Flying to Costa Rica

Need a little help booking that bucket list trip and flying to Costa Rica? Look no further!

We consider ourselves seasoned professionals in welcoming visitors from all over the world here to Costa Rica.

Last season alone we welcomed guests from 11 different countries!

Having run our Bodhi Sessions Adult Surf + Yoga and Bodhi Family Surf camps for well over 10 years now, we’re more than in-the-know of the logistical aspects that go into booking a trip to Costa Rica.

So keep reading this guide to flights to Costa Rica and let us help you take your next step to booking that trip!

What to know before flying to Costa Rica

There are just a couple small things we think you should know before booking your flight and flying to Costa Rica!

There are two main international airports in Costa Rica. Those are the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) and the Guanacaste Airport (LIR).

Depending on your nationality or origin destination, you may require an entry VISA to land in Costa Rica.

Should you not require an entry VISA and are not a Costa Rican national, you will be arriving on the tourist visa. In order to board a flight to Costa Rica on the tourist visa, you must have proof of a flight out of the country within 90 days.

Most people just use their return flight ticket as proof, which is more than sufficient proof!

Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO)

When flying to Costa Rica, you’re most likely to fly into the Juan Santamaria International Airport. The airport code is SJO.

It’s Costa Rica’s largest airport and is in the capital city – San Jose.

SJO is located pretty much in the center of the country. Because of this, all of Costa Rica can be accessed. Check out our blog on where to go and what to do in Costa Rica!

SJO airport guide

The Juan Santamaria International Airport is open 24 hours a day, and receives flights throughout the day.

When landing at SJO, the process consists of the following:

• Disembarking the plane and walking towards immigration
• Presenting your passport (with validity for a minimum of three months)
• Presenting your return ticket or proof of onward travel – must be within 90 days of arrival
• Presenting your entry VISA if required (find out here)
• Entering baggage claim
• Customs and final baggage security scan

At the time of writing, Costa Rica does not have any COVID or insurance requirements for entry into the country.

In the baggage claim area, there are a few duty free stores, a kiosk to buy a Costa Rica SIM card, and a currency exchange stand. There is also an information desk and a support service for any problems with baggage.

When buying a SIM card, we recommend getting either Kolbi or Claro. The cards themselves cost $20 at the airport, and it’s smart to put about $10 of service on it. Kolbi and Claro SIM cards can be topped-up at most grocery stores within the country, and accept US Dollars.

In terms of exchanging money, we recommend taking out between $50 and $100. But really, it depends on your trip: how many people you’re traveling with, where you’re going, etc. If you’re coming down here to Uvita, there are many banks and other services easily accessible!

For travelers not traveling with animals or agricultural products, there is no need to fill out a customs form. The customs process will mainly include your luggage being put through one last security scan.

From here, you’re just a 30 second walk from exiting the airport and accessing taxis and buses! Depending on traffic, central San Jose is about a 25 minute drive away.

For guests flying into SJO that will be visiting us here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga, make sure to read this section of the blog!

Direct & nonstop flights to SJO, Costa Rica

There’s a big wide world out there.

SJO is one of Central America’s most well-connected airports, with many connections to the United States, Canada, Europe, and beyond!

Check out these direct and nonstop flights to SJO, from the world!

Flying to SJO from the US

During our 2021/2022 season, 80% of our guests flew in from The United States.

At the time of writing, there are 19 direct nonstop flights to SJO.

Bodhi Surf + Yoga pro tip: Be careful when booking your flight to San Jose – there is also a San Jose in California! You wouldn’t be the first person to book a flight to California thinking you were coming to Costa Rica. The airport code for San Jose, Costa Rica is SJO – the code for San Jose, California is SJC.

