Is It Better to Fly Into SJO or LIR for Nosara?

Fly into Liberia (LIR). It's about 2.5 hours to Nosara compared to 5+ hours from San Jose (SJO). Unless LIR flights are significantly more expensive or unavailable from your city, there's no reason to choose SJO for a Nosara trip.

The drive from San Jose to Nosara is long and can be exhausting, especially after an international flight. You'll navigate through the busy capital, cross mountain ranges, and eventually hit some rough roads in the Nicoya Peninsula. It's doable but eats up a big chunk of your vacation day.

From Liberia, the drive is straightforward and scenic. You'll head south on well-maintained roads, passing through small Guanacaste towns with views of dry tropical forest. The last stretch to Nosara has some unpaved sections but nothing challenging. Most of our guests rent a car at LIR and make the drive easily.

Flight availability has improved dramatically to Liberia. Major US carriers including United, American, Delta, Southwest, JetBlue, and Alaska all fly direct to LIR from various hubs. During peak season (December-April), there are multiple flights daily from cities like Miami, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.

The only scenario where SJO makes sense: if you're visiting other parts of Costa Rica first (like the Central Valley, Caribbean coast, or Arenal), start in San Jose and end in Nosara before flying out of Liberia. But if Nosara is your primary destination, book that LIR flight and start your beach vacation hours earlier.