When flying with a dog in the USA, you’ll commonly encounter pet relief areas at airports, including ones that are behind security, handy for visiting before boarding a flight with your dog. But what if you are visiting Central and South America with your dog? Are there pet relief areas at airports in Central and South America?
While many airports in Central and South America don’t have pet relief areas, there are some exceptions. I’ve listed below the pet relief areas, both indoors and outdoors, that you can find at airports in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador and Brazil.
Airports in Mexico with Pet Relief Areas
Alaska Airlines has put together a handy list of pet relief areas at airports that are served by the airline, including airports in Mexico. According to Alaska Airlines, the following airports in Mexico have pet relief areas, whether inside or outside areas.
Cancun: At Cancun International Airport there is an outdoor, synthetic grass pet relief area. Head outside of Terminal 2, and you’ll find it in front of door 4.
Guadalajara: Guadalajara International Airport also has an outside, grass pet relief area. It is located north of Terminal 1, about 200m towards Terminal 2. According to this news report, it looks quite fancy!
Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo: At Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo International Airport in Guerrero, the pet relief area is a grassed area outside of the terminal building to the right, in front of the arrivals area.
La Paz: La Paz International Airport in Baja California Sur has an outdoor, gravel pet relief area.
Manzillo: Manzillo International Airport, also known as Playa de Oro International Airport, has two pet relief areas. In addition to an outdoor grassed area, in between the airport parking lot and the curbside, there is also an indoor pet relief area, behind security. It is a grassed area located next to the International arrival gate.
Mazatlán: Mazatlán International Airport has an outside, grassed pet relief area.
Monterrey: Monterrey International Airport, also known as General Mariano Escobedo International Airport, also has an outside, grassed pet relief area.
Puerto Vallarta: At Puerto Vallarta International Airport along the Pacific coast, head outside the terminal to the left hand side for a grassed pet relief area, near the parking lot. Find out more about travelling through Puerto Vallarta Airport with a dog.
San José del Cabo: Los Cabos International Airport has an outdoor, gravel pet relief area. It is located outside Terminal 3, head left when exiting.
Unfortunately, there are no pet relief areas at the large and busy Mexico City International Airport in the Mexican capital, also known as Benito Juárez International Airport.
Airports in Costa Rica with Pet Relief Areas
According to the information provided by Alaska Airlines, there are two airports with pet relief areas in Costa Rica.
San Jose: At Juan Santamaría International Airport in San Jose (the second busiest airport in Central America) there is an outdoor, grass pet relief area. It is just outside the terminal building, right next to the parking.
Liberia: Liberia International Airport in Costa Rica, also known as Guanacaste Airport and Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, also has an outside, grass pet relief area, outside of the terminal.
Airports in Panama with Pet Relief Areas
Tocumen International Airport in Panama City is the busiest airport in Central America. It is a major hub when flying in Central and South America, with many passengers stopping over here in between flights connecting all parts of the Americas and the world.
Luckily then, Tocumen International Airport in Panama City is home to an indoor pet relief area behind security, accessible when you are transferring between flights on a stopover in Panama City.
The pet relief area is located in the older Terminal 1, on the 2nd Floor in the Central Zone. It’s hard to miss thanks to is brightly decorated door. The location is also shown in the map of the airport in the Copa Airlines inflight magazine.
Inside is a small area, ideally only for a single dog to use at a time. The colourful paintings continue, plus there is a sink and hose.
Airports in Ecuador with Pet Relief Areas
Across all of South America, I’ve encountered one pet relief area when travelling, although on this trip I was returning from the Galapagos Islands without my dog. This pet relief area is at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito, Ecuador.
The Mariscal Sucre International Airport is an excellent, modern airport, although it’s a long drive from the centre of Quito. When arriving at the airport, I noticed signs for a pet relief area when leaving the arrivals area, although the signs then stopped and I couldn’t spot the area. I believe it was pointing to an outdoor pet relief area.
However, there is also another pet relief area at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito, indoors behind security in the international departures area. There’s multiple signs pointing to the pet relief area near Gate A8.
Inside is a synthetic grass area, complete with a yellow fire hydrant. There’s bags and paper towel to clean up after your dog (and a sink and soap for humans), along with a red button to press to activate the “jet flush” afterwards.
Airports in Brazil with Pet Relief Areas
I’ve travelled through multiple airports in Brazil without spotting any pet relief areas, but according to Boogie the Pug, there is a bare bones pet relief area at Tom Jobim International Airport in Rio de Janeiro.
The pet relief area is located in the baggage claim area. Rather than being an enclosed room, it’s a semi-raised platform with a short wall on two sides, covered in pee pads, along with a trash can. See the above linked post for some photos.
Other Pet Relief Areas in Central & South America
Unfortunately, I haven’t spotted pet relief areas, especially inside ones, at other airports that I’ve visited in Central and South America, whether with or without my dog at the time. This has included other airports in Brazil, Peru and Bolivia.
Have you spotted any other pet relief areas at airports in Central and South America? Let me know in the comments below!
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- Which North & South American Airlines Allow Dogs in the Cabin?
- Travelling in Mexico with a Dog
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About the Author
Shandos Cleaver is the founder of Travelnuity: Dog-Friendly Travel. She has travelled extensively with her Miniature Dachshund, Schnitzel, including to 33 countries across Europe, every state and territory of Australia except Tasmania, and 10 of the United States. She’s passionate about providing inspiration and information to others wanting to travel with their dogs, whether close to home or internationally.