Costa Rica logged its best first half on record for international air arrivals. The Instituto Costarricense de Turismo released figures showing 1,605,360 international visitors arrived by air between January and June 2026. That is a 7.8% increase over the same period in 2025.
For Guanacaste, the number that matters is Liberia. Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport handled more than 608,000 international travelers in those six months. Liberia is the entry point for the entire Pacific coast north of Jacó, and Playas del Coco is a 35 minute drive from the terminal. We filmed the approach and the drive in on a recent Toronto flight. You can watch the landing at Liberia and the drive into Coco here.
Top Source Markets
The United States remains the largest single market by a wide margin. American arrivals reached approximately 966,661 in the first half of 2026, up 4.9% year over year. Canada posted the strongest growth of any major market. Canadian arrivals hit roughly 197,528, a 26.5% jump.
That Canadian number is the one to watch from Coco. Porter runs direct service into Liberia from Toronto, and Air Canada is adding nonstop Vancouver to Liberia flights. Canadian buyers have been a steady presence in this market for years. A 26.5% increase in arrivals is a much bigger swing than the 4.9% from the US.
Mexico added 46,465 arrivals, up 8.4%. European visitors exceeded 263,000, with Germany, France, and the United Kingdom leading that segment. South American arrivals surpassed 77,000, led by Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil.
New Routes and Infrastructure
United Airlines launched service between Washington, D.C. and Guanacaste this year. The route feeds directly into LIR and adds a major East Coast connection. Chicago Rockford is adding nonstop service to Liberia as well.
Worth noting for anyone flying in: most LIR arrivals are direct from North America and never touch San José. The automated eGates that ICT installed at Juan Santamaría are good news for the country’s headline processing times. They do not change anything about arriving in Guanacaste. On my last arrival at LIR the immigration line was about 2 hours long. I’m looking forward to seeing improvements for processing arrivals in the coming months.
The road work matters just as much as the terminal upgrades. The corridor between Liberia and the coast has seen steady upgrades, and the intersections around Comunidad now handle the volume better than they did a few years ago. This is the junction that splits El Coco/Hermosa/Sardinal with Tamarindo to Santa Teresa.
What the Numbers Mean for Coco
More arrivals through Liberia mean more traffic on the road between LIR and Playas del Coco. The town is closer to the airport than any other established beach destination on this coast. When Liberia numbers move, Coco feels it first.
Strong first half figures usually set the tone for the dry season. Both US and Canadian bookings are trending up heading into the back half of the year. Historically this indicates a strong high season, with limited supply and higher rental prices from November through March.
June was the one exception. Monthly arrivals dipped 1.2%, the first decline after several months of growth. It is worth watching in the second half, though one month does not reverse a six-month trend.
Tourism revenue crossed $2 billion in Q1 2026 alone. The full ICT report is available on the ICT website.