Guanacaste, Costa Rica offers tourists an unforgettable vacation with its year round sunny weather, amazing beaches and spectacular natural attractions.
With some of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica, the “Golden Coast” of Costa Rica is a top destination for beach goers.
Plan your trip to Guanacaste, Costa Rica with our guide. Also remember to check our Guanacaste day tours discount!
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Location
The Guanacaste province is located in the Northwest corner of Costa Rica and the capital city of Guanacaste is Liberia.
Guanacaste, Costa Rica Airport to Fly Into
Fly into Guanacaste Airport, the hub for Guanacaste. This airport is about a 35 minute drive to the Papagayo Peninsula, 1.5 hours Tamarindo/Conchal and 2 hours to Samara. Airport code is LIR.
From San Jose International Airport, it is about a 3 hour drive to Liberia, the city. Airport code is SJO.
Where to Stay in Guanacaste
Most people visit Guanacaste for a beach vacation. However, Guanacaste is not just the beach.
Mountain towns like Tilaran, Curubande and Nuevo Arenal are in part of the Guanacaste province.
You can click here to see an interactive map with recommended places to stay.
Hotels and Resorts in Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Guanacaste has the most all-inclusive resorts and luxury hotels in Costa Rica.
All inclusive resorts in Guanacaste are the Riu Guanacaste, Riu Palace, Secrets Papagayo adults only, Westin Playa Conchal and Planet Hollywood.
Resorts (not all inclusive) are Four Seasons, Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingo, W Costa Rica, Occidental Tamarindo, Occidental Papagayo, JW Marriott Guanacaste, Casa Chameleon Las Catalinas, Cala Luna, Andaz Papagayo, Tierra Magnifica Boutique Hotel, El Mangroove Autograph Collection and Los Altos de Eros.
How to Get Around Guanacaste
Ultimately, the best way to get around Guanacaste is by car.
As this province is very big and still quite rural, direct bus routes are not common between beaches and points of interest. Majority of natural attractions, beaches and places of interest are only accessible by car.
Read our tips for renting a car in Costa Rica and also get our Costa Rica car rental discount!
If your trip is very short and you are staying at a resort or right in town, you don’t necessarily need a car.
You can book tours with transportation included and stay the rest of your time in the resort. But for those who want to explore, a car is the best and only way to see more of Guanacaste.
And for those with an extra adventurous side, make sure to rent a 4×4 to really go off the beaten path!
In case you are not renting a car, you can book a private shuttle or a shared shuttle to get between your destinations.
Get our shared shuttle discount here!
Guanacaste, Costa Rica Weather
Guanacaste’s favorable weather is one of the reasons why it’s a popular vacation spot for locals and foreigners.
On the coasts, average day time temperatures throughout the year vary little, between 85° f to 100° F (29° to 38° C). You can expect high temperatures for nearly 365 days of the year, even in the rainy season.
Guanacaste’s dry season (December through April) is typically a bit longer than the rest of the country and the coast doesn’t rain as much as other areas in Costa Rica.
March is the hottest and driest month, April is also very hot and sometimes, a little bit hotter than March.
One downside to the dry season is that everything turns very yellow, sparse, dusty and dry.
IMPORTANT TO KNOW: This is one of the reasons why there is not as much wildlife such as sloths, toucans, and other monkeys in Guanacaste as the coast is dry tropical forest, not tropical rainforest.
Likewise, rainy season in Guanacaste can get very intense (May through November). The rainiest month is October, where rainstorms commonly occur in the evenings and night time.
Morning are generally cloudy but dry. Tropical storms can happen in October and November.
An upside to visiting during rainy season is that everything turns a lush green, which is more pleasing to the eye. It is also the peak of humpback whale and turtle season.
You can read more about Costa Rica weather in this post.
Best Beach Towns in Guanacaste
If you’re coming for a beach vacation, you’re in luck.
With a car, all these beach towns are great for short term and long term stays in Costa Rica.
Playas del Coco
As the main beach town in the Gulf of Papagayo, Playas del Coco has grown from a quiet fishing village to a popular tourist town and North American retiree community.
Only 30 minutes from Guanacaste Airport and the best beach town to stay in the Papagayo Peninsula.
Tamarindo
As one of the most popular beach towns in Guanacaste, Tamarindo attracts visitors looking for a fun nightlife, great surfing and beautiful sunsets.
About 1.5 hours driving from Guanacaste Airport.
Flamingo
Playa Flamingo has an upscale, luxury community and marina being a top fishing destination. If you’re looking for an ocean view mansion or condo, this is the place to go!
Good base for fishing, scuba diving and snorkeling.
