Guanacaste just got a lot easier to reach if you're flying from the Washington, D.C. area — and we think that's worth celebrating with you.
United Airlines has announced a new daily nonstop route between Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Liberia's Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) — the airport we're 30 minutes from — starting December 17, 2026, right as Costa Rica's peak season kicks off. It's the first-ever direct connection between the U.S. capital and this stretch of the Pacific coast, according to Costa Rica's Tourism Institute (ICT).
What that means practically: if you're coming from D.C., Virginia, or Maryland — or connecting through Dulles from anywhere in United's northeastern network — you no longer have to route through San José and add hours to your travel day. You land in Liberia, and, like every guest who stays with us, you're at the house in about half an hour.
This adds to United's existing Dulles–San José route, so D.C.-area travelers now have two ways into Costa Rica — and for anyone headed to this side of the country, Liberia is the one that actually saves you a drive. Delta made a similar move recently, adding new nonstop service between New York (JFK) and San José. Different airline, same signal: more carriers are betting on Costa Rica right now, not fewer.
That bet is backed by real numbers. Costa Rica pulled in more than $2 billion in tourism revenue in the first quarter of 2026 alone — a first-quarter record, according to the Central Bank of Costa Rica — with more than a million visitors arriving by air in those first three months. One honest wrinkle in that data: the average stay is getting shorter (10 days in 2025, down from 12 in 2024), largely because a stronger colón has made the country pricier for international travelers. We won't pretend that's not real. What we will say is that green season — August through November — is when that value swings back in your favor here, well before the December rush this new flight is timed to meet.
If you've been eyeing a Guanacaste trip and the flight logistics were the thing holding you back, this is genuinely good news. December books up fast even in a normal year; a brand-new nonstop route landing right as peak season opens means it'll book up faster.
We'll be watching for United to open reservations on this route and will update this post once tickets go live.
Have questions about timing your trip around the new flight? DM us or WhatsApp +506 8302 7602 — happy to help you plan around it.