When Traveling through Guanacaste, most assuredly one
aspect that will stay with you is the sun. It's almost as if the sun is closer to
you here. It bathes everything with a golden hue and gilds the surrounding
landscape. Great expanses of golden grasses sway elegantly in the wind while
stunted, gnarled Guanacaste trees dot the low hills. The landscape is both dramatic
and memorable for any visitor traversing this the largest region of Costa Rica.
The Guanacaste region is bordered by two mountain ranges. The Cordillera de
Tilaran and the Cordillera de Guanacaste provide splendid craggy backdrops to some of the
country's most beautiful countryside.
Map of the Province of Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula
The perfect time to visit Guanacaste is, luckily enough,
year round. No matter if you visit during the dry season or during the wet season,
both provide spectacular advantages. The dry season affords the serious sun lover
with planning of tanning time, while the wet season brings the trees into bloom with
explosions of colors and fragrances. The rolling hills become carpeted in brilliant
green.
The province is known for its cattle ranches, travelers will
see many homes surrounded by green pastures and grazing cows. It is often compared
to the State of Texas for this reason.
This comparison is not altogether erroneous as Guanacaste shares with Texas the long
stretches of plains which are ideal for cattle ranches. The region has been designated by
the government as a preferential tourism development area. In order to facilitate access,
the Liberia airport was upgraded and extended so as to become the second international
airport in the country.
The province of Guanacaste covers
most of Nicoya Peninsula on Costa Rica's northwest. It has over 200 miles of
coastline with more that 70 different beaches, several of Costa Rica's famous National
Parks, spectacular lakes and volcanoes, great fishing and diving spots.
Regular and chartered flights serve Guanacaste's international airport in Liberia
from gateways in the U.S.A. and Canada.
Over one third of all National Parks and wildlife reserves
existing in Costa Rica are in Guanacaste, including turtle nesting sites, refuges for
migrating birds, spectacular caves and the largest protected tropical dry forest in the
world.
Liberia, Santa Cruz and
Nicoya are the most important towns in Guanacaste.
Liberia is the capital of Guanacaste and is located along
the Interamericana Highway. It is called the White City because of the color of its
houses.
Santa Cruz is considered the home of much of Costa Rica's
folklore. The music department of the University of Costa Rica has a special branch in
Santa Cruz, which is devoted to researching and celebrating traditional Costa Rican songs,
dances and instruments.
Nicoya is the cultural and commercial capital of
Guanacaste.
Its pride is its immaculate central park and the colonial church dedicated to San Blas in
1644.
Guanacaste
Area: 10,140 Km˛ or 6,300 square miles Population: 224,631 Capital: Liberia, population 32,951, 175 miles from San Jose Climate: Warm, average temperature 83 F Altitude: 25 meters or 82 feet above sea level
