José for nearly everything else, and both if your route runs from the mountains to the coast.

The 2 airports

Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)

Costa Rica's biggest and busiest airport sits in Alajuela, about 20 km northwest of downtown San José. It handled about 6.7 million passengers in 2025, and it has the widest choice of flights, including from the United States, Canada, Latin America and Europe.

It's in the middle of the country, which makes it the natural gateway to the Central Valley, Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, the Caribbean coast and the South Pacific. Most of Sansa's domestic flights also start in San José, so it's where you'll connect to Tortuguero or the Osa Peninsula.

Guanacaste Airport (LIR)

Officially Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, renamed Guanacaste Airport in 2021, it sits about 11 km west-southwest of Liberia, the capital of Guanacaste. Its terminal opened in 2012, and it served about 1.9 million passengers in 2024. Most flights come from the United States and Canada, some only in the dry season, and there are seasonal flights from Europe, such as Edelweiss from Zurich.

LIR is the closest airport to the beaches of the northwest. Wikivoyage puts the taxi from the airport to Tamarindo at about 1¼ hours.

Which airport for which region

The open-jaw trick

If your trip runs from the mountains to the northwest beaches, fly into one airport and home from the other. A typical route lands in San José, heads to Arenal and Monteverde, and finishes with beach days in Guanacaste before flying home from Liberia. You never have to drive back to the capital. Our 7-day itinerary follows this pattern.

If you're renting a car, ask about one-way drop-off before you book.

Guanacaste beach trips

For a beach-focused trip in the northwest, LIR is the obvious choice. You can be in the sea the same afternoon, then add a day at Rincón de la Vieja National Park or a dive trip from Playa Flamingo with Rocket Frog Divers. Read our Guanacaste guide.

Classic routes and the south

For the classic loop through Arenal Volcano National Park, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio National Park, fly in and out of San José. It's also the right choice for the Caribbean, Tortuguero and the Osa Peninsula, where you can connect to a Sansa flight for Corcovado National Park. See our 10-day and 2-week itineraries.

Domestic airports

Sansa flies small planes from San José to Liberia, Tamarindo, Nosara, the Santa Teresa and Mal País area, Quepos, La Fortuna, Drake Bay, Puerto Jiménez, Golfito, Tortuguero and Limón. Wikivoyage notes that San José also has a smaller airport, Tobías Bolaños (SYQ) in Pavas, used mainly for domestic flights. Check which San José airport your domestic flight uses.

Baggage rules on small planes are strict. Sansa allows 4.5 kg of free carry-on, and checked allowance depends on your fare.

Arrival tips

• Plan your first night near the airport. Many international flights land in the afternoon or evening. Rather than drive mountain roads in the dark, stay near SJO in Alajuela, or near LIR, and set off in the morning.
• Entry rules: check your own government's advice. The UK government, for example, says British visitors can stay without a visa for up to 180 days, decided by the immigration officer on arrival, and need a passport valid for at least 1 day beyond their departure date.
• Departure tax: there's a departure tax for leaving by air, but most airlines include it in the ticket. Check your booking.
• Getting out of the airport: pre-book a shuttle or transfer, or use an official taxi.