Places to Visit in Guanacaste: National Parks, Beaches and Towns

5 min read · Tamarindo Estuary Tours Mi Rey

When guests reach the end of an estuary tour, many pull out their phones and show us a map of Guanacaste full of pins. The province is large, the roads between some places are slow, and not every famous name fits every trip. This guide lists the well-known places to visit in Guanacaste, grouped by type, with an honest note on what each one offers and which of them our tours reach from Tamarindo.

Short answer: the main places to visit in Guanacaste are Rincón de la Vieja volcano, Santa Rosa and Palo Verde national parks, Las Baulas Marine National Park in Tamarindo, the Ostional turtle refuge, the beaches from Papagayo to Nosara, and the towns of Liberia, Santa Cruz and Nicoya. Entrance fees, opening hours and road conditions change, so confirm current information before each visit.

Places to visit in Guanacaste: national parks and refuges

Rincón de la Vieja National Park

An active volcano northeast of Liberia, with steam vents, pools of boiling mud, warm streams and forest trails. Which sectors and trails are open depends on volcanic activity and park rules, so check before you go. Our Rincón de la Vieja tour from Tamarindo costs $180 per person and includes transportation, entrance tickets and lunch; see Rincón de la Vieja from Tamarindo for the full day.

Santa Rosa National Park

In the far northwest, Santa Rosa protects a large area of tropical dry forest, an ecosystem that has become rare in Central America. It is also a historic site: the Battle of Santa Rosa, in 1856, is a key moment in Costa Rican history, and the old ranch house known as La Casona is part of the park. Santa Rosa belongs to the Área de Conservación Guanacaste, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its remote beaches are reached by rough roads, often only with a high-clearance vehicle.

Palo Verde National Park

Palo Verde protects wetlands along the Tempisque River and is famous for water birds, which gather in large numbers as the lagoons shrink in the dry season. Crocodiles live in the river. We do not run tours to Palo Verde; if you are staying on the coast and want crocodiles and herons, the Tamarindo estuary is much closer.

Las Baulas Marine National Park

Right next to Tamarindo, this park protects the Tamarindo estuary, its mangroves and Playa Grande, a historic leatherback nesting beach. Our Tamarindo estuary tour enters the park by boat for $40 per person, 2 hours, with pickup from Tamarindo or Langosta included. Read the Las Baulas National Park tour guide for the full picture.

Ostional National Wildlife Refuge

About 2 hours south of Tamarindo, Ostional is known worldwide for the arribada, the mass nesting of olive ridley turtles. The main season runs from August to December, with the peak from September to November, and smaller arribadas are possible from May. Our Ostional arribada tour costs $130 per person, with a minimum of 4; the Ostional arribada guide explains how it works.

Barra Honda National Park

Near Nicoya, Barra Honda is known for its limestone caves. Cave visits are guided and have their own requirements, so check them with the park in advance.

Beaches worth a visit

The Guanacaste coast is long, so think of it in sections:

North, Gulf of Papagayo: Playas del Coco, Playa Hermosa and the Papagayo Peninsula, with bays and many resorts.
Center: Flamingo, Conchal, Playa Grande, Tamarindo and Langosta, with calm bays to the north and surf beaches around Tamarindo.
South of Tamarindo: Avellanas, Playa Negra and Junquillal, quieter and popular with surfers.
Nicoya Peninsula: Nosara and Sámara, farther south, with a slower pace and longer drives.

For what each beach near Tamarindo is best for, see beaches near Tamarindo.

Towns and culture

Liberia

The provincial capital and the closest city to Liberia airport (Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, LIR). Liberia is a working city rather than a resort town, often called the White City for the light-colored houses of its old center, and a practical base for the volcano and the waterfalls.

Santa Cruz

Known as a center of Guanacaste folk traditions, with marimba music, typical dances and corn-based food. Nearby, the village of Guaitil is known for pottery made in the Chorotega tradition.

Nicoya

One of the oldest towns in Costa Rica, with a whitewashed colonial church on its central square. The Nicoya Peninsula is also widely known for the long lives of many of its residents.

Waterfalls of Guanacaste

The best-known swimming waterfalls are inland. Llanos de Cortés, near Bagaces, has a wide fall and a sandy pool, and La Leona, in the foothills of Rincón de la Vieja, is reached by walking up a river canyon. Our sloths and Llanos de Cortés tour ($185 per person) and the La Leona waterfall tour ($160 per person) include transportation, entrance tickets and lunch. Compare them in waterfalls near Tamarindo.

How to group your visits by region

Liberia area: Rincón de la Vieja, La Leona and the airport; Santa Rosa lies farther north.
Tempisque and Bagaces: Palo Verde and Llanos de Cortés, on the way inland.
Tamarindo and the central coast: Las Baulas, Playa Grande, Conchal and Flamingo.
South and Nicoya: Ostional, Nosara, Sámara, Nicoya and Barra Honda.

Plan one region per day, drive in daylight and leave room for the tide: our boat and kayak tours leave with the high tide, and we confirm the time by WhatsApp after you book.

Which places our tours reach from Tamarindo

Las Baulas and the Tamarindo estuary: shared boat ($40), shared kayak ($60) or private boat ($800 for up to 10 people).
Rincón de la Vieja: full-day combo, $180 per person.
La Leona and Llanos de Cortés: full-day trips, $160 and $185 per person.
Turtle beaches: nesting tour at Playa Minas or Playa Jesús ($60) and Ostional in season ($130).

Full-day trips need a minimum of 4 people. For ideas by interest rather than by place, read things to do in Guanacaste.

Want to see some of these places without driving? Book the Tamarindo boat tour or the Rincón de la Vieja combo with Tamarindo Estuary Tours Mi Rey online with the deposit, and pay the balance on the day of the tour. If you have questions about a place or a date, write to us on WhatsApp.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most famous places to visit in Guanacaste?

The best known are Rincón de la Vieja volcano, Santa Rosa and Palo Verde national parks, Las Baulas Marine National Park in Tamarindo, the Ostional refuge, beaches such as Tamarindo, Conchal and Flamingo, and towns like Liberia, Santa Cruz and Nicoya.

Which national parks are in Guanacaste?

Among the best known are Rincón de la Vieja, Santa Rosa, Palo Verde, Barra Honda and Las Baulas Marine National Park. Ostional is a national wildlife refuge rather than a national park.

How far apart are the main places in Guanacaste?

Distances are larger than they look. From Tamarindo, Rincón de la Vieja is about 1 hour and 45 minutes by road and Ostional about 2 hours; check a map app for current times before you plan.

Do you run tours to Palo Verde or Santa Rosa?

No. Our tours go to the Tamarindo estuary in Las Baulas, nearby turtle beaches, Ostional, Rincón de la Vieja and the La Leona and Llanos de Cortés waterfalls. For crocodiles and water birds close to the coast, the Tamarindo estuary is the nearest option.

Which places in Guanacaste can I visit on a tour from Tamarindo?

With Tamarindo Estuary Tours Mi Rey you can visit Las Baulas Marine National Park by boat or kayak, Rincón de la Vieja volcano, La Leona and Llanos de Cortés waterfalls, nearby turtle beaches and, in season, the Ostional arribada.

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