San José Airport Transfer (SJO)
Juan Santamaría International Airport (IATA: SJO) is Costa Rica's primary long-haul gateway, 20 kilometres north-west of San José in Alajuela. SJO handles flights from North America, Europe and Latin America across a single passenger terminal with separated international and regional zones. The airport serves the country's central-highland tourism belt — Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio — better than LIR, which is the alternative gateway for pure Guanacaste beach stays. Official orange airport taxis queue at the rank; Uber operates in a legally gray area. A LocalsRide pre-booking meets you at arrivals with a name sign and the USD fare is locked at reservation.
SJO Transfer Times
San José city centre (Plaza de la Cultura): 20 km, 30–50 min. Escazú: 25 km, 30–50 min. Santa Ana: 30 km, 40–60 min. Alajuela (airport-adjacent hotels): 3 km, 5–10 min. Cartago and Irazú area: 40 km, 1 hour. La Fortuna / Arenal: 120 km, 2.5 hours. Monteverde Santa Elena: 140 km, 3 hours. Manuel Antonio: 160 km, 3 hours. Jacó: 110 km, 2 hours. Puerto Viejo Caribbean: 215 km, 4 hours. Tamarindo (cross-country): 265 km, 4.5–5.5 hours.