For those looking for something a little less touristic and expensive, check Potrero, the quiet local town by Flamingo.
Samara
This beach town further south in Guanacaste is one of the best places to go for families.
Samara boasts beginner surf waves, stunning sunsets and a more mellow laid back beach atmosphere than Tamarindo.
Nosara
Largely known as the first “expat town” in Costa Rica, Nosara is a beautiful surf town that attracts luxury travelers, well off surfers and happy go lucky yogis.
Conchal
As one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica, Conchal is a must see.
Not only does it have clear turquoise waters, but the shore is made up of sparkling white shells instead of sand! The main beach town by Conchal is Brasilito.
The all-inclusive Westin Conchal resort, W Costa Rica and Reserva Conchal have their own private beach access to Playa Conchal.
You can read about other beaches in Guanacaste here.
Things to do in Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Surfing
With 200 kilometers (124 miles) of coastline, this province has some of the best surfing in the Central America.
For beginners and first timers, the best spots are Nosara, Tamarindo, Avellanas, Samara and Playa Grande for classes.
For those wanting to improve or get more into surfing, there are many week long camps.
For the ultimate surf trip, jump on a boat to Witch’s Rock, one of the best spots in Latin America.
When a swell hits, prepare for barrels, tubes and overhead waves. In normal conditions, it’s perfect for long open waves, perfect for longboarding.
Visit Different Beaches
There are so many beautiful beaches in Guanacaste, it’s an absolute must to spend at least one full day visiting different beaches.
It’s also the best free thing to do in Guanacaste!
Check out our post to the best beaches in Guanacaste and 5 hidden beaches in Guanacaste!
Ziplining
Ziplining is one of the best things to do in Guanacaste and is a must for every trip to Costa Rica.
A few of our favorite ziplining tours are the one at Guachipelin in Rincon de la Vieja, Diamante Eco Adventure Park and Black Stallion in Tamarindo.
Get 10% off your ziplining tour at Diamante Eco Adventure Park here!
National Parks
The Guanacaste province is home to many national parks and wildlife refuges.
Among them is one of the four UNESCO World Heritage sites in Costa Rica: the Guanacaste National Park since it contains one of the most endangered ecosystems: the dry tropical forest.
Here is a quick overview of the popular national parks in Guanacaste.
Palo Verde National Park
This national park protects the Tempisque River and Valley, which is home to thousands of migratory birds and other animals.
Palo Verde is an excellent place to see birds, crocodiles and wildlife.
You can read more about visiting Palo Verde National Park in this post.
Santa Rosa National Park
Although this park is not easily accessible, it is popular among surfers because it is home to the famous Witch’s Rock surfing at Playa Naranjo. The best way to get there is by boat.
Santa Rosa also has two important turtle nesting beaches but they are off limits to the public.
Scuba divers and snorkeling enthusiasts can go to the Islas Murcielagos (Bat Islands) marine sector of the park. Bat Islands has some of the best scuba diving in Costa Rica and is one of the few places to see bull sharks.
There is also a traditional house in the national park where visitors can tour and go inside, to learn about the history and culture of Guanacaste.
The house is located near the entrance of the park and is easier to access than the beach.
Las Baulas National Park
This park was created to protect the leatherback turtles that nest on Playa Grande, a popular surfing beach.
Although the number of nesting leatherbacks have sadly decreased the past few years, it’s still very important.
Visitors can take a boat ride through the mangroves to see wildlife in the national park. There are still turtle tours, but it’s not a guarantee to see them.
Rincon de la Vieja National Park
Rincon de la Vieja is a tourist friendly national park with hiking trails, a park office, picnic area and bathrooms.
Visitors can hike the trails to see the volcanic mud pots, waterfalls and rivers through the tropical dry forest.
There are two sectors: Las Pailas and Santa Maria. Las Pailas is the most popular one, with the boiling mud pots trail and the La Cangreja and Escondida waterfall trail.
Santa Maria also has hiking trails to natural pools and waterfalls.
Barra Honda National Park
This national park in Nicoya protects caves and dry forest. Visitors can hike the trails through the dry forest for nice views of the Nicoya Peninsula or take a caving tour to explore the world underneath.
Read more about Barra Honda National Park here.
Ostional Wildlife Refuge
Ostional is one of the best places in Costa Rica to see turtles, as it is a very important nesting site for Olive Ridley sea turtles. By Nosara.
Camaronal National Wildlife Refuge
This is another wildlife refuge that protects turtles. Near Samara.
Llanos de Cortes Waterfall
Although Guanacaste is very dry, you can still find some beautiful waterfalls. Our favorite is the Llanos de Cortes waterfall near Liberia.
