Liberia or San Jose? Which Costa Rica airport to fly into?

Liberia or San Airport - which to choose when flying to Costa Rica. Boy running through immigration lounge

Last Updated: May 20, 2025

One of the first decisions you have to make when planning a trip to Costa Rica is deciding which airport you need to fly into. Liberia or San Jose Airport? You need to book your flights as soon as possible to get the best rates. So don’t wait months to plan all the details of your itinerary, or it could cost you hundreds of dollars. This guide tells you everything you need to know so you don’t regret your choices later, especially if it results in a lot of extra driving to go where you need to go.

Depending on which airport you choose, you can follow my Itinerary from Liberia Airport, or my Itinerary from San Jose Airport to continue planning your trip. Also check out my Step-by-Step Travel Guide to Costa Rica for everything you need to know about hotels, things to do and other practical logistics.

Which airport is better to see the Best of Costa Rica?

Liberia (LIR) and San Jose (SJO) airports are both fine for an excellent itinerary that will let you see the best of Costa Rica (see my article on Best Places to Go and Why). Fortunately, two of the most popular destinations – Monteverde (for Cloud Forests) and La Fortuna (for Arenal Volcano) – are about the same distance from either airport.

If you want your third destination to be a beach – then your airport choice matters more. You can get to great beaches from either airport, but the beaches in the North near Liberia have some differences from the beaches in the South near San Jose. I go into this in more detail below. The other factor to consider is if you want to visit off-the-beaten-path destinations like Tortuguero (for turtle watching and Amazon-like vibe), Corcovado National Park (very remote corner of Costa Rica) and the Caribbean coast, then San Jose is better because you have more transport options and domestic flights.

Do you need to rent a car if you fly into LIR or SJO?

No, you do not need to rent a car for either airport. Both airports have options for transfers to all the popular tourist hubs and lodges. If you do wish to do a self-drive itinerary, both airports have most of the same rental car companies making it easy to book a car at similar rates. See my article on Renting Vs Not Renting a Car for more on this.

Top Reasons why you should fly into Liberia Airport

Kid playing on beaches near Liberia Airport with dry vegetation
Beaches near Liberia Airport have a mix of green and brown dry forests in the dry season
  1. Access to more direct flights in high season – Many specialty airlines offer direct flights to LIR from major cities in the US and the World. If you can get a direct or cheaper flight to LIR versus a longer or more expensive multi-stop flight to SJO, then you should strongly consider Liberia.
  2. Getting to the beach is much faster from Liberia – It is just 30 mins to get to stunning, family-friendly beaches and resorts from Liberia Airport. Meanwhile, the closest beach destinations to SJO are at least 1.5 to 2 hours away. If you want to keep time on the road to a minimum, then choose Liberia Airport. This can save you up to half a day or more of extra travel.
  3. Almost no rain from December to April – The beaches close to Liberia have about a 1% chance of rain on any given day in the dry season. On the other hand, Manuel Antonio and beaches near San Jose have closer to a 40% chance of rain on a given day. If you want to maximize sun shine time, pick Liberia airport. But keep in mind that vegetation around the beach can look very brown and dry, especially in March and April.
  4. Calmer Waves – If you are traveling with young kids or you want to swim in the ocean, the beaches near Liberia offer calmer, gentle waves. As you go further south, they get rougher. If you want to surf, you can get to great surfing beaches from either airport just as easily.
  5. Nesting turtles from October to February – One of the most accessible places to see nesting turtles in season is in Playa Grande and the Pacific coast.
  6. Llanos de Cortez and Rio Celeste Waterfalls – Two of the most beautiful waterfalls in Costa Rica are closer to Liberia Airport and can be done enroute to La Fortuna or Monteverde. But you can still do waterfalls near San Jose too.

See my 7-Day Itinerary from Liberia Airport to get an idea of what your trip might look like if you fly here.

Top Reasons why you should fly into San Jose Airport

Liberia or San Jose - Beaches closer to San Jose like Manuel Antonio have year-round greenery
Beaches closer to San Jose like Manuel Antonio have year-round greenery
  1. Access to more flights – SJO is a larger airport than LIR and has connections to more major airlines. If you can get a direct or cheaper flight to SJO versus a longer or more expensive multi-stop flight to LIR, then you should strongly consider San Jose Airport.
  2. More greenery near beaches from December to April – Even in the dry season, you can see the rainforest come right up to the edge of the coastline. The extra rain in this part of the country keeps forests looking lush and vibrant all year round.
  3. Access to Tortuguero, Corcovado and Caribbean Coast – If you wish to visit these off-the-beaten path destinations, SJO has more domestic flight options and land transfer options to these areas. However, if this is your first time to Costa Rica or you are traveling with young children, these destinations can be very remote with limited facilities, so they don’t make it on most visitors’ itineraries.
  4. More Wildlife near Beaches – If you decide to skip La Fortuna, Monteverde and other inland wildlife destinations, but still want to see some wildlife near the beach, then Manuel Antonio and other nearby beaches are your best bet. It is much easier to get to Manuel Antonio from San Jose.
  5. La Paz Waterfall Park and Poas Volcano – These two destinations are short day trips from San Jose and can be done easily at the start or end of your journey. Poas volcano is more active than Arenal volcano and has seen increased volcanic activity and closures recently. You can also see volcanoes and waterfalls in other parts of the country.

See my 7-Day Itinerary from San Jose Airport to get an idea of what your trip might look like if you fly here.

Can I fly into one airport and fly out the other?

Yes, you can definitely do this – especially if you save money on flights by doing it this way. Beaches are ideally done at the end of your vacation so fly out of the airport that is closest to the beach you want to visit.

Which airport is best for me?

If you want to minimize time on the road – choose Liberia (LIR)

If you want to go off the beaten path – choose San Jose (SJO)

If you want to go to the beach for your entire stay, and see wildlife on the side – choose San Jose (SJO)

If you hate rain – choose Liberia (LIR)

If you want to save time and money – choose which ever airport has a direct flight or cheaper connection.

If you still can’t decide, I would suggest Liberia (LIR) because it lets you spend a little less time on the road and more time experiencing the natural wonders of this beautiful country. One way or the other, you can’t go wrong.

Check flight prices now on my two favorite flight comparison websites – Skyscanner or Kayak.com

Ready for the Next Step?

Was this guide useful? Your feedback would mean the world to me. You can also support me by Subscribing to my email list to get notified when I add more guides to this site. If you need more help with your trip, Contact me to learn more.

Subscribe
Subscribe
Scroll to Top