This area covers the southwestern coast of the Nicoya Peninsula. Bordering on the north with Punta Cerritos and on the south with the mouth of the Bongo River, it stretches approximately 110 kilometers along the coast.
The center of tourism for southern Guanacaste is the city of Nicoya, located some 30 kilometers from the coast and serving as a distribution center and jumping off point for tourists on their way to the beaches of southern Guanacaste and travelers heading to other corridors.
The second largest tourist center for the corridor is the town of Sámara, located on the coast midway along the entire corridor territory.
The area's main resource is its beaches. It has strong potential for developing combined beach and natural resource offerings, as with the spectacular arrival of Olive Ridley sea turtles to the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge and the estuaries and mangrove forests of the southern part, especially the ones separating the beaches of Islita, Bejuco, San Miguel, Coyote and Guiones. The mangrove forests are in an excellent state of preservation and make ideal sites for spotting birds and other types of fauna and practicing light sports such as kayaking.
The area is served by an efficient public transportation and ferry system (Paquera community and Naranjo Beach) that facilitates communication with various points in the region. The bridge over the Tempisque River also allows for rapid access to the entire central and southern part of the peninsula.
Moreover, several airfields (Tamarindo, Carrillo and Islita) provide quick, safe entry to the main tourist destinations in southern Guanacaste.
Guanacaste's climate, wealth of flora and fauna and varied architectural, cultural and natural landscapes make photography one of the most popular tourist activities
Sport fishing is one of the biggest attractions in Costa Rica's northern Pacific area. Artisan or recreational fishing is possible, but of greater interest are the tournaments, where several world records have been broken for billfish, which are returned to the water after weigh-in.
Various national monuments and sites or buildings of architectural or historical interest are considered must-see stops, especially in Santa Cruz and Nicoya.
Birding is best in the protected areas, of which Palo Verde is one of the most important - although you can see birds in many other spots.
Throughout the year there are community activities celebrating various artistic, civic, sports, religious or historical events.
Typical towns are characterized by their small eateries, cafes or restaurants where visitors can sample Guanacastecan cuisine. Nicoya stands out as a community with a tradition of traditional foods and beverages.
Several options are available for checking out the goings-on in the forest canopy and seeing various species of monkeys and birds.
Handicrafts in Guaitil de Santa Cruz and San Vicente de Nicoya made of pure clay using the traditional ancestral techniques of the Chorotega Indians include decorative pieces, pots, flowerpots, vases, plates, ocarines and other figures. Due to their fine finish and strong
The area offers a variety of picturesque roads and adventure or leisure sites for touring on regular or mountain bikes, beaches and mountains being the most exciting cycling destinations.
There is no end to the diversity of hiking opportunities for seeing the region's various natural, historical, architectural, cultural, religious and commercial attractions.
A pastoral area, Guanacaste offers horseback riding along the coast or in the mountains and their communities. Riding tours are available through tourism operators or family-owned farms that rent horses.
This adventure or recreational activity is becoming more and more popular in Guanacaste, thanks to its excellent dive sites and specialized companies that normally sell dive trips abroad. Great sites include the Gulf of Papagayo and the Santa Catalina islands.
Rural tourism activities and services are offered in the following geographical areas of Costa Rica's northern Pacific region:
Located in Santa Cruz, this area protects the region's river basin system and some 1,500 hectares of forest. At elevations over 700 meters, evergreen species predominate along with mosses and huge bromeliads.
Ostional was set up as a refuge for the primary purpose of protecting the nesting sites of the Olive Ridley sea turtles that visit this coastal area. Most nesting activity is found in the section stretching from La Roca to the Ostional estuary.
In addition to the Olive Ridley, which nests in the refuge year-round, leatherback and green turtles also come ashore to nest in Ostional from September to February, as does the hawksbill turtle, which arrives occasionally. The Olive Ridley turtles deposit more than 100 eggs on the refuge's beaches. Once a year, between September and November, a phenomenon takes place known as the arribada, or arrival, of Olive Ridley turtles.
