Costa Rica deal alert: Book flights to Liberia from $259 round-trip

We're big fans of Costa Rica. The Central American nation is popular not just with adventure travelers, surfers and fishing enthusiasts, but also with families looking for a break from typical vacation destinations. So whenever we see a sale on fares to Costa Rica, we like to let you know about it.

This deal covers travel to Liberia, which is in the Guanacaste province in the northern part of the country. You can plan out a great trip that includes river rafting, hiking around Costa Rica's largest volcano and exploring the small city's rich history.

This sale covers the end of the summer through early 2023, but the best fares we found were in the fall. As is typical with these sales, most of the fares we mention below are for basic economy. These tickets often don't include full-size carry-on bags, so check the airline's policy before booking. It will typically cost you between $50 and $80 round-trip to upgrade for more overhead bin space. Checked luggage costs around $30 to $35 each way.

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A big salute to Scott’s Cheap Flights for first spotting this deal. Its Premium membership is available for $49 per year. The Elite tier option is available for $199 per year, and it offers access to deals on premium economy, business- and first-class tickets.

You know what we always say: The more flexible you can be with your travel plans, the better price you'll find.

Deal basics

Airlines: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines.
Routes: Baltimore, Indianapolis, New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and others to Liberia, Costa Rica.
How to book: Search Google Flights and book directly through the airline.
Travel dates: Best availability from August this year through February 2023.

Related: 6 adventurous activities in Costa Rica for families

Sample flights

A basic cconomy ticket on American from Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to Guanacaste Airport (LIR) in October is available for only $329 round-trip, a really nice price for a fall getaway to Costa Rica.

We found lots of bargain fares from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) to Liberia. Here's one we found for just $259 round-trip on Delta for a late-October trip. Bonus: Delta's basic economy does allow for a free full-size carry-on bag.

This American itinerary out of Baltimore in September at $308 round-trip is also a nice deal for this route.

September is also where we found good fares out of New York City. You can fly from LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Liberia on American for $320 round-trip.

Flights from Indianapolis International Airport (IND) to Costa Rica have wide availability, but we found too many fares that included 18-20-hour layovers for travel in the fall. However, January 2023 itineraries were much better. We found this one, which doesn't require you to camp out at Miami International Airport for the better part of a day, on American for $331 round-trip.

There are good sale prices on flights from Washington, D.C., as well. You can book a ticket out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to Liberia in October for $304 round-trip.

Maximize your purchase

Pay with: The Platinum Card® from American Express for 5 points per dollar on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), the Citi Prestige® Card for 5 points per dollar on airfare, the Citi Premier® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve for 3 points per dollar on air travel, the American Express® Gold Card for 3 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel, or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for 2 points per dollar on travel.

The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.