The Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) is proud to celebrate the announcement of new non-stop flights from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Ottawa International Airport (YOW) to Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) in Liberia, Guanacaste. Operated by Porter Airlines, these routes mark a key milestone in strengthening tourism ties between Canada and Costa Rica, while offering Canadian travelers greater access to the country’s Pacific coast and inland experiences.
Beginning December 4, 2025, Porter will launch nonstop service from Toronto Pearson three times weekly. Service from Ottawa will follow on December 17, 2025, operating twice per week.
The launch follows a successful Canadian market tour led by ICT earlier this year, during which Costa Rica’s tourism leadership met with media, travel advisors, and industry partners to reinforce market presence and address growing interest in Costa Rica as a four-season destination.
“The arrival of Porter Airlines to Guanacaste is the result of ongoing efforts to strengthen the relationship between Costa Rica and Canada. During our recent roadshow of several Canadian cities, we confirmed that the interest in our country is growing, and these new routes from Toronto and Ottawa represent opportunities for more Canadians to discover the natural and cultural riches of Guanacaste and the rest of the country,” said William Rodriguez Lopez, Costa Rica’s Tourism Minister.
Guanacaste is one of Costa Rica’s most ecologically and culturally significant regions. With a total area of 5,921 square miles and more than 400 miles of coastline, it stretches along the Pacific Coast from the Nicaraguan border to the Bongo River estuary on the Nicoya Peninsula. The region is home to a broad network of protected areas encompassing land, water, mountain, and coastal ecosystems that are teeming with biodiversity.
Visitors can explore diverse landscapes ranging from tropical dry forests and lowland mountain forests to pristine beaches and volcanic terrain. Highlights include the beaches of Playa Conchal, Playa Flamingo, and Tamarindo, and the national parks of Rincón de la Vieja and Santa Rosa. Rich in heritage, Guanacaste also features historic towns like Nicoya and Liberia, and is a gateway for immersive cultural experiences.
Thanks to sustained investment in tourism infrastructure, Guanacaste is one of Costa Rica’s most developed and visited tourism regions. Its flourishing hospitality sector caters to growing international demand, including luxury, eco-conscious, and family-friendly options.
Beyond Guanacaste, visitors can venture to Costa Rica’s Northern Plains, with its several protected areas, lakes, lagoons, volcanoes, rivers and waterfalls, it’s an ideal natural environment for the most avid wildlife watchers to explore. Also accessible from Guanacaste are the beaches of Puntarenas such as Tambor, Santa Teresa, and Montezuma, the Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve, San Lucas, Chira, Tortuga, and Coco Islands.
Canada continues to be one of Costa Rica’s most important source markets. According to data from the Costa Rica Tourism Board, 257,395 Canadian tourists arrived by air in 2024. In the first five months of 2025 alone, 147,743 Canadian travelers have already visited by air—demonstrating sustained momentum in demand from this key market.
The addition of these new Porter Airlines routes is expected to further support tourism growth, foster economic development in the Guanacaste region, and deepen the already-strong ties between Costa Rica and Canada.