Legal harvesting is coordinated with the Ostional Development Association, which also conducts turtle-watching tours with local guides.
Located 22 km northeast of Nicoya, this park consists of 2,295 hectares protecting an important geological resource, a system of limestone caves with stalactite and stalagmite formations. The Barra Honda Mountain, some 450 meters high, consists of ancient coral reefs that emerged as tectonic faults pushed the land up.
Some nineteen caves have been explored; one of them, the Terciopelo (fer-de-lance), is the most easily accessible and has been opened to the public. The stalactites and stalagmites forming the caves were produced by water entering into contact with and dissolving the calcium carbonate of which they are composed. This park offers parking, potable water, latrines, lodging, information, trails and lookout points for taking in the Tempisque River landscape.
The access road connecting these beaches traces along the San Miguel hill to the north, from where you get an impressive view of the open coastline. Both beaches make up the same coastal sector, though separated by the mouth and estuary of the Jabilla River, forming an extensive mangrove forest. . San Miguel is 3 km long, while Coyote stretches almost 5 km to the estuary with the same name. The coastline, which boasts strong, steady surf, is ideal for small-craft boating, lying back and contemplating the ocean, hiking and horseback riding, or taking in the flora and fauna of the mangroves.
This is a bay some 4 km long, with moderate surf. It has mangroves and coastal vegetation such as manzanillo trees, coconut palms, and groundlings such as beach bean, etc. Near the center of the beach is a huge old ficus tree, a Sámara landmark. Near the southern end, off Indio Point, is Chora Island. Sunbathing, hiking and horseback riding, swimming in the sea, mountain biking, and boating or kayaking are just a few of the activities at this beach, which also offers tourist services, so visitors can enjoy the beach during the day and music and good food at night. This beach has also been awarded Blue Flag status.
A short horseshoe-shaped beach, the surf here is mild. The surrounding coastal scenery is extremely beautiful; from the shore the Palmitas (Huevos) Islands can be seen to the north.
These beautiful cozy coves with abundant coastal vegetation are connected by a rocky platform joining Trinidad and Pleito Points to the north. An attractive bend in the southern end of Pleito Beach provides an ideal spot for bathing. San Juanillo offers, for its part, a beautiful point (Trinidad) made up of a thin stretch of fine sand forming to the north a small inlet with very little surf, while to the south several hundred meters extend along to form the cove of Cocal Beach.
At the north end is Nosara Point, which separates this beach from Nosara Beach. Ideal for hiking and hanging out, the southern part has a rocky point from where a gorgeous panoramic view can be had of this beach and Guiones Beach, which extends toward the south. This is a great place for hiking, horseback riding, sunbathing, sport fishing and snorkeling.
This is a long, wide beach with strong surf, separated to the south from Nosara Beach by a point called División. The beach is internationally famous, as it is mainly here and on Nancite Beach (in Santa Rosa National Park) that huge numbers of Olive Ridley sea turtles arrive to lay their eggs, especially from July through November. For this reason, this beach and the entire coast to the south to Guiones Point are part of the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge. The most scenic part of this beach is in the north, where the coast is rocky.
This is a beach with an attractive estuary and extensive mangroves (Nosara River) that can be toured by boat or kayak to appreciate the flora and fauna - and especially birds. The town of Nosara and its outlying areas offer all types of tourist services, including horseback
and kayaking tours.
This coastal sector has rocky beaches to the north (Largarto and Manzanillo) and sandy ones to the south. To the north, Lagarto Beach is known for its artisan fishing. The coastline here is beautiful, but there are very few tourist services available. Toward the south are beaches such as El Coco, Marbella and Pitahaya, where visitors can hike and swim in the sea. At Pitahaya there is an attractive inlet on the north end. Because of their wave action, these beaches are frequented by surfers.
This is a long, wide beach, perfect for hiking and horseback riding, sunbathing and surfing, since the wave action is good. A wide array of tourist services can be found near this beach and the others to the north.
