Tambor Airport
Tambor — Nicoya Peninsula. 30 min to Montezuma.
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Tambor — Costa Rica
Bahía Ballena is a wide, shallow, almost perfectly sheltered bay on the eastern side of the southern Nicoya Peninsula — calm water when the Pacific coast further west is heavy, a long grey-sand beach, and a handful of hotels strung along it. Tambor, the village, is small. The airstrip has been the practical way in for decades.
TMU is a 700-metre asphalt strip at 10 metres elevation, the shortest field in Costa Rica's regular network alongside Drake Bay, laid on the flat ground behind the bay. The arrival is low and over water, and the transfer from aircraft to hotel is typically under ten minutes.
Runway 12/30, 700 metres by 12 metres, asphalt, at 10 metres elevation. ICAO: MRTR. Coordinates: 9°44′21″N, 85°00′58″W. Daylight operations.
Seven hundred metres is short, and the single orientation means the field cannot always be worked in both directions the way the newer Cóbano strip can. The practical implications are real: strict weight limits, soft baggage, and a preference for morning operations. The aircraft are Cessna Caravan class, flown by crews with specific experience of the field.
Since Cóbano Airport (ACO) opened in 2023 about 20 minutes away, with a 1,300-metre bidirectional runway, southern Nicoya has had a genuine alternative. Tambor remains the closest field to Bahía Ballena and Curú; Cóbano is the better option for Santa Teresa, for larger groups and for heavier loads.
Tambor Airport — Getting there
By road from San José, southern Nicoya means the ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera — an hour on the water, plus the wait, plus the queue in high season — and then roughly 40 minutes of road to Tambor. Total, with the drive to Puntarenas, around five hours. The alternative, driving around the Gulf of Nicoya via the Tempisque bridge, is longer.
The charter from San José is about 29 minutes.
The ferry is genuinely pleasant and, for travellers with time, worth doing once. For anyone on a week's itinerary, it is a day.
Connections. Tambor connects by charter to San José (~29 min) and along the peninsula to Cóbano, Punta Islita, Nosara, Tamarindo and Liberia.
| San José | ~29 min | ~5 h incl. ferry |
When to fly
Southern Nicoya's dry season runs from roughly December to April — reliable sun, offshore mornings, and near-total operational reliability. The green season, May to November, brings afternoon convection, with September and October wettest.
TMU's short runway makes weather margins tighter than at larger fields. Morning flights are the operating standard.
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Tambor Airport — Frequently asked questions
What is the runway length at Tambor (TMU)?
700 metres by 12 metres of asphalt, runway 12/30, at 10 m elevation — among the shortest in Costa Rica's regular network. ICAO: MRTR.
How long is the flight from San José to Tambor?
About 29 minutes, against roughly five hours by road including the Puntarenas–Paquera ferry.
Should I fly into Tambor or Cóbano?
Tambor is closest to Bahía Ballena and Curú. Cóbano, about 20 minutes away, has a 1,300 m bidirectional runway and is the better choice for Santa Teresa, larger groups or heavier baggage.
What is Curú Wildlife Refuge?
A small privately managed reserve about 15 minutes north of Tambor, with unusually high wildlife density and boat access to Isla Tortuga.
Is Tambor good for families?
Bahía Ballena is one of the calmest swimming beaches on the Costa Rican Pacific, which makes it unusually well suited to young children.
Are there weight limits on flights to TMU?
Yes, and they are strict. The 700 m runway imposes real performance constraints; soft bags and accurate weight declarations are required.