Juan Santamaría International Airport — San José (Alajuela), Costa Rica

Costa Rica's principal gateway, SJO, takes its name from Juan Santamaria, the young drummer boy from Alajuela celebrated for helping repel William Walker's filibuster forces at the 1856 Battle of Rivas. The airport sits in Alajuela province, a short distance from the capital San Jose, close enough that most travelers barely notice the distinction between the two cities. As the country built its reputation around rainforest lodges, volcano hikes, and coastal surf towns, SJO absorbed the resulting surge in visitor arrivals, growing into one of Central America's busier international terminals. Avianca Costa Rica bases operations here, alongside a long roster of North American and European carriers running seasonal and year-round routes. A single main runway handles the traffic, supported by a terminal that has undergone repeated expansion to keep pace with steady ecotourism demand from abroad.