Flying to Costa Rica (SJO) from the Northeast

• New York, New York: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) 5hr 26min (JetBlue)
• Newark, New Jersey: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) 5hr 25min (United Airlines)
• Washington, DC / Virginia: Dulles International Airport (IAD) 4 hr 56 min (United Airlines)
• Washington, DC / Virginia: Dulles International Airport (IAD) 4 hr 40 min (Avianca)

Flying to Costa Rica (SJO) from the Southwest

• Denver, Colorado: Denver International Airport (DEN) 5 hr 14 min (United Airlines)
• Denver, Colorado: Denver International Airport (DEN) 5 hr 10 min (Southwest)

Flying to Costa Rica (SJO) from the West

• Los Angeles, California: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) 5hr 44min (Alaska Airlines)
• Los Angeles, California: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) 5hr 38min (Delta)

Flying to Costa Rica (SJO) from the Southeast

• Charlotte, North Carolina: Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) 4hr 17 min (American Airlines)
• Miamia, Florida: Miami International Airport (MIA) 2hr 55min (American Airlines)
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) 3hr (Spirit)
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) 2 hr 55min (JetBlue)
• Orlando, Florida: Orlando International Airport (MCO) 3hr 12 min (JetBlue)
• Orlando, Florida: Orlando International Airport (MCO) 3hr 15 min (Spirit)
• Atlanta, Georgia: Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) 4 hr (Delta)
• Dallas, Texas: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) 4hr 1min (American Airlines)
• Houston, Texas: William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) 3hr 25min (Southwest)
• Houston, Texas: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) 3hr 42 min (United Airlines)

Flying to Costa Rica (SJO) from the Midwest

• Chicago, Illinois: O’Hare International Airport (ORD) 5 hr 16 min (United Airlines)

Flying to SJO from Europe

• Amsterdam, Holland: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) 11 hr 45 min (KLM Airlines)
• Frankfurt, Germany: Frankfurt Airport (FRA) 12 hr 30 min (Lufthansa)
• London, England: London Gatwick (LGW) 11 hr 35 min (British Airways)
• Madrid, Spain: Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) 11 hr 5 min (Iberia)
• Paris, France: Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) 11 hr 30 min (Air France)
• Zürich, Switzerland: Zurich Airport (ZRH) 12 hr 20 min (Edelweiss Air)

Flying to SJO from Canada

• Montreál, Québec: Montreál-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) 5 hr 50 min (Air Transat)
• Toronto, Ontario: Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) 8 hr 10 min (Air Canada)

Guanacaste Airport (LIR)

The Guanacaste Airport is located in Liberia, Guanacaste in the northern region of Costa Rica. It was formerly known as the Oduber International Airport. The airport code is LIR.

This airport services less flights to Costa Rica than SJO, but is the ideal place to fly in to when exploring Guanacaste, La Fortuna, and Costa Rica’s north.

The nearest beach is just a few miles away!

LIR airport guide

Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport receives daily flights from within Costa Rica, as well as international flights from mainly the US and Canada.

The arrival process into LIR is similar to that outlined in the SJO section of the blog.

Arriving usually consists of:

• Disembarking the plane
• Follow the signs to the migration area.
• Here, present your passport and proof of return ticket (within 90 days).
• Continue walking to the baggage claim area (car rental agencies are also here).
• Once you have your luggage, continue to customs control. Here, your luggage and customs form will be checked.

Upon finishing the arrival process, you’ll enter a lobby before exiting the airport. Here, you’ll have access to services such as Costa Rica SIM cards, private transportation, shops, and currency exchange.

Direct & nonstop flights to LIR, Costa Rica

You can arrive at LIR airport from various locations in Costa Rica.

But if you’re flying to Costa Rica from overseas, let’s take a look at the flights that fly directly to LIR!

Flying to LIR from the US

At the time of writing, there are 12 direct flights from the US to LIR.

Flying to Costa Rica (LIR) from the Northeast

• New York, New York: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) 5 hr 33 min (JetBlue)

Flying to Costa Rica (LIR) from the Southwest

• Denver, Colorado: Denver International Airport (DEN) 5 hr 5 min (United Airlines)
• Denver, Colorado: Denver International Airport (DEN) 5 hr (Southwest)

Flying to Costa Rica (LIR) from the West

• Los Angeles, California: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) 5hr 25 min (Alaska Airlines)

Flying to Costa Rica (LIR) from the Southeast

• Charlotte, North Carolina: Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) 4 hr 17 min (American Airlines)
• Miami, Florida: Miami International Airport (MIA) 2hr 53min (American Airlines)
• Dallas, Texas: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) 3hr 55min (American Airlines)
• Houston, Texas: William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) 3hr 20min (Southwest)
• Houston, Texas: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) 3hr 32 min (United Airlines)
• Atlanta, Georgia: Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) 3 hr 58 min (Delta)

Flying to Costa Rica (LIR) from the Midwest

• Chicago, Illinois: O’Hare International Airport (ORD) 5 hr 5 min (United Airlines)
• Chicago, Illinois: O’Hare International Airport (ORD) 5 hr 14 min (American Airlines)

Flying to LIR from Canada

• Montreál, Québec: Montreál-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) 6 hr (Air Transat)
• Toronto, Ontario: Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) 5 hr 30 min (Air Canada)
• Toronto, Ontario: Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) 5 hr 32 min (WestJet)
• Calgary, Alberta: Calgary International Airport (YYC) 6 hr 47 min (WestJet)

What does flying to Costa Rica mean if you’re coming to Bodhi Surf + Yoga?

