Guanacaste will get a new nonstop connection from the United States next year, with Southwest Airlines set to operate a weekly route between Nashville, Tennessee, and Liberia during the 2027 high season. The new service will connect Nashville International Airport with Guanacaste Airport, officially Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, from February 13 through March 6, 2027.
Flights are scheduled to operate on Saturdays aboard a Boeing 737 MAX 8 with capacity for 175 passengers. The route gives Costa Rica’s northwestern tourism hub another direct link to the United States, one of our country’s most important visitor market. It also adds a new option for those from Tennessee and surrounding states looking for easier access to Guanacaste’s beaches, national parks, resorts and other tourism areas.
The scheduled run is short, covering four Saturdays during one of Costa Rica’s busiest tourism periods. If each southbound flight operates at full capacity, the route would bring up to 700 seats from Nashville to Guanacaste during the initial window, with the same number available for the return leg.
The new connection adds to Southwest’s existing direct service to Guanacaste from Houston, Denver and Baltimore. For travelers in the central and eastern United States, the Nashville route could also help reduce travel times and simplify itineraries that currently require connections through other U.S. hubs.
For a while now, Guanacaste Airport in Liberia has become one of our country’s most important gateways for international tourism, especially for visitors headed to beach destinations such as Tamarindo, Playas del Coco, Flamingo, Nosara, Sámara, Papagayo and the broader Nicoya Peninsula. The airport has benefited from steady growth in direct service from North America, where airlines have continued to target Costa Rica’s high-season demand.
The United States remains the top source market for Guanacaste Airport. During the first quarter of 2026, U.S. tourism through the airport grew 8% compared with the same period in 2025, reinforcing the area’s dependence on travelers from the United States and the importance of adding new city pairs during peak season.
The timing of the Nashville service fits squarely into our dry season, when Guanacaste sees some of its strongest demand from international visitors. February and early March are popular months for beach vacations, family trips, weddings, golf, sport fishing and nature travel across the province.
For Costa Rica’s tourism, the route is yet another sign that airlines continue to see value in Guanacaste as a standalone destination rather than only as an extension of San José. Direct flights into Liberia allow tourists to reach the Pacific coast faster and avoid the longer ground transfer from the capital.
The service also matters for hotels, tour operators, transportation companies, restaurants and small tourism businesses across the province. Even a limited seasonal route can bring new visitors into the market, test demand from a new U.S. city and give local tourism companies another audience to target.
For those in and around Nashville, the key point to keep in mind is that this is not being announced as year-round daily service. It is a weekly seasonal route with a defined operating window. Anyone planning a trip to Guanacaste next year should check schedules and fares directly with Southwest before making hotel or tour plans, as airline schedules can change.
Still, the addition gives Guanacaste another valuable link to the U.S. market at a time when air access remains one of the main drivers of Costa Rica’s tourism growth. For a province built around international arrivals, every new nonstop route can make a difference.
