Northern Guanacaste Attractions
Welcome to the land of marimbas, bull fights, romantic serenades and moonlit horseback rides. The province of Guanacaste is home to an important part of the natural and cultural heritage of Costa Rica. Occupying the northwestern part of the country, this region encompasses approximately 100 km of coastline, from the border with Nicaragua to Punta Cerritos, 22 km west of Santa Cruz.
Traditionally, lives in Northern Guanacaste have revolved around ranches, cattle and farms. Over the last decade however, the province has experienced incomparable tourism growth, attributed mainly to the development of the Daniel Oduber International Airport, which receives a large number of regular and charter flights from the United States. Tourism in the northern region has also been propelled by the numerous development projects in the Gulf of Papagayo including international resorts and master-planned residential communities.
With its cultural and historical legacies known only to more discerning travelers, the region is the destination of choice for international tourists mainly because of its beaches. The warm waters of the Pacific and the long and white sandy beaches are irresistible when combined with the long hours of sunshine and the growing options of tours and excursions.
THE BEACHES
Beginning from the far north region of Guanacaste, visitors will find PUERTO SOLEY BEACH located in the beautiful and wide Salinas Bay. This beach is especially popular with residents of nearby La Cruz. Next, COYOTERA BEACH can only be visited by boats and kayaks. During the windiest months it is a good spot for windsurfing. Close by is JOBO BEACH, a favorite for those who need relaxation, as it is tucked away in a sheltered cove. Continuing down the coastline, the Santa Rosa National Park on the Santa Elena Peninsula is the oldest geological zone in Costa Rica. PLAYA BLANCA, located inside the park on a beautiful bay, has serene waters for swimming. This beach is 17 km from the park’s administrative area where the camping facilities are located. 12 km from the administrative area is another beach called PLAYA NARANJO, with a tongue of dark sand and a mix of waters from the ocean and the river mouth, where a wide estuary with mangrove forests rich in flora and fauna has been formed. The scenery here includes the Pena de la Bruja (Witch’s Rock), an islet famous among surfers and has even inspired a line of sports clothes. Overnight camping is permitted on this beach.
The area of Papagayo has welcomed some of the best international hotel brands and the boom continues with offers of exclusive private residences to a worldwide audience. The attractions here begin with a little nook in the Northern Pacific known as NACASCOLO BEACH, a perfect spot for swimming and diving thanks to the gentle surf. Tourists arrive here by boat from several nearby hotels. A small estuary awaits those who take a long walk to the southern end of the beach. MOTE DEL BARCO BEACH is one of the smaller beaches in the Gulf of Papagayo but offers the same peaceful ambience for relaxing and swimming. From the top and the slopes of the hill next to the beach the entire Culebra Bay can be viewed in its full splendor. This beach has been awarded the Blue Flag status. Proceeding south to the best known beach in Papagayo, PANAMA BEACH is bordered by mazanillo trees and spiny shrubs. The surf here is mild and there is a small mangrove forest in the Rocha estuary. This beach is visited frequently by Costa Rican families.
South of the Culebra Bay, HERMOSA BEACH is protected between two mountains in a bay approximately 2 km long. Towards the south and facing Punta Cacique are the small Pelonas and Montosa islands. This blue-flag beach is frequented by divers. Next, PLAYAS DEL COCO is in a bay with calm surf which makes it suitable for swimming and anchoring boats. The 3-km long beach offers facilities for diving, sports fishing and boat rides. The last in the classic trio is OCOTAL BEACH which is in a cove between two hills and has grayish sands and gentle surf. This is also a blue-flag beach. Just a little further south there is another smaller cove known as Blue Bay which is known as a sportfishing depot.
In a 4-km bay with serene waters, POTRERO BEACH offers beachfront accommodation with beautiful ocean view. The Flamingo Marina is located at the southern end of the bay where watersports of all descriptions are organized. Swimming, sunbathing, horseback riding are enjoyed by all on this beach. Known as one of the country’s most beautiful beaches and the original destination for international jet set, FLAMINGO BEACH is also unrivaled in night time entertainment. With all the luxury accommodation available, this area attracts those with high disposable income and along with that the best services and facilities money can buy. At the north of the beach is Plata Island and Salinas Point, which separate the Brasilito and Potrero bays; there is a spectacular view of both bays from this point.
Brasilito Bay encompasses BRASILITO BEACH and CONCHAL BEACH. Brasilito beach is frequented by locals. Continuing on a road parallel to the seas one arrives at Conchal Beach, a white sand cove that is a little less than 2 km long and owes its name to the millions of shell fragments found at the north end. With its lovely sand, flourishing vegetation, mangrove forest and crystalline waters, it is, like Flamingo Beach, regarded as one of the most beautiful in the country, and is among those that carry the Blue Flag. Further south, REAL BEACH, together with the beaches of Roble (south) and Nombre de Jesus (north) is about 2 km long. The coastal scenery here is made more enchanting by several small islands and rocky points. The surf is gentle enough for swimming and sea kayaking.
