Retirement Travel Ideas: Best Trips to Take After Retirement
"One of two international airports serving the country (LIR), noted so travelers should check which airport is most convenient when booking hotels and ground transportation." - Patricia Doherty
Patricia Doherty
Patricia Doherty is a writer who specializes in covering destinations, resorts, and cruises for Travel + Leisure and other publications.
Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"The natural beauty of Costa Rica is no secret, with beaches, cloud forests, and coffee plantations filling its relatively small area. The country has been extremely popular with expats for the past 40 years, so you can easily find established communities of English-speaking peers (though you should definitely learn Spanish if you’re considering a permanent move).
Costa Rica’s famous pura vida lifestyle encourages people to relax, get outdoors, and stop sweating the small stuff. It’s easy to get back to the fast pace in the States, however, with numerous airlines flying out of the international airports in San José (SJO) and Guanacaste (LIR).
Cost of living: Couples can live comfortably off $2,100 a month in Costa Rica. That includes all costs: housing, transportation, medical care, utilities, food, and entertainment.
Healthcare: Once you become a resident, you can either pay monthly into the universal medicine program (typically 7 to 11 percent of your income) or get a private policy. You can also pay out of pocket, with visits costing around $70 for a regular doctor’s visit and $90 for a specialist.
Visa requirements: There is no age requirement for the Pensioner Visa, but you must have a monthly pension of $1,000. You must apply in person at the Immigration Office of Costa Rica in San José. You can find full details on the Costa Rica Embassy website." - Caitlin Morton
Learning Pura Vida: A Look at Costa Rica's Culture
"When I arrived at the Liberia airport the immigration line was a mass of people — chaotic, with men yelling and pushing and Americans seething at the mess. I was frustrated too, but more at their rudeness; it's an open-air airport in Costa Rica, not the United States, so don't expect someone to come out and start directing traffic — smile and wait an extra ten minutes." - Matthew Kepnes
Flying in we had a flight that had to use stairs to get out and line up at customs. I have never seen a customs line up so large in any country. They do pull handicapped, elderly and young children to the front of the line. Took an hour to get through. Coming back the lines were short for TSA. There are great number of shops to by pass time. However the restaurant situation is abysmal. Long lines meh food choices. Lots of drinks and snacks available at the shoping kiosks.
Deborah
Google
November 14, 2025 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Clean airport with extremely long lineups. We were the first bus to arrive, so everything moved along quickly, but I felt bad for the people who came on the later buses. The staff were friendly, and the process to check in luggage and go through customs was smooth. There’s also a great selection of duty-free shops where you can buy chocolates, alcohol, coffee, and much more.
Sarah S.
Google
I highly recommend you eat BEFORE you get to the airport. The prices here are high, even for airports. This is a small airport that was not designed to handle the number of tourists passing through it's doors. Despite this, the staff seem did an admirable job of moving us all through. After arriving, immigration took ~1hour of standing in line. The immigration officers were efficient and polite. When we were departing, the security and check in were also efficient. There is limited seating inside the terminal during peak times. There are also very limited food options, which are expensive.
Nik
Google
Nice airport, 20 minutes to pass security on Sunday morning. Lots of phone chargers
Mahbub Islam S.
Google
Not enjoying seating space
Less restaurants
Wifi is super slow
Less washroom
Less rest area for long haul flights
No lounge facilities
It needs some improvement.
nicole T.
Google
Very easy to navigate. Warning to check what time American Airlines opens (website did say 8 but they didnt open until 9:15ish) or you might be sitting for a little. Only took about 5-10 minutes to get through customs and tsa on the way out of CR. About an hour and some change on the way in CR (most flights land around the same time). Outside customs: Bathroom (was broken when I came in but fixed on the way out), 2 souvenir shops, and a few bench/seating options. Indoor and outdoor cafe/bar to wait at right outside of exit, with plenty of taxi/shuttle options available (my shuttle had to wait across the street so be aware of that). Inside: lots of souvenir shops to waste time with free coffee, hot sauce, and chocolate samples. I honestly kept trying new coffees instead of having to buy one...Also have bikes (to charge your phone) outside gate 2/3 or just get your legs moving. Tables/space available to remote work at. Self serve water fountain. Restaurant options inside. Prices are very high though (for both souvenirs and food). I used Gyspy Cab Nosara to get to Nosara and highly recommend as well!
May E
Google
The airport is small & clean. We arrived in early February, the line up through customs was long but moved quickly. We were out of the airport within an hour. For our departure we got there 3 hours early. The employees including our airline agent were courteous, air conditioning was comfortable, the line up through security was efficient. We had a chance to shop at the duty free…very friendly service.
What I didn’t like: 1.)the seats in the waiting area to the gates are very tight and narrow. You have to hop over bags to get in & out of your seat. 2.) I’m aware how F&B is expensive at the airports but in the Liberia airport it’s ridiculous…$25 is way too much for a soft drink & a slice of pizza. Eat before you get there or bring your own food.
Brian B G.
Google
Very nice and convenient sized airport. Got some Imperial and Ron Centanario rum from Costa Rica from Duty Free. No tax, Great prices.