As airports go, San Jose international (SJO) is one of the best that I have ever had the pleasure of flying in and out of. Though a rather small airport in comparison with other travel destinations, it is very well maintained. The bathrooms are very clean and well kempt as routine cleaning is done regularly. As far as food goes, don’t expect the dozens of choices you would find at most larger airports but it is modestly equipped with a Burger King, Church’s Chicken, Papa John’s Pizza and a small salad and sandwich shop. As is normal with most airport food, expect to pay extra for the “convenience” of having options within the airport. If you do decide to eat at the food court I would recommend ordering the Papa John’s cheese bread. This is because they actually bake it right there from scratch. It normally takes about fifteen minutes but it is well worth the wait since most of what you will find is pre-cooked, micro-waved and not too appealing.
The gift shops in the airport are reasonably priced. Many of the things you will find in these shops are priced comparably to most local malls in the area. Of course you can always find things cheaper if you are willing to wait and hunt for the best price at small shops outside the airport but they still have some great gifts for you to pick up for friends or family right before you catch your flight. Be careful with duty free stores though, they have many wonderful gift ideas but you will end up paying an arm and a leg for most things. I would avoid any electronics since most of them can be purchased in your country of origin for cheaper. You may enjoy taking a look at what kind of liquors and body care products they have to offer and though they may be slightly over-priced, this may be one of the only places in the country you can find certain products. For example, the airport is one of the only places in the entire country that I have seen French Presses for coffee lovers.
In my opinion the best part of the entire airport is that they offer free wireless internet. This is a great distraction as you wait for your flight. The internet speed was fast enough for me to use Skype in the airport but when there are a ton of people catching flights at the same time as you, you can count on the internet connection being a little slow. For the most part the staff is very friendly throughout the entire airport but don’t count on them being too helpful. As is the case in most of the country, they seem as if they have gotten used to things running a certain way and it doesn’t matter how much you complain it won’t help things go faster or smoother. ‘It is what it is’ and no matter how much you yell your Gringo head off, they are content to keep it that way. So try and be patient, it is probably the only thing that will help the staff move quicker. After all, remember, this is Costa Rica!
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