Guanacaste

A tropical paradise north of the country, it is one of the largest and most popular provinces of Costa Rica. The Guanacaste area is divided into North and South Guanacaste. Guanacaste is one of the flatter lands of Costa Rica, famous for having a dry tropical forest, beaches, scenic beauty, national parks and impressive volcanoes.

North of Guanacaste there are beaches like Tamarindo, Punta Islita, and Flamingo. It also houses an important portion of the Costa Rican cultural and natural heritage. This region contains the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, from the border with Nicaragua to Punta Cerritos (located 22 km (13.67 miles) west of the town of Santa Cruz). It covers an area of approximately 100 km (62.14 miles) of the Pacific Coast. North Guanacaste is an important cornerstone in the tourist development of the Gulf of Papagayo because of the Daniel Oduber International Airport; which receives many international flights, especially from the United States.

Southern Guanacaste includes the southwest coast of the Nicoya Peninsula. It extends from Punta Cerritos in the north, to Río Bongo in the south; with a coastal length of about 110 kilometers (68.35 miles). The main tourist center is the city of Nicoya, located about 30 kilometers (18.64 miles) from the coast. The secondary tourist center is the town of Samara. Its main resources are the beaches, and one of the most important natural phenomena – the arrival of Lora turtles, in the National Wildlife Refuge Ostional.  This place can be visited all year round being; busiest months are from August to October for the nesting season.

Climate: Any time of year is conducive to visit the North Pacific; the weather is generally warm and dry (the driest region of the country), with an average of 28°C (82ºF) in the months of May to February – from February to April, the temperature can increase almost 10°C (50ºF), the driest, hottest time of the year.

The seasons are defined as dry from December to March, and rainy from April to November; April and November are transitional months.

The highest rainfall occurs during the months of June, September and October.

Among the main attractions of the area are:  Santa Rosa National Park, Rincon de la Vieja National Park, Palo Verde National Park, Ostional National Wildlife Refuge, Las Baulas National Marine Park, Tamarindo National Wildlife Refuge, and La Amistad bridge – among others.