Guanacaste Travel Guide

The Costa Rican province of Guanacaste takes in a wide variety of things to do and places to see, from the Playas del Coco to two volcanic national parks to the beaches at Tamarindo, Samara, and Carrillo. As such, there’s no shortage here of infrastructure and resorts to cater to adventurous tourists of any taste.

Whether you want to zip line through a cloud forest, do some deep-sea fishing, tour turtle nesting sites, surf, or go whitewater rafting, mountain biking, or horseback riding on the beach (phew!), Guanacaste’s a prime location to slake your thirst for outdoorsy excursion.

Guanacaste covers the majority of Costa Rica’s Northern Pacific region, known for its Tropical Dry Forest. Weather patterns here differ from much of the rest of the country in that there is a verifiable dry season (December to May) that fosters drought-resistant flora and unique fauna not found elsewhere. This is the place to spot Howler Monkeys, Black Iguanas, the White-throated Magpie-Jay, and the Turquoise-Browed Motmot.

Wildlife’s not your thing? Guanacaste is a mecca for surfers, who make the pilgrimage to its legendary breaks like Playa Negra and Tamarindo, inspired by the movie Endless Summer II. Book a guided surf tour for an easy way to hit the best, but also be aware that there are many smaller breaks in the area unspoiled by mainstream tourism and ready to be discovered.

Guanacaste, with its diverse activities and wildlife, truly offers a little bit of what’s best in Costa Rica.

Where to Go in Guanacaste