This tall, gushing waterfall is like an oasis in the desert!
You can visit the Cortes waterfall in the morning and schedule another activity in the afternoon, such as ziplining.
The Llanos de Cortes waterfall is one of the best cheap things to do in Guanacaste for families.
Scuba dive/snorkel/snuba
Scuba diving is one of the must do things in Guanacaste for ocean lovers. The Gulf of Papagayo has great diving with amazing spots such as Bat Islands (Islas Murcielagos) and Catalina Islands.
Swim with eagle rays, turtles, sharks and other creatures of the sea.
Flamingo, Playas del Coco and Playa Ocotal are excellent launch points for scuba diving in Guanacaste.
The Catalinas Islands off of Playa Flamingo is a popular dive site and this is where I did my PADI open water certification.
And if you don’t have your certification, you can do a discovery dive or go snorkeling!
Fishing
Fishing lovers will have a blast fishing in Guanacaste. Many of the popular beach towns started out as fishing villages and is how many locals still make their living today.
You can book inshore or offshore fishing trips up and down the Guanacaste coast. You can catch snappers, mahi mahi, groupers and wahoo on inshore fishing trips.
There are many sport fishing charters in Flamingo, Coco, Samara and Tamarindo. Flamingo has a beautiful marina with slips for many luxury fishing charters for half or full day off shore and inshore trips.
If you catch fish like snapper or mahi mahi, you can take it with you. Many restaurants will cook it for you if you bring it to them.
Boating Tours
The best way to explore the beautiful coasts of Guanacaste is by boat. Go on a sunset cruise on a catamaran or take a private boating tour.
Many tours take you to nearby beaches to swim and snorkel. Sunset tours are super fun since you sail back under the setting sun.
For a more exclusive experience, book a private boating tour. Our friend runs private boat tours in Coco and it is our favorite tour in Guanacaste!
We also did a private snorkeling tour in Playa Flamingo which was also awesome.
Hot Springs and Mud Baths
Up in the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano area, there are several adventure parks and lodges in the area such as Borinquen, Vandara (get our 10% Vandara discount here), Rio Perdido, Sensoria, Guachipelin and Buena Vista.
All of these lodges are located outside of the national park but offer plenty of on-site activities to enjoy such as ziplining, hot springs, horseback riding and mud baths.
Rio Perdido, Borinquen and Guachipelin are some of our favorites. Borinquen and Rio Perdido are also excellent places to stay for a night or two in the mountains of Rincon de la Vieja.
We also loved Vandara. It was a lot more chill and it wasn’t very crowded when we went.
Get our Vandara discount here!
Sample Itineraries
Many people spend their entire vacation in one town in Guanacaste and book day trips. That is perfectly fine and it’ll be a really easy to plan trip.
Here is a sample 5 day Guanacaste itinerary we’ve written. You can add more days or switch destinations. We also have a 5 day Tamarindo itinerary.
Then, some people want to experience different places in Costa Rica. So they’ll stay a few nights in one beach town and then move to another area of the country.
We wrote another itinerary that does just this: our 1 week Costa Rica itinerary with 3 nights in Guanacaste, 3 nights in La Fortuna. That itinerary lets you experience beach, volcano and rainforest.
Don’t forget to get our Guanacaste day tours discount to save money on your excursions!
Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Click the link to get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List so you know what essential items to bring.
- Check our Costa Rica destinations map and Costa Rica restaurant map
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica.
- Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica.
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals for tours and hotels and our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
Bonnie Jacobson says
Hi!
I am planning a family trip with my 2 adult children, 23 and 27, to Costa Rica but we only have 5 days including travel from New York. Where do you suggest we stay to make the most of our trip?
Thank you!
Sammi says
Depends on which airport you’re flying into, can you let us know? That’ll help to determine the best destinations for 5 days.
Dan Felkins says
Sammi, we just returned from a 10 day trip – 5 days in La Fortuna and 5 days in Guanacaste. Your descriptions of the weather are spot on. We actually enjoyed some of the overcast because it dissipated some of the heat and humidity. For anyone wishing to offshore fish in Guanacaste, I highly recommend the Game Fisher II charter. I caught 4 Sailfish, 3 Dorado (mahi mahi),1 Wahoo, and 1 Blue Marlin (350lbs). It was an epic day at sea. They had plenty of lunch and and ice chest of assorted drinks. The boat and equipment were expertly maintained.
Thank you again for all of your assistance and research. It was the perfect trip thanks to you!
