Flights to Costa Rica and Central America from the US

Quick answer: Costa Rica and Panama are the easiest Central American trips from the US. San Jose (SJO) and Liberia (LIR) in Costa Rica have nonstops from many US hubs, about three to four hours from Texas and Florida, and Panama City's Tocumen airport (PTY) is the hub of Copa Airlines, which flies to it from about 17 mainland US cities. US citizens need no visa for tourism in either country but must show a return or onward ticket. Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua share one 90-day stay limit under the CA-4 agreement. December to April is the dry season on the Pacific side.

Facts checked November 2026. Schedules and entry rules change, so confirm with the airline and the official government site before you travel.

Central America flights at a glance

Where you can fly in Central America

Each city links to every route guide we publish into that airport; each guide covers the airlines, connections and baggage rules, with live fares when the page loads.

• Flights to San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO)1 route guide
• Flights to Panama City (PTY)1 route guide

Entry rules as of November 2026

Costa Rica: US citizens need no visa for tourism. The immigration officer decides how many days to grant, up to 180, and writes it in your passport, so check the stamp. Bring a passport valid for your whole stay, and expect to show a return or onward ticket; airlines often ask for it at check-in.

Panama: US citizens can stay up to 180 days as tourists without a visa. The State Department says your passport must be valid at least three months after you arrive, and you need a return or onward ticket and proof of enough money for the stay. Panama uses the US dollar alongside its own balboa coins, so you do not need to change money.

The CA-4 agreement covers Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. A US citizen who enters any of the four can travel among the others, but the stay limit is up to 90 days for the four countries together, not 90 days each. Costa Rica, Panama and Belize are not part of it. Nicaragua charges an entry fee on arrival and has a higher State Department travel advisory level than its neighbors, so read the current advisory before you book.

Flights to Costa Rica: San Jose or Liberia

Costa Rica has two main international airports, and choosing the right one saves hours on the road. Juan Santamaría International in San Jose (SJO) is in the Central Valley and suits the capital, Arenal, the Caribbean coast and the southern Pacific. Daniel Oduber Quirós International in Liberia (LIR) is in the northwest and is closest to the Guanacaste beaches and the Papagayo resorts.

Both airports have nonstops from the big US hubs on American, Delta, United, Southwest, JetBlue and others, with Liberia's US flights growing in the winter season. Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Miami and Fort Lauderdale have the most choice. Check whether a nonstop from your city runs year-round or only in winter.

Roads between San Jose and the beaches are winding and slow, so an open-jaw ticket, into Liberia and home from San Jose, often fits a trip that covers both the beaches and the volcanoes.

Flights to Panama and connecting through Copa

Copa Airlines, a Star Alliance member and United partner, flies from about 17 mainland US cities to Panama City's Tocumen airport (PTY), including Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, San Diego and San Francisco as of recent schedules. US airlines add nonstops from their own hubs.

Tocumen is built for connections. Copa links it with almost every Central American capital, the Caribbean and South America, so a one-stop ticket through Panama is often the easiest way to reach Guatemala City, San Salvador, Tegucigalpa or Managua from a US city without a nonstop. Copa's stopover program lets you spend time in Panama on the way at no extra airfare; check the current terms with the airline.

Tocumen is about 30 to 45 minutes by road from central Panama City, depending on traffic, and a branch of Metro Line 2, opened in 2023, reaches the airport.

Weather, hurricanes and the best months

In Costa Rica and most of Central America the dry season runs about December to April on the Pacific side, and it is the busiest and most popular time, especially around Christmas, New Year and Easter. The rainy season, which Costa Rica calls the green season, runs about May to November, with sunny mornings and afternoon rain in many places. September and October are usually the wettest months.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. Panama and Costa Rica lie south of the usual storm track and direct hits are rare, but distant storms can still bring days of heavy rain. Honduras, Belize, Guatemala and Nicaragua's Caribbean coast are more exposed.

The Caribbean side of Costa Rica and Panama has its own pattern, with September and October often among the drier months there. The fare grid on each route guide shows what is live for your dates.

Booking tips for Central America

Match the airport to the region of your trip before comparing flights: Liberia for Guanacaste, San Jose for the rest of Costa Rica.

From a city with no nonstop, compare a connection at a US hub with one through Panama on Copa. Copa's US flights mostly arrive in time for its next bank of connections.

Carry proof of your return or onward flight, printed or in the app. Airlines check it for Costa Rica and Panama before letting you board.

Coming home you clear US immigration and customs at your first US airport, since there is no US preclearance in Central America. Leave time if you connect onward.

Route guides to Central America

Frequently asked questions