Once you have landed in Costa Rica, how do you get to Uvita?

If you’ve booked a Bodhi Sessions Surf + Yoga Camp with us at Bodhi Surf + Yoga, it is recommended that you fly into SJO.

At least, that’s if you’re coming directly to us here in Uvita and not traveling to somewhere else in the country first.

For our guests we have a transportation provider that leaves San Jose on Saturday at 3pm, and arrives here in Uvita at about 7:30pm.

So what does your arrival into Costa Rica look like when spending a week with us?

Before you even arrive in the country, we create a WhatsApp group chat amongst all guests for the week and our staff members.

We use this to facilitate arrival logistics, as well as a means of communication throughout the week.

A couple days before camp arrival (or once everyone has joined the group chat), we’ll send out the welcome message with the airport pickup information. Our shuttle leaves San Jose at 3pm on Saturday, but if the last flight gets in sooner the departure will be earlier!

We have our guests meet our shuttle at Deli Malinche, which is about 50 meters to the right once you exit the doors of the airport.

The drive is about four-to-five hours to us here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga. Upon arrival, you’ll be welcomed by our guest support team and we’ll have our welcome dinner!

Once you’re here, we give you the tools to empower you to be an independent traveler and engage with our community! These tools include:

• Our Uvita, Costa Rica travel guide
• Our guide to the activities in Uvita, Costa Rica
• Our Uvita restaurant guide

We have also recently partnered with travel software company Vamoos!

This app allows us to consolidate all of the information and resources that our guests use throughout their stay with us.

But also – you can download the Vamoos app before your trip and use it to get excited!

The resources that you can access include:

• Beautiful photos of the community and our lodge
• The weekly schedule
• Extra activities that can be arranged
• A directory full of information about our amazing community and your week with us!

Flying out of Costa Rica

The process for departure flights out of Costa Rica are the same at both airports, SJO and LIR.

Both recommend arriving at the airport to check in three hours before your flight time.

When entering SJO, you’ll notice a large number of check in counters, including self-check in, for various different airlines. LIR also has a long line of check in counters when you enter the airport.

After checking in to your flight, both airports will then have you proceed to immigration and passport control. Here, you’ll present your boarding pass and passport to the officers.

You’ll then proceed on to airport security where your carry on bags and items will be scanned. You’ll be asked for your boarding pass and passport again.

At this point in both airports, there’s a great opportunity to do some last minute souvenir shopping! SJO and LIR both have gift shops selling:

• Costa Rica themed t-shirts, hats, and clothes
• Costa Rica themed mugs and cups
• Coffee and sweet treats
• Fridge magnets and other souvenirs

You can even buy the Costa Rica national futból (soccer) team jersey!

If you’re anything like us here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga, you’re definitely wondering about food!

Both airports have a range of restaurants, cafes, and bars to choose from. Gotta have that one last cafe rico or Imperial beer before you go!

Once you’ve done a bit of shopping and had a bite to eat, you’ll make your way through the departure lounge to your gate.

Your boarding pass should indicate which gate your flight will depart from; however, you can also refer to the information screens scattered throughout the departure lounge.

All that’s left to do now is reflect on your trip to this amazing country – and start planning your next one!

It’s worth noting that there is a $7 exit tax from Costa Rica, which will be included in your flight ticket.

Ready to fly to Costa Rica?

We hope that this blog has helped you find a direct flight to Costa Rica from near you!

If you’re thinking of flying to Costa Rica to visit us here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga, check out our availability calendar!

And if a week of surf and yoga isn’t quite what floats your boat, there are many beautiful places to visit in this amazing country – there’s something for everyone.

Need a little more inspiration? Head over to Bodhi Surf + Yoga’s Travel Hub to get excited by all of our Costa Rica travel content!