Flying from San Jose (SJO) to Cobano (ACO) for Santa Teresa in 2026: Sansa and Costa Rica Green Airways, the Green Airways schedule, baggage and surfboard rules, the taxi from the airstrip, and what the total costs against the shuttle.
Two airlines fly San Jose (SJO) to Cobano airport (ACO) in 2026, Sansa and Costa Rica Green Airways, and the flight takes about 40 minutes. Fares start around $125 one way, and a taxi from the airstrip to Santa Teresa adds $30 to $65. Door to door that is two and a half to three hours against five hours on the shuttle, at roughly three times the price.
The short version
Cobano airport replaced the old Tambor airstrip in November 2023, so any older advice that says "fly to Tambor" now means Cobano. It sits just outside Cobano town, on the paved road down to the coast. There is no bus from the airstrip, so you arrange a taxi or a transfer.
Fly if you are travelling light, staying a short time, or landing late in San Jose when the last shuttle has gone. Take the shuttle if you have a surfboard longer than 6 feet 7 inches, more than one checked bag, or a budget. Compare the whole trip, not just the ticket: the flight is the cheap part of the air route only when you are alone, and the shuttle is cheaper per person in every case except a very large group in one taxi. The other routes are in San Jose to Santa Teresa, and the same flight seen from the north is in flights from Liberia to Santa Teresa.
Who flies it
Costa Rica Green Airways publishes the clearest timetable, so I start there. Its San Jose to Cobano departures are 6:40am, 8:50am, 10:30am, 1:00pm, 3:15pm and 5:00pm, with two extra flights at 2:00pm and 4:00pm that its page marks with an asterisk and does not explain, per costaricagreenair.com. Treat the extras as seasonal or demand flights and book one of the six regular times if you need certainty.
Sansa, the older domestic airline, advertises "daily flights to Cobano" from San Jose on flysansa.com. Its destination page does not print times, so you see them only after you enter a date in the booking engine. If Green Airways is full on your day, price Sansa for the same date before you give up on flying.
Both use small turboprops, roughly nine passengers, so a sold-out day is a real possibility in December through April and around the Christmas week. Book early.
What it costs
Neither airline publishes a 2026 fare table, and fares quoted online for this route vary wildly. The most consistent figure is airfare from $125 one way, about 40 minutes in the air, and about $175 for the whole trip with the ground transfer included. Outsite, the co-living operator in Santa Teresa, lists regional flights to Cobano starting at $175 on its arrival guide. Plan on $125 to $180 one way and expect more on holiday weekends. Always read the fare class, because it sets your bag weight.
The real advice is to price both airlines for your exact date and treat any number you read online, including mine, as a starting point.
Baggage and surfboards
This is where the flight stops being simple. Small planes weigh passengers and bags.
Costa Rica Green Airways includes one checked bag on every fare, and the weight depends on the fare, per its baggage policy. For Cobano: 50 lb on the top fare, 40 lb on Standard Plus, 35 lb on Standard and 25 lb on Economy. Extra pounds cost $1 to $2 each. Carry-on is one item up to 10 lb. The maximum is 60 lb per passenger and the airline may refuse more. Its page does not list a surfboard fee, so ask before you buy.
Sansa's baggage rules allow a personal item up to 4.5 kg and checked bags up to 76 by 46 by 34 cm, with the weight set by your fare. Bags over 62 linear inches may be refused or carried only if space allows. Sansa's sports equipment page is specific about boards: maximum length 6.7 feet (2.04 metres), from $40 per board per leg plus tax, up to eight boards per flight, fins removed, one board per case with nothing else inside. Boards are outside your bag allowance and space is not guaranteed even after you ask. A board can end up on a later flight.
So a shortboard in a day bag works, a fish in a good case probably works, and a longboard does not fly at all. If you carry a board you are betting your first sunset on a cargo manifest. The shuttle takes the board in the van. For renting or buying one here instead, read surf board rental and repair.
From the airstrip to Santa Teresa
Cobano airport is about 30 to 40 minutes from the Playa Carmen cruce on paved road, plus a few minutes on the dirt to most places to stay. You pay per vehicle.
