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The cone of Arenal Volcano under a cap of cloud, framed by trees and forest in the foreground

Where to stay in Costa Rica

Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Costa Rica

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About Costa Rica

Costa Rica's tourism institute lists two airports: Juan Santamaría (SJO), about 19 km by road from central San José, and Daniel Oduber (LIR), about 13 km from Liberia in Guanacaste. Pick the airport with the base: Tamarindo is about 64 km from LIR and about 239 km from SJO.

Costa Rica. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airports
Juan Santamaría (SJO) in Alajuela, about 19 km by road from central San José; Daniel Oduber (LIR), about 13 km by road from Liberia in Guanacaste. Source
Length of stay
EU, UK and US passport holders need no visa. The immigration officer sets the stay at entry, up to 180 days; a stay of 90 days or more cannot be extended. Source
At the border
A machine-readable passport, a return or onward ticket, and proof of at least USD 100 for each month or part of a month of the stay. The ICT advises carrying a copy of the passport with the entry stamp. Source
IVA on lodging
13% since 1 July 2023 for tourism businesses registered with the ICT, when the reduced rates that began in 2019 ended. No separate per-night tourist tax was found. Source
Holiday rentals
Ley 9742: hosts renting to tourists for 24 hours to one year register with the ICT and the tax administration and issue an itemised digital invoice; a platform that takes the payment must withhold and pay the taxes. Source
San José plate restriction
Private cars may enter the capital only on certain weekdays, set by the last digit of the plate. The hire company can say which day applies to the car. Source
Parking in San José
Municipal parking meters: CRC 960 an hour or CRC 480 for half an hour, the tariff published in La Gaceta in September 2022. Source
Manuel Antonio National Park
No parking area. Tickets are sold only online through SINAC, and the park opens Tuesday to Sunday from 7:00 to 16:00. Source
Departure tax
USD 29 when leaving by air; most airlines include it in the ticket price. Source
Currency
The Costa Rican colón (CRC). Source
Emergency number
911 for ambulance, fire and police Source

Areas of Costa Rica

The stone facade of the National Theatre in San José, with statues on the roof, a Costa Rican flag and people walking across the square in front
Photographed in 2019. Photo: Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

San José

The capital, in the Central Valley, with the National Theatre, the National Museum and La Sabana Metropolitan Park, and Juan Santamaría airport about 19 km away by road. It suits a first or last night before a flight from SJO and a few days in the city, less so a beach trip.

Juan Santamaría airport (SJO)
about 19 km

Car and parking

Municipal meters cost CRC 960 an hour. Private cars may enter the capital only on certain weekdays, by the last digit of the plate; via GetCar, the rule covers the Circunvalación ring road and everything inside it on weekdays from 06:00 to 19:00, with a fine of about CRC 26,000. Ask the rental company which day applies.

The cone of Arenal Volcano under a cap of cloud, framed by trees and forest in the foreground
Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

La Fortuna

A district of San Carlos at the foot of Arenal Volcano, whose eruption ran from 1968 to 2010; the volcano has been dormant since. Arenal Volcano National Park, with trails past the remains of old lava flows, is about 15 km from the town and opens every day. It suits a few nights inland, with the car for the drive to the park.

Juan Santamaría airport (SJO)
about 127 km
Arenal Volcano National Park
about 15 km
Santa Elena, Monteverde
about 114 km

Car and parking

No paid street parking scheme was found in La Fortuna as of September 2026; ask the hotel about parking. Monteverde is about 25 km away in a straight line but about 114 km by road.

A long green suspension bridge crossing the forest canopy at Monteverde
Photographed in 2017. Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Monteverde

A canton in the Cordillera de Tilarán and one of the country's main ecotourism destinations. Santa Elena is the visitors' hub and, with Cerro Plano and Monteverde itself, offers lodging, dining and guided tours. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, founded in 1972, is about 6 km from Santa Elena by road. It suits walkers and naturalists, less so beach time.

Juan Santamaría airport (SJO)
about 124 km
Daniel Oduber airport (LIR)
about 118 km
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
about 6 km

Car and parking

No paid street parking scheme was found in Santa Elena as of September 2026; ask the hotel. Santa Elena is about 124 km by road from SJO and about 118 km from LIR.

