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Playa
Ocotal
According to Lonely Planet, Playa Ocotal has
“the cleanest and quietest beach in
the area, offering good swimming and snorkeling.”
Known for its breathtaking view of the Gulf
of Papagayo, with lush Santa Rosa National
Park across the way, Playa Ocotal is a dreamy
getaway for those seeking peace and relaxation.
Elegant vacation homes scatter the mountainside
through Ocotal on the way to Bahía
Pez Vela – then disappear from sight
the moment you enter our secluded community.
Playa del Coco
Only five minutes from Bahía Pez Vela,
Playa del Coco lies 35 kilometers (22 miles)
west of Liberia, Guanacaste’s main city,
and is the easiest beach on the Nicoya Peninsula
to access by road from San José. This
pleasant fishing town is a popular destination
for Ticos, and offers a variety of nightlife
and restaurants. Sailboats and fishing boats
can be seen scattered throughout the bay,
offering a great opportunity to watch local
fisherman at work.
Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula
Once part of Nicaragua, the Guanacaste province
chose to secede from Nicaragua to join Costa
Rica in 1824. Famous for its unforgettable
beaches, perfect climate and friendly residents,
Guanacaste is Costa Rica’s most popular
visitor destination.
Nicknamed the “Gold Coast”, Guanacaste
enjoys a drier climate than the rest of the
country; the region experiences little precipitation
even during the rainy season – just
one of the reasons why so many feel it is
“the place to be” in Costa Rica.
With an international airport in Liberia,
Guanacaste’s main city, and direct flights
now available from Atlanta to Liberia on Delta
Airlines, visitors destined for Guanacaste
can bypass San José altogether –
and head straight for the beach.
The Nicoya Peninsula’s spectacular beaches
and long Pacific coastline are the region’s
star attractions. The country’s best
dive sites are here, as well as ample opportunity
for record-breaking sportfishing, surfing,
snorkeling, swimming or just plain sun-worshipping.
The area also offers excellent windsurfing
and sailing.
A region rich in folklore, music, color and
delicious casados (typical dishes), Guanacaste
offers up the bounty of the sea to its tables,
including lobster, ceviche and whole pescaditos
(fish).
The area’s national parks harbor some
of the oldest formations in the country, such
as the caverns of Barra Honda National Park,
with their many stalactites and stalagmites,
as well as important expanses of dry tropical
forest. In addition, many of the region’s
protected areas possess worldwide importance
for protection of wildlife, including the
several species of sea turtle that nest on
the peninsula’s beaches.
National Parks in the Area
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Guanacaste
is home to several national parks protecting
a spectacular host of flora, fauna and marine
life.
Barra Honda
Approximately 90 kilometers (55 miles) from
the property. Stroll through a network of
caverns created sixty million years ago by
limestone reefs thrust upward by tectonic
forces.
Guanacaste
Approximately 75 kilometers (45 miles) from
the property, across from Santa Rosa National
Park. Rainforest, tropical wet forest, cloud
forest and tropical dry forest shelter hundreds
of bird and animal species and thousands of
insect and plant species.
Marino Las Baulas
Approximately 75 kilometers (45 miles)
from the property. On the northern side of
the village of Tamarindo, this national park
protects Playa Grande, one of the world’s
most important nesting sites for the leatherback
turtle (baula in Spanish). Leatherbacks are
the largest reptiles in the world, with some
measuring an astounding five meters (over
16 feet) head to tail.
Palo Verde
Approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) from
the property. A migratory and resident waterfowl
refuge, the lakes and floodplains here are
inhabited by more than 50,000 waterfowl and
forest birds. Swimmers, take note: crocodiles
up to five meters (over 16 feet) long have
been seen in the Tempisque River, which runs
through the park.
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Rincón
de la Vieja
Approximately 60 kilometers (35 miles) from
the property. This park’s claim to fame
is the active volcano it’s named after;
it also boasts the country’s largest
populations of guarias moradas (purple orchids),
Costa Rica’s national flower.
Santa Rosa
Approximately 75 kilometers (45 miles)
from the property, across from Guanacaste
National Park. This park harbors important
habitat for protection and restoration of
Costa Rica’s Pacific dry forests, as
well as several sea turtle nesting sites.
For more information on these and other National
Parks in Costa Rica, check out the following
website:
www.costaricabureau.com/nationalparks.htm