Sherry Moore says
Hi, My husband and I are going to Costa Rica in March 2020. We’re renting a house at Potereo near Penca Beach. Have you heard of a tour company called Tour Guanacaste, office in Puerto Potrero Guanacaste, Santa Cruz, Tempate, 50304 Playa Potrero. We’re thinking of booking several private tours with them and would appreciate your opinion. Do you know if there is a company offering snuba in this area? Thank you so much! We’ve been reading your website/emails and appreciate all the information you provide!
Sammi says
Hi Sherry, I haven’t to be honest but I’ve seen their ads on Instagram and Facebook lately, they look to be new but not sure.
We did snuba with Scuba Caribe at the Riu Guanacaste resort but I think there is a company in Flamingo/Tamarindo that’s called Scuba and Snuba of Costa Rica that does it.
Lisa says
Hi we are planning a trip end of May and want to explore. We are staying at secrets papagayo. What are some the trips that are close to where we are? We would love to see the turtles but not sure if its prime season for that. and we would like to do some short hikes. Thank you
Sammi says
Hi Lisa, you can check our Things to do in Guanacaste post for ideas.
colby says
Hello I have 1 week in nicoya at which time I will need to work remotely from noon to 8. I have a hotspot so WiFi is not a problem. I was wondering what you think the best place to do this would be. I am looking for a place that has the best snorkeling (that is easily accessible without a car or transportation, also preferably solo without a boat or guide needed). I have all my own equipment and am very comfortable in all types of water. I saw above you suggested papagayo is that the best or is there any close runner ups? I will also be diving the bat island the weekend after I work. Thanks for the help and the content.
yeison says
Hello Colby,
Thank you for reading our blog 🙂
If you are staying at Nicoya the town (some people confuses Nicoya with Peninsula de Nicoya which is the whole peninsula), the first thing that I would recommend you is to check where exactly you are going to stay and test/ask if your WiFi device will work properly. We have used many of those devices and depending on the provider and the location you will be at the device can work very well or very bad.
From Nicoya (The town) you will need transportation to go to any beach the Public bus takes like 2 to 3 hours to get to Samara which is the closest popular town, If you are staying at someplace in the Peninsula de Nicoya the first you need to do is to find our in which town and start from there due to the fact that there are many towns where you can stay at the Peninsula de Nicoya (Samara, Santa Teresa, Montezuma, Mal País, etc) and everything town is different.
Kathleen Ram says
Hi! We are flying into Liberia Airport and staying in Guanacaste. Should we rent a car at the airport or get a shuttle to hotel? Thanks so much for all your info!
Sammi says
It depends on what you would like to do, if you’re only staying in Guanacaste you can take a shuttle and then book tours for day trips but if you want to explore more, then renting a car is the best way to get around Guanacaste and visit different beaches and have more flexibility. You can read more on getting around Costa Rica in this post.
Kate says
Hi there!
I d love your expert advice please.
My family will be spending 14 days in CR arriving 25 July, flying in and out of SAN Jose. We are planning to hire a car.
First 5 days head to Uvita then travel to La Fortuna for a few nights followed by 5 nights in Puerto Viejo.
Does this sound a reasonable itinerary?
Many thanks in advance
Kate
Sammi says
Hi Kate, that can work just note that they are long travel days between the destinations since they are all about a 5 or so hour drive. But just leave early and enjoy the views, they are all on main roads and highways.
Igor says
Very informative, thanks.
Is boogie boarding popular in CR? If “yes”, what are the good spots for that?
Sammi says
Hi Igor, I have seen several people boogie boarding in Costa Rica, mostly at the good beaches for beginner surf like Cocles, Tamarindo and Jaco. Most surf shops have boogie boards for rent.
Trin says
Love your site so much; thank you for all of the valuable information. For a family with kids ranging in age from 2-13yrs, what would you recommend for activities? We are staying near Playa Grande for 3-4 days and then to La Fortuna for 3-4 days; we are renting a car. We are all pretty adventurous and good hikers. There seems to be so many activities to choose from!
Sammi says
Hi Trin! You can read this post here for activities in Fortuna: Things to do in Arenal and La Fortuna and Things to do in Tamarindo (close to Grande). You won’t be able to do some activities with a 2 year old though like ziplining, horseback riding, etc. but in La Fortuna, I highly recommend doing a safari float ride for wildlife, hot springs and la Fortuna waterfall. In Grande, definitely beach and a sunset sailing cruise from Flamingo like Panache or Serendipity.
Deborah says
Hi-
We are planning a 10 day trip to CR in May with our 13 year old son. We are exploring Arenal/Monteverde for the first part of the trip. The second half is all about the beaches in Guanacaste. We are thinking of making Samara our home base for day trips both south as far as Santa Teresa and north to Playa Hermosa. Is this reasonable or should we consider staying at a few different beach locations? Also what is the best way to get to Samara from Monteverde?
