Costa Rica is about the size of West Virginia, but ground transportation can take many hours on its rough, windy, and mountainous roads. Depending on your travel route, domestic flights may be the most convenient and sensible option. Traveling between some destinations can take up to 8 hours by ground, while a domestic flight can cut that travel time to 35 minutes - a major time saver, especially if you have only a short time in Costa Rica.
There are two daily domestic flight providers in Costa Rica - Sansa and Nature Air. Both providers are based in the San José metropolitan area and operate out of the Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in Alajuela. Please keep this location in mind while planning your domestic routes and airport arrivals.
Both Sansa and Nature Air have strict reservation, cancellation, and luggage restriction policies that are important to understand prior to booking. You can review this information by clicking on Sansa or Nature Air.
Note that some domestic airports may service multiple travel destinations. For example, the Tambor airport is a 30-minute drive from both Montezuma and Mal País, making each of these destinations accessible by domestic flight.
For more information on the various ways to get around Costa Rica, see the overview in our Costa Rica Transportation Guide.
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