San Jose Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) Information

Where is San Jose Juan Santamaria Airport?  

The capital of Costa Rica, San José, the capital of Costa Rica, is situated on a plateau at an elevation of 1200 metres (3,700 feet). The city is ringed by lush green mountains and valleys, just a hint of the lush diversity of this Central American country.

Most tourists visiting Costa Rica will pass through San José. In addition to being home to markets, museums, cultural venues and embassies, the city is the starting point for ecotourism tours and travel.

San José Juan Santamaría International Airport (IATA: SJO, ICAO: MROC), also referred to as San José Juan Santamaría Airport, San José Santamaría Airport, San José International Airport, San José Alajuela Airport, or simply San José Airport, is located in the city of Alajuela, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) west of San José, in Alajuela Province, Costa Rica. The airport is named in honour of national hero Juan Santamaría, the courageous drummer boy who died in 1856 defending his country.

SJO Airport is the busiest of Costa Rica's four international airports. In 2012, San José Airport served 3,872,467passengers, and has been undergoing expansion to serve ever growing passenger traffic. The second busiest is Liberia Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR).

The capital city of San José is served by two airports. This San José Airport, SJO, handles most international flights, whereas San José Tobias Bolaños International Airport (SYQ) handles general aviation, private aircraft, charters, domestic flights and international flights to nearby Nicaragua and Panama.

SJO airport is a hub for Avianca TACA (TACA/Lacsa and Sansa Airlines), and focus city airport for Copa Airlines. Other airlines that fly to SJO include Air Canada, Air Panama, Air Transat, American Airlines, Canjet, Condor, Delta, Frontier Airlines, Iberia, Interjet, JetBlue Airways, Thomas Cook, Spirit Airlines, Sunwing Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways.

Cities with flights San José via SJO include Atlanta, Bogotá, Caracas, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Frankfurt, Guatemala City, Houston, Liberia (CR), Lima, Managua, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, New York, Orlando, Panama City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Pedro Sula, San Salvador, Santo Domingo, Tegucigalpa, Toronto and Washington DC.

Your best bet for a San José Airport transfer is a taxi. Details on all other options are included in this guide.

Or, to truly arrive stress free, treat yourself to a private San Jose Airport transfer from IHateTaxis.

The Costa Rican government charges a USD 28 departure fee, which can be paid in cash (U.S.dollars or Costa Rican colones) or by credit card. The fee can be paid at the airport or in advance at most hotels and banks.

 

Services at San Jose Airport include:

• VIP Lounge Costa Rica (fee) - Main Terminal, lower level, near gate 4A
• Duty free

 

In 2011, this San Jose Airport was named the 3rd Best Airport in Latin America - Caribbean from the Airport Service Quality Awards by Airports Council International.

Additional San Jose Juan Santamaria Airport information may be found by visiting their official website below.

• Official SJO San Jose Juan Santamaria International Airport Website