Guanacaste
Airport
Liberia, as the aviation world still calls it, and the gateway to Papagayo and Costa Rica’s northern Pacific coast. A 9,022 foot runway, Category 8 cover, no landing permit, and a new name since July 2021.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 2 September 2026
The Airport
Guanacaste Airport at a glance
Guanacaste Airport, formerly Daniel Oduber Quirós International, carries the ICAO code MRLB and the identifier LIR. A single 9,022 foot runway at 269 feet elevation, about 12 kilometres west of Liberia, with ICAO Category 8 fire cover.
It is the gateway to the Papagayo peninsula and the northern Pacific resorts, with customs on site, and Costa Rica asks for no landing permit.
The Name
Liberia became Guanacaste Airport
Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport at Liberia was renamed Guanacaste Airport in July 2021 by its concessionaire. The codes MRLB and LIR did not change, and pilots and operators still call it Liberia.
This page uses both names so that both are found. It is the airport for Papagayo, Tamarindo and Nosara: 40 minutes, an hour and two hours respectively, against four hours from San José by road.
Operating
Runway, permission and season
07/25 is 2,750 metres, about 9,022 feet, at 269 feet elevation with Category 8 fire cover. The runway takes the whole of business aviation.
Costa Rica does not require a landing permit for private or charter flights. Parking permission from the airport authority is required and confirmed before departure, and handling is arranged with it. Costa Rica is on Central Standard Time, UTC-6, all year. The season is December to April, the Pacific dry season; San José serves the capital and the south.
History
Built for Papagayo
The airport was built in the 1970s and named for Daniel Oduber Quirós, the Costa Rican president from 1974 to 1978 who championed it.
It opened to international traffic in the 1990s as the Papagayo resort project developed, grew rapidly with direct United States flights, and was renamed by its concessionaire in 2021.
Nearby
Guanacaste and the Mexico and Central America fields
Costa Rica asks for no landing permit; Mexico does. Choose the airport by destination.
San José for the capital and the Central Valley. Limón for the Caribbean coast. Cancún and Cozumel for the Mexican Caribbean. Los Cabos, Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, Tijuana and Querétaro for Mexico.
Airport guides & index
Questions
Guanacaste Airport, answered
Is Liberia airport the same as Guanacaste Airport?
Yes. Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport at Liberia was renamed Guanacaste Airport in July 2021 by its concessionaire. The codes MRLB and LIR are unchanged and the aviation world still calls it Liberia. This page uses the current name and the old one so that both are found.
Can private jets use Guanacaste Airport?
Yes. Guanacaste has a 9,022 foot runway, ICAO Category 8 fire cover, customs on site and a dedicated general aviation facility, and it is the gateway to the Papagayo peninsula and the northern Pacific resorts. Costa Rica requires no landing permit; parking permission is required.
How long is the runway at Guanacaste?
07/25 is 2,750 metres, about 9,022 feet, by 148 feet, in asphalt, at 269 feet elevation. Fire cover is Category 8. The runway takes the whole of business aviation.
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, and handling is arranged with it.
Guanacaste or San José?
Guanacaste for Papagayo, Tamarindo, Nosara and the northern Pacific coast, which are four hours from San José by road and 40 minutes to an hour and a half from Guanacaste. San José for the capital, the Central Valley and the south. Most resort traffic flies here; our San José guide covers the capital.
Is ground handling mandatory at Guanacaste?
Handling is available and arranged on every private flight for customs coordination. We have not confirmed that it is formally mandatory as it is at San José.
What time zone is Costa Rica in?
Central Standard Time, UTC-6, all year. Costa Rica does not observe daylight saving.
How far is the airport from the resorts?
About 12 kilometres west of Liberia town. The Papagayo peninsula is about 40 minutes, Tamarindo about an hour and Nosara about two hours.
When is the season at Guanacaste?
December to April, the dry season on the Pacific coast, with peaks at Christmas, New Year and Easter. The green season from May to November is quieter and wetter.
What is the history of Guanacaste Airport?
The airport was built in the 1970s and named for Daniel Oduber Quirós, the Costa Rican president from 1974 to 1978 who championed it. It opened to international traffic in the 1990s as the Papagayo resort project developed, grew rapidly with direct United States flights, and was renamed Guanacaste Airport by its concessionaire in July 2021.
Can you fly direct from the United States to Guanacaste?
Yes. Guanacaste is about two and a half hours from Houston and three from Miami by jet, with customs on arrival.
Get Your Number
Request a Guanacaste charter
Tell us the resort and the dates. We confirm parking permission and handling before departure and plan the transfer to Papagayo, Tamarindo or Nosara.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.