The long awaited Liberia airport (LIR) expansion opened yesterday in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, making this northwest Pacific coast resort area more easily accessible. The Daniel Oduber Quiros airport opened officially at 4 am yesterday and the first flight out was at 6:30 am to Miami. The new building is airconditioned, has shops and restaurants, and jetways out to the planes. The opening was scheduled for November but ran into additional delays. There are direct flights from several cities in the US as well as direct flights from Canada and flights from Dusseldorf, Germany. Many of the beach resorts are less than 30 minutes from the airport. 

Many people want to buy a second home, an investment property and/or take some portion of their assets outside of the US. Contact us for information on properties for sale in Costa Rica.

JetBlue and Air Berlin have announced flights to Liberia (LIR)’s Daniel Oduber Airport, bringing the total number of carriers that fly to Liberia Costa Rica to 14.

Construction of the new airport terminal there are on schedule to open this October 2011. We’ll miss using that in August and September but will look forward to arriving there in January.

Now if only some carrier will fly directly from Tampa (or St Petersburg) to Liberia Costa Rica so that we don’t have to change planes in Miami, Atlanta or Dallas!

It’s great to fly in to Liberia and be only 15 minutes from the beaches of the Papagayo Gulf. Flights to San Jose are cheaper but require a 4.5 hour drive to the Guanacaste beaches.

Playa Flamingo Costa Rica

Cool off  in Costa Rica! Does it sound crazy to go south to cool off? Not this year.  When cities up north were suffering with temperatures over 100, they could come to Florida to cool off. Yet there have been mornings here in St Pete when I open the front door to get the morning paper and feel as if I’ve entered an oven. I’ve been watching the temperatures on the Papagayo Gulf in Guanacaste Costa Rica and they have consistently been at least 10º cooler. The cool of the day is about 72º-73º F, making for pleasant mornings as you sip the Costa Rican coffee. Then temperatures go up to the mid or high 80s.  One of the nice things about Costa Rica is that the temperatures are pretty consistent year round. We can expect the same temperatures in Guanacaste in January as in July.

If you want to change the temperatures – change your altitude.  These are temperatures by the beach. Head to San Jose or Escazu or Atenas and you won’t even need air conditioning – but you will need a sweater in the evening. That’s the “land of eternal spring”.

Pack more in your bags

Pack MORE when you’re going to Costa Rica.  You won’t need it for yourself (you could get by with a carry on duffle bag for that) but you can certainly help others. When you’re living in a foreign country, there are always some specific things or brands that aren’t available when you are – so it’s nice to have someone  bring it in. For example, we always bring some Captain Crunch cereal for our friend, Mike.  Another time we brought a Harley t-shirt for another friend there. Perhaps you’re visiting someone who could use a new coffee pot or the latest Apple accessory.

Del Pacifico‘s new hotel, Alma del Pacifico has officially teamed with Pack for a Purpose in suggesting that you bring school supplies to support the Esterillos Elementary School in Playa Bejuco. Ask a friend, real estate agent, tour operator or any contact you have in Costa Rica what they could use personally or what you could bring for the community. If you don’t have a name, call the hotel where you’re staying. The Ticos are such happy and caring people that they will appreciate the extra effort you’re making.

So – head for Costa Rica. Take a bigger suitcase or an extra one – and add some things that can help there: pencils for school, used clothing for the less fortunate, or goodies for your friends.  Pura Vida!

SunCountry Airlines has announced direct flights from Minnesota to Liberia Costa Rica. Starting in January 2012 SunCountry will have weekly nonstop flights from St Paul, Minnesota to Liberia, Costa Rica.  By the end of this year the Daniel Oduber Airport (LIR) in Liberia will be opening their new $27 million terminal that will increase the airport’s capacity by 2/3, enabling them to handle 1,500 passengers at a time. Flights are planned from Jamuary 13 through April 13.

Liberia airport in Guanacaste Costa Rica

The Liberia airport in Guanacaste Costa Rica set a passenger record in January 2011, recording the highest number of tourists in its history. There were 31,637 foreign visitors, a 28% increase over 2010. It broke the previous record of 29,206 foreign arrivals in March 2008.  Most of the visitors were from the US, Canada and England. Many Canadians who used to come to Florida for the winter are choosing Costa Rica because the weather is so consistent and predictable: sunny every day with temperatures from a low of 70 to a high of 90, with lower humidity than Florida.  The number of commercial flights increased by 14% to 42 flights a week. February flights are increasing by 25% to 53 flights a week. There are new direct flights to Liberia from Germany, London, El Salvador and Chicago. Delta, American and Continental are among the airlines with direct flights from the US.

Liberia airport (LIR) is currently building a new 2-level passenger terminal which will handle 1,500 passengers at a time. Construction is scheduled to be completed this year 2011. Costa Rica’s main airport in San Jose recently completed an expansion, which has made entry into Costa Rica a fast and pleasant experience.

The Liberia airport is just 20 minutes from our favorite Costa Rica beach communities. Along the way is the new CIMA Hospital under construction in Guanacaste.

The expansion of Costa Rica’s Liberia airport and construction of the CIMA Hospital between the airport and Playa Hermosa in Guanacaste are two of the topics covered in the Revista Utopia magazine:

Costa Rica article

The Liberia airport expansion is scheduled to be finished in August of this year. The beaches of Playa Panama, Playa Hermosa and Playa del Coco are an easy 20 minute drive from the Liberia airport.

Cranes were evident at the CIMA hospital site when I was there last week – it’s good to see the return of the Bird of Development. Medical tourism in Guanacaste should be even more desirable than in San Jose, due to the wonderful beaches and warm weather.

Direct flights from Dusseldorf Germany to Liberia (LIR) Guanacaste Costa Rica have been announced by Europe’s largest travel agency, TIU. Costa Rica is the first country in Central America to receive these Airbus flights through TIU.

These additional flights will certainly increase not only vacationers but people interested in second homes and spending their winter months in Costa Rica.

Guanacaste Costa Rica will be even more accessible to Canadians through the Liberia Airport in Guanacaste. Air Canada announced that their subsidiary, Air Canada Vacations, will be offering charter flights directly to Liberia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.  Air Canada will be offering 48 flights a week from Canada to Costa Rica, including Guanacaste, which is becoming the most popular vacation area. The beaches of Playa Hermosa, Playas del Coco, Ocotal, Playa Panama and the Papagayo Peninsula are just 15-20 from the airport, driving through the peaceful countryside.

The Daniel Oduber airport in Liberia LIR was recently approved for an expansion project for a $35 million terminal which will be able to handle 1,500 passengers simultaneously. Liberia will see increased medical tourism, too, with the expansion of both Clinica Biblica Hospital and CIMA Hospital from the capital, San Jose.

Frontier Airlines has been flying from Denver to San Jose Costa Rica. They recently announced that beginning in February 2011 Frontier will add a weekly nonstop flight from Denver to Liberia Airport in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Many of the wonderful beach communities on the northwest Pacific coast of Costa Rica are within 15 – 20 minutes from the Liberia airport: Playa Panama, Playa Hermosa, Playas del Coco, Ocotal and a little further away are Flamingo and Tamarindo. The Four Seasons Resort at Papagayo is also within 30 minutes of the airport.