BEACHES FOR LEATHERBACKS AND SURFERS
The beaches in the Baulas National Marine Park are the annual destination for nesting Leatherback turtles. PLAYA GRANDE is one of them. To the south, bordering the estuary and the Tamarindo National Wildlife Reserve, boat tours are offered. Playa Grande is particularly attractive for surfers, and has the Blue Flag status. Next to Playa Grande is probably the most famous beach in Costa Rica, TAMARINDO BEACH. Tourists can find literally everything here, enjoy watersport activities in the day and have a great time at night. This beach is a melting pot of many nationalities made up of surfers, fishermen, divers, sightseers, honeymooners, etc. At the top of this bay is the most famous area for surfing in the entire Pacific coast, as filmed in a movie years ago which put Tamarindo on the world map.
An important site for the conservation of the Leatherback turtles, and part of the Las Baulas National Marine Park, is LANGOSTA BEACH which has a Blue Flag. At the north, the coast is rocky and not suitable for swimming, and at the south is the San Francisco estuary. 5 km further south, AVELLANAS BEACH has strong waves that appeal to surfers, and is the main beach for the Pinilla Resort Community. During low tide, beachcombers watch little fish and mollusks in the tide pools that form the rocky edge along this beach. Between Avellanas and Junquillal is PLAYA NEGRA, a beach with black sand and a rocky coast, and is popular among surfers. JUNQUILLAL BEACH is a long, spacious beach which is suitable for walks and horseback riding. There are excellent waves for surfers, and some come here to fish or kayak. This beach has also been granted the Blue Flag.
CITIES AND TOWNS
LIBERIA
Liberia is known as the White City because its adobe houses are whitewashed with lime and they have terracotta tile roofs. It is a typical lowland town with wide streets and old buildings. This provincial capital city has been able to combine its traditional structures and customs with contemporary buildings and modernistic lifestyle. International and charter flights from Canada and the United States land regularly at the Daniel Oduber International Airport 13 km from the city. From Liberia visitors head for the Santa Rosa National Park, the Rincon de la Vieja volcano, and the beaches in the Gulf of Papagayo. A cultural celebration called “Liberia, White City” is held during the first week of September. The residents commemorate September 4, 1769, the founding of Guanacaste and September 3, 1836, the date the city of Liberia was officially recognized by the government. The week has been celebrated for the past 17 years with music, dances, food and typical drinks.
LAS JUNTAS
Las Juntas is a city with streets of paved stones that is still connected to gold mining, but that now has several commercial areas. It is at an elevation of 150 meters and is a city that people pass through on their way to the attractions in the Monteverde area, such as the Monteverde Biological Reserve, Santa Elena, Tilaran and neighboring towns. Among the major attractions in Las Juntas is the ABANGARES MINING ECO MUSEUM, located on a 10 hectare piece of property that includes the remains of the infrastructure that was used to mine gold almost a century ago: the dynamite shed, the foundation of the building where tools are stored, the embankments over which the train passed, the quarries, and the machinery used to extract and transport the gold. This is an historical site, given the diverse social and economic situations it created when Minor Keith was the owner of the Abangares Gold Field of Costa Rica. The site is located in Abangares mountains and is open between Tuesday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
CAÑAS
Located in the lowlands this city is a meeting point for the district boundaries of Tilaran, Bagaces and Abangares, which has brought about commercial development, services and tourism. Among its most significant attractions is the beautiful COROBICI RIVER , a few kilometers north of the city where there are Class l and ll rapids for rafters. The city also promotes the EL FARALLÓN NATIONAL MUSEUM, located on Las Lomas farm, an enormous 20-meter long rock wall that is full of indigenous carvings; it was declared a National Monument in 1998. According to some studies, these petroglyphs were made between the early years of the Christian era and 800 A.D. The road to the farm is a difficult one, and some sections are merely a trail. Once on the farm, however, visitors are greeted by the Lopez brothers who accompany them the last 300 meters to El Farallon on the banks of the Cabuya river.
BAGACES
Bagaces is located on the main highway to Liberia. A few kilometers north of the city is LOS LLANOS DEL CORTES WATERFALLS, which are surrounded by towering vegetation, and its waters form a magnificent curtain; the pool here is inviting with its small white sandy beach.
TEMPISQUE RIVER
This important bridge was inaugurated in April 2003 and replaced the ferry service which was the only way for automobiles to cross the Tempisque River for many years. This engineering feat was carried out with the cooperation of the government of Taiwan. The 159-km Tempisque River begins on the slopes of the Orosi Volcano. Among its tributaries are the Colorado, Salto, Bebedero, Bolson, Diria and the Canas rivers. The Tempisque River is navigable and the Palo Verde National Park is located in its lower basin.
