Limón
International Airport
Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast airport, at Puerto Limón. A 5,906 foot runway only 98 feet wide, limited cover, fuel that is not reliably stocked, and a case for turboprops and light jets. For most jets the answer is San José, and we say so.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 2 September 2026
The Airport
Limón at a glance
Limón carries the ICAO code MRLM and the identifier LIO. A single 5,906 foot runway, 98 feet wide, at 7 feet elevation on the Caribbean coast south of Puerto Limón, with limited fire cover.
It is a domestic airport in practice, suited to turboprops and light jets, and international arrivals clear at San José or Guanacaste and continue.
Be Clear
Turboprops and light jets
14/32 is 1,800 metres, about 5,906 feet, by 30 metres, about 98 feet. The width is as limiting as the length for larger aircraft. Fire cover is limited and confirmed per operation, and jet fuel is not reliably stocked, so we plan Limón as a no-fuel stop unless availability is confirmed for the date.
Limón is designated international but has no permanent customs presence for private arrivals in practice. For most jets the answer is San José, with a road leg of about three and a half hours to Puerto Viejo or a helicopter, and we say so from the start.
Why here
The other Costa Rica
Limón serves the Caribbean coast: Puerto Limón itself, Cahuita and Puerto Viejo to the south, and Tortuguero to the north, which is otherwise reached by boat or light aircraft. It is a different Costa Rica from the Pacific resorts.
Costa Rica does not require a landing permit. Parking permission is required and confirmed before departure, and handling is limited and arranged in advance. The coast has its own weather pattern, drier in September and October when the Pacific is at its wettest. Costa Rica is on Central Standard Time, UTC-6, all year.
History
The banana port
The airport was built to serve Puerto Limón, Costa Rica’s Caribbean port and the historic outlet for the banana trade that built the coast in the late nineteenth century.
It has remained a regional field, with scheduled domestic service intermittent and the coast’s tourism growing around Puerto Viejo and Tortuguero rather than the port city.
Nearby
Limón and the Mexico and Central America fields
Costa Rica asks for no landing permit; Mexico does. Choose the airport by destination.
San José for any jet bound for the Caribbean coast. Guanacaste for the Pacific resorts. Cancún and Cozumel for the Mexican Caribbean. Los Cabos, Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, Tijuana and Querétaro for Mexico.
Airport guides & index
Questions
Limón, answered
Can private jets use Limón?
Turboprops and light jets, with care. Limón has a 5,906 foot runway only 98 feet wide at sea level on the Caribbean coast, limited fire cover and fuel that is not reliably stocked. It is a domestic airport in practice; international arrivals clear at San José or Guanacaste and continue. For most jets the answer is San José with a road or helicopter leg to the coast.
How long is the runway at Limón?
14/32 is 1,800 metres, about 5,906 feet, by 30 metres, about 98 feet, in asphalt, at 7 feet elevation. The width is as limiting as the length for larger aircraft. Fire cover is limited and confirmed per operation.
Does Costa Rica require a landing permit?
No. Private and charter flights do not need a landing permit for Costa Rica. Parking permission from the airport authority is required and is confirmed before departure.
Is fuel available at Limón?
Not reliably. Jet fuel is not always stocked, and we plan Limón as a no-fuel stop unless availability is confirmed for the date. Tankering from San José is the usual answer.
Can you fly internationally into Limón?
Not routinely. Limón is designated international but has no permanent customs and immigration presence for private arrivals in practice, so an international flight clears at San José or Guanacaste and continues domestically.
What does Limón serve?
Costa Rica's Caribbean coast: Puerto Limón itself, Cahuita and Puerto Viejo to the south, and Tortuguero to the north, which is otherwise reached by boat or light aircraft. It is a different Costa Rica from the Pacific resorts.
Limón or San José?
San José for any jet larger than a light one, with a road leg of about three and a half hours to Puerto Viejo or a helicopter. Limón direct on a turboprop or light jet when the aircraft fits and the coast is the whole trip.
Is ground handling available at Limón?
Limited, and arranged in advance. It is not a commercial FBO environment.
What time zone is Costa Rica in?
Central Standard Time, UTC-6, all year. Costa Rica does not observe daylight saving.
What is the history of Limón airport?
The airport was built to serve Puerto Limón, Costa Rica's Caribbean port and the historic outlet for the banana trade that built the coast in the late nineteenth century. It has remained a regional field, with scheduled domestic service intermittent and the coast's tourism growing around Puerto Viejo and Tortuguero rather than the port city.
When is the season on the Caribbean coast?
The Caribbean side has its own pattern: drier in September and October, when the Pacific is at its wettest, and wet through much of the northern winter. It is a year-round destination without the Pacific's sharp dry season.
Get Your Number
Request a Caribbean coast charter
Tell us the aircraft and the destination on the coast. If it fits Limón we confirm fuel, permission and handling for the date; if it does not, we plan San José with the onward leg and say so from the start.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.