Walkers on a pale sand beach in Manuel Antonio National Park, with dark rocks, forest-covered headlands and blue sea
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Manuel Antonio

The stretch between the town of Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park, the most popular of the country's national parks, with the beaches of Espadilla Sur, Manuel Antonio and Puerto Escondido inside it. It suits a beach and wildlife stay on the central Pacific.

Juan Santamaría airport (SJO)
about 154 km
Quepos
about 8 km
Manuel Antonio National Park
about 4 km

Car and parking

The park has no parking area and sells tickets only online through SINAC, so ask the hotel about parking and the way to the gate. From San José the ICT route is Route 27 to Caldera, then Route 34 to Quepos; Ruta 27 tolls come to about CRC 2,300 each way for a car (via GetCar).

The sand of Tamarindo beach curving along the bay under a blue sky, with trees and red flowers on the left and swimmers in the sea
Photographed in 2011. Photo: Jarle Naustvik, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tamarindo

The largest developed beach town in Guanacaste, on the Nicoya Peninsula, once a fishing village and now popular with surfers, digital nomads and expatriates. It suits a beach stay close to Liberia airport, and longer stays.

Daniel Oduber airport (LIR)
about 64 km
Juan Santamaría airport (SJO)
about 239 km

Car and parking

Fly into Liberia: Tamarindo is about 64 km by road from LIR against about 239 km from SJO. No paid street parking scheme was found in Tamarindo as of September 2026; ask the host whether a space comes with the booking.

The whitewashed facade of the Ermita de la Agonía church in Liberia, with a dark wooden door, under a clear blue sky
Photographed in 2013. Photo: Kognos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Liberia

The largest city in Guanacaste, nicknamed the white city for its old white gravel roads and whitewashed colonial houses, about 13 km by road from Daniel Oduber airport. It suits a night before or after a flight from LIR and days at Rincón de la Vieja National Park, less so a beach stay.

Daniel Oduber airport (LIR)
about 13 km
Rincón de la Vieja, Las Pailas
about 29 km
Tamarindo
about 77 km

Car and parking

The Las Pailas sector of Rincón de la Vieja is reached by 5 km of the Inter-American Highway north of Liberia, about 15 km of paved road through Curubandé and about 10 km of gravel, and opens Tuesday to Sunday. No paid street parking scheme was found in Liberia as of September 2026.

Santa Teresa

A beach village on the southern, Puntarenas side of the Nicoya Peninsula, next to Malpaís. Malpaís began as a fishing and cattle-farming village and has become popular with surfers, with luxury hotels and restaurants for international visitors. The area remains remote and spread out. It suits surfers and a longer, quieter stay, less so a short trip.

Daniel Oduber airport (LIR)
about 162 km
Juan Santamaría airport (SJO), by road
about 255 km
Paquera ferry
about 46 km

Car and parking

The local dirt roads are pot-holed and muddy in the rainy season and dusty in the dry season. The Naviera Tambor car ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera runs eight departures a day each way on the timetable in force since 20 April 2026, at CRC 11,400 plus IVA for a car and CRC 810 per adult passenger; Paquera is about 46 km from Santa Teresa. By road around the gulf, SJO is about 255 km away.

Guides

Where to stay

Where to stay in Costa Rica with a car: the areas compared

Juan Santamaría airport (SJO) near San José is the closer arrival for La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio, and Daniel Oduber (LIR) near Liberia for Tamarindo. Monteverde is about the same distance from both: about 124 km by road from SJO and about 118 km from LIR.

Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

Questions

Which airport is closer to Tamarindo and the Guanacaste beaches?

Daniel Oduber (LIR) near Liberia: Tamarindo is about 64 km from it by road, against about 239 km from Juan Santamaría (SJO) near San José.

How long can EU, UK and US visitors stay in Costa Rica?

Up to 180 days without a visa. The immigration officer decides the length at entry, and a stay granted for 90 days or more cannot be extended.

What tax is added to a stay in Costa Rica?

The 13% value added tax (IVA), which tourism businesses registered with the ICT have charged in full since 1 July 2023. No separate per-night tourist tax was found.

Is there parking at Manuel Antonio National Park?

No. The park has no parking area, sells tickets only online through SINAC and opens Tuesday to Sunday from 7:00 to 16:00, so ask the hotel how to reach the gate.