Pérez Zeledón Airport
Pérez Zeledón — South Pacific Highlands. 10 min to San Isidro de El General.
Book your private flight to San Isidro de El General
Pérez Zeledón — Costa Rica
Between San José and the southern Pacific coast stands the Cerro de la Muerte — the Mountain of Death — a pass on the Pan-American Highway that climbs above 3,300 metres, is frequently fogged in, and earned its name honestly in the era before the road existed. It is the only overland route south, it is spectacular, and it is the reason a 130-kilometre journey takes three hours.
San Isidro de El General sits on the far side of it, at 640 metres in the broad agricultural valley of the General river, the commercial centre of the Pérez Zeledón region. Its airport is small, quiet, and disproportionately useful.
Runway 02/20, 802 metres by 18 metres, asphalt, at 640 metres elevation. ICAO: MRSI. Coordinates: 9°20′55″N, 83°42′45″W. The airport is about 3 kilometres south of downtown San Isidro. Daylight operations, managed by the DGAC. A terminal building was completed in 2022; there are no refuelling facilities on the field, which is a genuine planning factor for operators.
Eight hundred metres at 640 metres of elevation is a combination that matters. Density altitude on a warm afternoon reduces available performance, and the strip is short. Morning operations and conservative weight planning are not optional here.
Pérez Zeledón Airport — Getting there
San José to San Isidro is about 28 minutes by charter. The drive over the Cerro de la Muerte is around three hours in good conditions and considerably more in fog, which is common in the afternoons.
That fog is the point. The pass is genuinely unpleasant to drive late in the day, and the flight removes it entirely.
Connections. Pérez Zeledón connects by charter to San José (~28 min), and to Quepos, Palmar Sur, Golfito, Drake Bay and Puerto Jiménez.
| San José | ~28 min | ~3 h |
When to fly
The General valley is drier than the coast below it and wetter than the Central Valley. The dry season runs roughly December to April; the green season from May to November brings heavy afternoon convection, with September and October wettest. Mountain weather around Chirripó is its own system — cold at altitude year-round, and the driest climbing window is broadly January to April.
Fly from IPZ to
Pérez Zeledón Airport — Frequently asked questions
What is the runway length at Pérez Zeledón (IPZ)?
802 metres by 18 metres of asphalt, runway 02/20, at 640 m elevation. No refuelling on field. ICAO: MRSI.
How long is the flight from San José to San Isidro de El General?
About 28 minutes, against roughly three hours by road over the Cerro de la Muerte.
How do I get to Chirripó from IPZ?
The trailhead at San Gerardo de Rivas is about an hour from San Isidro. A SINAC permit is required and must be booked well in advance.
How high is Cerro Chirripó?
3,821 metres — the highest point in Costa Rica.
Can I reach Dominical and Uvita from IPZ?
Yes, roughly an hour by road west, which makes IPZ a practical alternative approach to the Costa Ballena.
Is there fuel at IPZ?
No. The field has a terminal building completed in 2022 but no refuelling capability.