Planning a Trip

Getting There & Departing

By Plane -- The Daniel Oduber International Airport (tel. 2668-1010; airport code LIR) in Liberia receives a steady stream of scheduled commercial and charter flights throughout the year. Delta (tel. 800/241-4141; www.delta.com) has daily direct flights between its Atlanta hub and Liberia, twice-weekly direct flights from New York's JFK to Liberia; and a once-weekly direct flight between Los Angeles and Liberia; American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) offers daily direct flights between Miami and Liberia, and twice-weekly flights between Dallas-Ft. Worth and Liberia; Continental (tel. 800/231-0856; www.continental.com) has daily direct flights between Houston and Liberia; and twice-weekly flights between Newark and Liberia; and US Airways (tel. 800/622-1015; www.usairways.com) has one weekly direct flight between Charlotte and Liberia. In addition, there are numerous commercial charter flights from various North American cities throughout the high season. Check with your travel agent.

Sansa (tel. 877/767-2672 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2290-4100 in Costa Rica; www.flysansa.com) has five daily flights to Liberia leaving between 6am and 11:40am from San José's Juan Santamaría International Airport. Return flights depart for San José between 7:40am and 12:40pm. During the high season, one late-afternoon flight is added. The fare for the 50-minute flight is $102 (£51) each way.

Nature Air (tel. 800/235-9272 in the U.S. and Canada or 2299-6000; www.natureair.com) has three flights daily to Liberia at 6:30 and 10:10am, and 12:25 and 4:30pm from Tobías Bolaños International Airport in Pavas. Return flights leave Liberia at 7, 11, and 11:30am, and 5:10pm. Fares are $108 (£54) each way. Nature Air also has direct flights between Liberia and Arenal, Quepos, Tamarindo, and Tambor, as well as connections to just about every major destination in Costa Rica, and a daily tourist flight that cruises over several active volcanoes and the Santa Elena peninsula.

If you plan to fly here and rent a car to continue on to one of the nearby beaches and explore the region, the following companies all have local agencies: Adobe (tel. 2667-0608), Alamo (tel. 2668-1111), Avis (tel. 2668-1138), Budget (tel. 2668-1118), Dollar (tel. 2668-1061), Economy (tel. 2666-2816), Hertz (tel. 2668-1048), Payless (tel. 2667-0511), Sol (tel. 2666-2222), Thrifty (tel. 2665-0787), and Toyota (tel. 2668-1212). You can also reserve with these and most major international car-rental companies via their San José and international offices.

Note: The official word is that the cramped, inefficient, and overcrowded terminals, for both arriving and departing passengers, at the Daniel Oduber International Airport will be replaced with a major, modern new facility by mid-2009. If experience is any guide, I wouldn't start holding my breath for a couple years beyond that date, but don't be surprised if there is ongoing construction when you arrive. Taxis await all incoming flights; a taxi into town should cost around $10 (£5).

By Car -- Take the Interamerican Highway west from San José, and follow the signs for Nicaragua and the Guanacaste beaches. Liberia is about a 3 1/2- to 4-hour drive.

An Interesting Stop on Your Way to Liberia -- If you're driving to or from Guanacaste, be sure to take a brief break to check out the Iglesia de Cañas (Cañas Church) in Cañas. Well-known painter, installation artist, and local prodigal son Otto Apuy has designed and directed the envelopment of the entire church in colorful mosaic. The work uses whole and broken tiles in glossy, vibrant colors to depict both religious and abstract themes. The church's central tower, which is entirely covered in mosaic, is nearly 30m (100 ft.) tall. It is estimated that more than a million pieces of ceramic were used in the work. The church is located in the center of town, just a few blocks off the highway.

By Bus -- Pulmitan express buses (tel. 2222-1650 in San José, or 2666-0458 in Liberia) leave San José roughly every hour between 6am and 8pm from Calle 24 between avenidas 5 and 7. The ride to Liberia takes 4 hours. A one-way fare costs $5 (£2.50).

Gray Line (tel. 2220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com) has a daily bus that leaves San José for Liberia at 8am. The fare is $33 (£16). Interbus (tel. 2283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) has two daily buses that leave San José for Liberia at 7:45am and 2:30pm; the fare is $35 (£17) to Liberia. The morning bus (for either company) makes connections to Rincón de la Vieja and Santa Rosa national parks. Both companies will pick you up at most San José-area hotels.

Buses depart for San José and most of the area beaches and national parks from the Liberia bus station on the edge of town, 200m (2 blocks) north and 100m (1 block) east of the main intersection on the Interamerican Highway. Express buses for San José leave roughly every hour between 4am and 8pm.

Fast Facts

There are several state and private bank offices clustered around downtown Liberia, as well as a branch of the Banco de Costa Rica inside the airport. The local police number is tel. 2690-0129, and the Liberia Hospital number is tel. 2666-0011. If you need a taxi, dial tel. 2666-3330. There are a host of Internet cafes on the blocks surrounding and just off of the central plaza.

On the southern outskirts of the city is a modern shopping mall, the place to come for a food court fix or to catch a semi-late-run movie at the local multiplex. Another similar complex should be completed near the airport by late 2009.