This fills a breathtaking bay with moderate surf. To the south is a mangrove estuary where the Garza River empties into the sea. To the north and on the other side of Garza Point is a rocky beach called Rosada (rose-hued), due to the color of its sand. At Garza, a small fishing village, visitors can sunbathe, swim, hike and go out sport fishing.
This short beach has an extensive estuary and mangrove forest, perfect for seeing flora and fauna. Tourists often go horseback riding here.
This beautiful bay is some five kilometers from Sámara. It has a gorgeous beach with little wave action, very safe and inviting for swimmers, especially at the southern end where numerous coconut palms lining the beach and road provide shade for visitors as they adorn the landscape. Carrillo is also ideal for sunbathing and hiking. To the south is a rocky crest from which the bay can be seen in all its splendor. Rounding this point, the coast has a sheltered point offering safe anchorage for artisan and sport fishing boats. This beach has also been awarded Blue Flag status.
This is a wide open beach some three kilometers long, with moderate to strong surf. At the southern end is the mouth of the Ora River, which has to be waded across at another section, exercising caution, to reach this and other beaches to the south (Islita, Bejuco, and San Miguel) or the north (Carrillo, Sámara). Camaronal is known for its leatherback and Olive Ridley turtle nesting, protected here by a wildlife refuge. This beach is also great for camping and fishing.
This is a wide beach with moderate surf and coastal vegetation. At the north end is an estuary, while the Buena Vista River empties into the sea to the south. Ideal for sunbathing and hiking, some of its coastline has slightly steep slopes. From here visitors can take trips in ultra-light aircraft.
This is an open, extensive beach to the south of Coyote, stretching for various kilometers. At the north end is a section called Caletas which is ideal for surfing. Five kilometers to the south of this is the mouth and estuary of the Bongo River, the course of which marks the border between the provinces of Guanacaste and Puntarenas.
Some three kilometers further south is Manzanillo Beach, a beautiful beach with lush vegetation often frequented by the residents of Cóbano and other towns. Visitors can rent horses, hike, enjoy the ocean, go boating and kayaking, and camp.
This is an exceptionally wide beach with moderate to strong surf. It has an extensive mangrove forest running from behind the beach to the mouth of the Bejuco River.
A lovely cove with moderate surf, this beach is surrounded by tall, rocky outcrops that add extra attraction. The beach is ideal for swimming and taking in the surrounding scenery and its striking section of forest. To the south of Barco Quebrado is another very attractive beach called Barrigona.
This is a short beach with strong surf and deep blue water. Midway along the beach, to the north, is a rocky spit (Eriza Point) from where there's a breathtaking panoramic view of the entire coastline running along to the north, and to the south to Trinidad Point (San Juanillo). This is a great beach for hiking and taking in the scenery, though caution should be exercised when swimming here, especially in the southern part.
Guanacaste is renowned for its music, the province's the most common manifestation of popular art. The musician is an important personage, respected and esteemed, and music is thought to come natural to Guanacastecan cowboys.
Complementing the music are traditional Guanacastecan dances, which have been preserved over time as oral traditions, the truest representation of what culture and social life once was in the province of Guanacaste. Strongly influenced by the Andalucian zapateado from Spain, dances include El Punto Guanacasteco, Los Amores de Laco, La Cajeta, La Flor de Caña, El Torito, El Zapateado, El Pavo and La Botijuela, among others.
One of Guanacaste's most important staples, corn is the base of many of the region's traditional foods and beverages: Guanacastecan tortillas, tanelas (a kind of white corn biscotti), tayuyas (a kind of tortilla wrap), tamales, pisques (plain tamales without extras),
At the heart of the city of Nicoya, this beautiful church occupies the site where the first parochial church of Costa Rica was built in 1544. The interior houses a small but interesting religious-historical museum. Next to the church is a delightful city park where residents and visitors alike gather. The patron saint's festival is celebrated every year on December 15.
