Thirty-five point nine nautical miles from the dry coast of Guanacaste to the northern wetlands. It is the shortest leg between two regions almost nobody combines. From 1,795 USD per aircraft.
Route facts
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Daniel Oduber (LIR / MRLB), Liberia |
| Destination | Upala (UPL / MRUP) |
| Distance | 35.9 NM · 67 km |
| Price | From 1,795 USD per aircraft |
Two landscapes thirty-six nautical miles apart
Guanacaste is tropical dry forest: seasonal, open, six months without rain. Upala is humid lowland, permanent wetland and cattle country.
They are half an hour's flight apart and they are different climates. The Guanacaste cordillera separates them, and that barrier is exactly what makes the overland run long: you go round it to the north or cross it at the passes.
By road, about three hours. By air, thirty-six nautical miles.
And it is not a bad road: it is long because the terrain makes it so. That makes it a certain cost, not a variable one, and so the flight pays on time rather than on risk.
The northern apex of the triangle
| From Upala | Distance |
|---|---|
| Liberia | 35.9 NM |
| La Fortuna | 36.2 NM |
| Nicoya | 51.8 NM |
Upala is almost equidistant from Liberia and La Fortuna — 36 nautical miles from each — which makes it the northern apex of a triangle with Guanacaste and Arenal. It is an uncommon symmetry: most fields in the catalogue sit clearly nearer one hub than another.
For an itinerary combining volcano, beach and wetland, it is the point that closes the circuit without returning to the Central Valley — three legs, none over sixty nautical miles.
The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
And what there is to see at Upala
Caño Negro, one of the country's best bird refuges, reached by road and boat from Los Chiles or from Upala itself. We confirm the final access to the destination in the quote, because it changes with the date and the operation.
The Río Frío and the wetlands, with waterbird sightings all year and high concentrations in the dry season, when the water withdraws.
It is one of the few places in the country where the dry months are the better season rather than the worse.
And the Nicaraguan border ten kilometres away, although the flight is domestic and crosses nothing — no formalities, no deadlines.
A lowland field, with no conditions
A thousand metres of asphalt with no obstacles around. The limitation is declared length, nothing else. The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
It is the opposite of almost all the southern Pacific: here the aircraft is settled by passenger count and baggage, and the day of the flight adds no unknowns.
For groups with observation gear — tripods, long lenses — that matters more than the nautical miles.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Liberia to Upala?
The flight covers 35.9 nautical miles. By road it is about three hours, going round or across the Guanacaste cordillera.
Why does it take so long overland?
Because the Guanacaste cordillera separates the two regions and you must go round it or cross at the passes.
What is there to see at Upala?
Caño Negro, the Río Frío and the northern wetlands, with bird sightings all year. We confirm the final access to the destination in the quote, because it changes with the date and the operation.
Can it be combined with Arenal?
Yes. Upala is 36.2 nautical miles from La Fortuna, almost the same as from Liberia.
Does the field limit anything?
Only runway length. It is lowland with no obstacles, so the surroundings do not condition it. The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
Is the flight from Liberia to Upala international?
No. Upala is near Nicaragua, but the flight is domestic and crosses no border.