- Taxi: Tropical Tours Shuttles lists taxis from Cobano starting at $30 on its airport page. Another listing puts a taxi at $50 and about 40 minutes. Outsite quotes a taxi to its Santa Teresa house from $65 and wants 48 hours' notice. Villas up a hill add $5 to $15, and the road guide in taxis, Uber and Bolt in Santa Teresa covers night fares.
- Private minibus: from $270 with Tropical Tours, up to 10 people, with $20 per person extra after four. Pickups between 9pm and 6am add $20.
- Shared shuttle: no shared shuttle is published for this leg. Share a taxi with other people from your flight.
Book the driver before you fly. The cars thin out on quiet afternoons, and a late Green Airways flight lands after most drivers have gone home. Tropical Tours answers at +506 2640 1900 and on WhatsApp.
Flight against shuttle, ferry and private van
| Option | Cost per person, one way | Time from SJO | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fly to Cobano plus taxi | $155 to $245 | 2.5 to 3 hours with check-in | Light packers, short trips, late arrivals |
| Shared shuttle with ferry | $50 to $60 | about 5 hours | Most people, anyone with a board |
| Private van with ferry | $260 to $280 per vehicle | 4.5 to 5 hours | Families, groups of four or more |
| Own car and ferry | Rental plus about $25 for the car crossing | 5 to 6 hours | People staying a week or more |
The shuttle figures come from Tropical Tours at $60 and Transporzuma from $50, both with the Paquera ferry included, as laid out in best shuttle companies in Santa Teresa. The ferry itself is 810 colones for a foot passenger and about $25 for a car, and the timetable is in Paquera vs Tambor ferry. The overview of every option is in getting to Santa Teresa.
One date deserves a note. Tropical Tours says its shuttles do not board the ferry between December 15 and January 15 because demand is so high. Over that window the flight is the one way that avoids the dock queue, so book it as soon as your dates are fixed.
Which to pick
Fly if you are a couple or solo traveller with carry-on luggage and four or five nights. You save three hours each way and arrive with a beach afternoon in hand. You pay about $100 more per person, and that is the honest price of the time.
Take the shuttle if you have a board, a stroller, a week of groceries or a budget. You also keep the schedule flexible, since a missed flight with two bags is expensive and a missed shuttle is a rebooking call.
Take a private van or a rental car if four of you share the cost. A van at $270 is $68 each for four, which beats four flights by a wide margin.
Fly one way and shuttle the other if you want to see the gulf crossing once. Many guests do exactly that.
Pack for weight, not for volume. The packing list is written with small-plane limits in mind.
If you are staying in the area, the stay hub lists places that will book your driver for you. Browse the transport operators in the services directory.
FAQ
Is there a direct flight from San Jose to Santa Teresa?
Yes, in practice. There is no airport called Santa Teresa, but Sansa and Costa Rica Green Airways fly San Jose to Cobano (ACO), about 40 minutes, and Cobano is the nearest airport. From there it is a 30 to 40 minute taxi.
How much is the flight from San Jose to Cobano?
Around $125 to $180 one way in most searches, with the higher end around holidays. Neither airline publishes a simple fare table, so check both for your date. The taxi on arrival costs $30 to $65.
Can I bring a surfboard on the plane to Cobano?
On Sansa, yes if it is 6.7 feet (2.04 metres) or shorter, from $40 per board per leg, and only if there is space. Boards are outside your bag allowance. Green Airways does not list a board fee, so ask first. Longboards go by shuttle.
What is the luggage limit on Green Airways?
One checked bag is included, weighing 25 lb on Economy up to 50 lb on the top fare for Cobano. Extra weight costs $1 to $2 per pound and the maximum is 60 lb per person. Carry-on is one item up to 10 lb.
Is flying faster than the shuttle?
Yes. Flight, check-in and taxi take about 2.5 to 3 hours against 5 hours on the shuttle. The saving costs about $100 per person more, and it disappears if your board or bags are refused on the day.
Is there a bus from Cobano airport to Santa Teresa?
Not from the airstrip. Outsite's arrival guide says the airport has no bus connection. A taxi is the normal answer, and the local buses start from Cobano town.
