International Costa Rica Airports

While most land in the country's capitol city, San Jose, the booming North Pacific coast now hosts a second airport.

When you decide to travel to Costa Rica by air, you have the choice of flying to Costa Rica’s largest city, San Jose, click for SJO flight info , or to Liberia International Airport (click for flights info) along its north Pacific coast and close to magnificent beaches.

There are loads of international flights to choose from but prices vary widely.

I'm talking hundreds of dollars sometimes.

Before you make those travel reservations, click here for some Costa Rica money saving tips.

San Jose International Airport (Juan Santamaria)

Most international flights land here because San Jose provides a great launching point for travelers’ adventures. You'll go through customs before baggage-claim. Simply present your passport and completed customs declaration form (you’ll be given this on the flight) and you’ll be painlessly welcomed into the country.

Every international airport has duty-free shops. Costa Rica is no exception but unlike other airports where you have to take the products out of the country, when you arrive in Costa Rica you can buy duty-free goods to bring into the country!

While waiting for your baggage, check out a duty-free shop for incoming travelers.

Located immediately behind and within the baggage-claim area (after you exit Customs), it offers excellent prices on wines and liquors, much better than you will find elsewhere in Costa Rica. . .and maybe even the Duty Free stores in the U.S. (I saved 25% from U.S. prices my last return from Florida).

After collecting your bags, you’ll find a good selection of rental cars on-site and, if you’re staying in a hotel, courtesy vans.

Most visitors grab a taxi into San Jose. If you choose to do so, plan to pay upwards of $25 (more at night).

Unless you have a lot of bags, consider taking a bus into San Jose. The cost is about $1.

While buses aren't allowed into the passenger embarkation area, when you get outside you'll see a parking garage. Go around it to the main street, walk to the bus stop, and wait for a red colored TUASA bus.

But, if you prefer a taxi, understand that there are two kinds of taxis at Costa Rica airports: legal and illegal (called "pirata” or “pirate taxi”). The former are red and easily identifiable. The latter is often an older vehicle.

Don't be fooled that you'll save money using a "pirata." These fellows don't have taxi meters so you're at their mercy. And, because they aren't regulated, they might not have insurance, either.

Believe me, there’ll be no problem with the taxi driver unless you try to pay with a $100 bill. So, change $50 or $100 into colones (Costa Rica currency) before leaving the terminal.

Colones can be confusing at first. A rough rule of thumb is this: a 10,000 colon bill is about $20 so if you exchange $100 you’ll get about five-10,000 colon bills (depending upon the exchange rate this can be a little higher or lower).

Wait until you’re in San Jose to change more money because banks give the best exchange rate.

Liberia International Airport (Daniel Oduber)

It's also home to the newest of the Costa Rica airports. Dedicated in 1995, this airport has recently been enlarged.

Liberia International Airport is the fastest way to get to places like Tamarindo, Golfo de Papagayo, Playa Flamingo, Playa Grande and other great beaches and national parks on the north Pacific coast.

More than a dozen Costa Rica beaches are only half an hour away!

You’ll save hours of driving from San Jose but you’ll also miss some beautiful country if your air travel to Costa Rica goes directly to Liberia International.

The number of international air carriers servicing Liberia International Airport is still a bit limited but airport traffic has grown dramatically over the last few years and by 2010 had already reached nearly 600,000 passengers a year.

When you are ready to return home, you're going to have to pay a $27 airport fee at both Costa Rica airports.

For inexperienced travelers, particularly those who partied until their money ran out, this can be a nasty surprise.

But, of course, forewarned is forearmed.

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