Airport: 15km (9.3 miles) NW of San José; Alajuela: 18.5km (11.5 miles) NW of San José; Poás Volcano: 37km (23 miles) northwest of San José

Most people visiting Costa Rica land at the Juan Santamaría International Airport in Alajuela. The downtown area of Costa Rica’s second largest city is just a mile or so north of the airport. The city itself is of little interest to most tourists, although it is the gateway to the Poás Volcano and other top Central Valley attractions.