Sammi says
Hi Deborah, you can definitely use Samara as your homebase. A lot of families love Samara and it is a very nice beach town with nice beaches around. However, I would recommend against doing a day trip to Santa Teresa from Samara because it is a long drive, around 4 hours one way on the paved road. There is no paved road directly connecting Samara south to Santa Teresa so you would need to drive all the way around the Nicoya Peninsula going back up to Nicoya and then around the east side of the Nicoya Peninsula through Montezuma. If you go on the “road” south, it is partially on the beach, crossing like 3 -4 rivers and all on dirt paths so it is not a recommended route.
Samara to Hermosa is also a very long drive, at around 2 hours one way. It’s doable as a day trip though if you want to visit the Gulf of Papagayo.
For Samara to Monteverde, you will need to go up to Nicoya, past the Friendship bridge, onto the 1 and then onto Route 145 Las Juntas to Monteverde. It’s around a 4 hour drive as the Route 145 is a very curvy, narrow and windy road up the mountains so you need to go slow. You will need a high car for Monteverde.
Amy Harris says
Hello! Wondering if the guachipelin tour you are referencing is close to the playa hermosa area? The resort we are looking at is by playa hermosa but we want to do this tour. Thanks for your help!
Sammi says
Hi Amy! Guachipelin is about 1 hour from Hermosa so you can book a tour if you don’t have a car or you can drive if you rent a car. Let me know if you have other questions!
Janna says
My boyfriend and I will be there at the end of February. How far in advance do you think we should book tours (with transportation) for Rincon de la Vieja and Palo Alto? Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Lisa, there are no ziplining tours inside Rincon de la Vieja National Park, you can only hike there. There are some lodges and hotels that have adventure tours on their property very close to Rincon de la Vieja such as Hacienda Guachipelin combo adventure tour, Buena Vista combo adventure tour and Borinquen. All of them have a ziplining tour with other activities (horseback riding, hot springs, etc.) but I do recommend booking them beforehand because it can get super busy during high season. Or you need to show up at least 30 minutes before the tour starts to see if you can get a spot since they have limited spots on their ziplining tours. But if they don’t have space, you’ll have to wait until the next available tour with space which is why I recommend booking it to reserve your spot.
Lisa patterson says
Can you book ziplining or canopy tour onsite in Rincon de la vieja national park?
Sammi says
Hi Heather! Guanacaste is fine in October, it doesn’t rain quite as much there as it does in other places like the CEntral Valley and since it’s the coast, it’s still very hot. The typical rainy season day is sunny in the morning and rainy in the afternoons at night. The only advice I would strongly emphasize are doing all the activities as early in the morning as possible and not driving at night.
For wildlife Guanacaste doesn’t have quite as much (they do have but not easily seen) as the Caribbean or South Pacific. Manuel Antonio is one of the best places to see animals in the wild since the national park is very small. The Arenal area is very nice too but you should hire a guide since the Arenal area is so big and widespread, it’s difficult to see wildlife unless you have a trained eye. Manuel Antonio you can see a lot easier on your own since the park is tiny.
Heather says
Hi Sammi!
My husband and I are planning a trip to CR in a few weeks (beginning of October). We are a little nervous to be going during the rainy season, and have heard that the Pacific coast can be harder to access and some places even shut down during this time of the year. Is Guanacaste okay to visit at the beginning of October?
We are very adventurous kind of DIY travelers who don’t usually do tours. We want to see the rainforest and love any chance to see wildlife, especially in their natural habitat. Is there anywhere you can recommend to us? Thanks!
Charlotte says
Hi could you send me the same tour info(askedby Charlie),guided by Marcy
We are excited to explore this beautiful place and all it has to offer
Sammi says
Hi Charlotte just sent you an email
Charlie says
Can you send me recommended tour companies for the guachipelin combo tour? Do I contact Marcy ahead of our trip or can we find him easily in Coco? Love the site, videos, blog…looks like you two are having fun:)
Sammi says
Hi Charlie! Absolutely! Can you send us an email? I can help you book the Guachipelin and Marcy boat tour 🙂
John says
Guanacaste is one of the most beautiful places in the world! Zip lining and sky adventures are top things to do there. Great pictures!
Sammi says
Thank you John!
Annika says
Looks like Costa Rica is quite beautiful, isn’t it. I’ll consider this on my list, besides, I haven’t been to Costa Rica before. I love the ambience of this natural attractions. Thanks for giving me this idea. Hope you’d enjoy this itinerary.
Sammi says
Hope you can visit one day! Thanks for commenting!