#Guanacaste — Toorizta Articles

Things to Do in Liberia, Costa Rica: Pick the Day of the Week Before the Tour

Rincón de la Vieja, Palo Verde, canyon rafting and tubing: what each Liberia day takes and costs, who it suits, and what to book first. Ask us.

Spirit, Avianca, Delta and American airliners parked at airport gates beside a red-roofed terminal under a blue sky with

Getting to the Papagayo Gulf: Land at Liberia, Not San José

Land at Liberia and the Papagayo Gulf is a short private ride away. From San José it's a flight or a half-day drive. Every way in, compared. Ask us.

Man riding a small wave on a blue surfboard, with another surfer paddling in the background

Things to Do in Tamarindo: Sort the Week by Where Each Tour Starts

Estuary at dawn, Catalinas by boat, La Leona inland: every Tamarindo tour worth booking, by time, cost and season, and which ones to lock in early.

Spirit, Avianca, Delta and American airliners parked at airport gates beside a terminal, with a runway and mountains beyond.

Getting to Liberia: Land at LIR, or Spend a Day Getting There From San José

Fly into LIR or SJO? Shuttle, private driver, bus or rental car? Every way into Liberia and on to Tamarindo, Papagayo and Arenal, with real drive time

Aerial view of a curved sandy beach and turquoise bay with small boats anchored, beside a forested hill and hillside

Where to Stay in Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste: On the Sand, Up the Hill, or Next Door in Coco

Beachfront row, hillside condo, or Coco next door? How each Playa Hermosa base works for couples, families and groups, and the one mix-up to avoid. As

Aerial view of a resort nestled among trees on a forested peninsula with a pool and sandy beaches

Where to Stay in Papagayo: There Is No All-Inclusive Inside the Gate

The Papagayo Peninsula has three hotels and not one of them is all-inclusive. Where the real all-inclusives sit, and which base fits your week. Ask us

Couple embracing in an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, with a thatched-roof cabana and palm trees nearby

The Papagayo Peninsula Has No All-Inclusive Resort. Here Is Where They Actually Are.

Four Seasons, Andaz and Nekajui are a la carte. The real all-inclusives sit around the gulf at Arenilla and Playa Manzanillo. Which one to book, and w

Aerial view of a beachfront resort with a round pool, domed buildings, and red-roofed villas amid trees by the ocean

Where to Stay in Nosara: Playa Guiones, Playa Pelada, or the Town

Nosara's beaches sit inside the Ostional wildlife refuge, so nothing is built on the sand. Which of the three bases lets you walk to dinner. Ask us.

Aerial view of a beachfront resort with red-tiled roofs, pool, cove beach and boats anchored offshore

Papagayo All-Inclusive With Kids: Two of the Three Are Adults Only

On the Gulf of Papagayo, two of the three all-inclusive resorts are adults only, and the Peninsula's famous two are not all-inclusive at all. Ask us.

Silhouette of a sailing catamaran with raised sail against an orange sunset over the ocean

Which Boat to Book in Playa Flamingo: the Catalinas Morning or the 2 p.m. Sail

The Flamingo catamaran sails in the early afternoon, when the Papagayo wind is up. Which boat to book for snorkeling with kids, and which hour to ask

Palm trees shade lounge chairs and blue umbrellas on a sandy beach with ocean waves in the distance

Where to Stay in Tamarindo: the Strip, Langosta, or Playa Grande

Tamarindo's strip is loud after dark, Langosta and Playa Grande sit inside a national park, and one has no bridge. Which base fits your week. Ask us.

Twisted tree branches frame a quiet sandy beach with gentle waves at sunset near Playa Flamingo

Where to Stay in Playa Flamingo: the Headland, Potrero, or Brasilito

Three places get sold as Playa Flamingo. Which base to book for a week with kids, when you need a rental car, and why no resort owns the sand. Ask us.

Aerial view of a turquoise bay with a white sand beach, forested headland, and boats anchored offshore

Where to Stay on the Papagayo Gulf: the Peninsula, Culebra Bay, or a Beach Town

The all-inclusives travelers search for are not inside the Papagayo Peninsula gate. Which of the gulf's three bases fits your family week. Ask us.

Palo Verde from Liberia: Book the River Boat, or Drive to the Park Gate?

Most Palo Verde boat safaris cruise the Tempisque beside the park. SINAC's gate is 30 km of gravel past Bagaces, open 8am to 4pm. How to pick your day

A jet airliner touches down on a runway with forested mountains in the background

Liberia or San Jose for Nosara? The Hour You Land Decides

Nosara's arrival question is not which airport is closer. Sansa flies San Jose to Nosara in 45 minutes. How to pick your route, and what to ask us.

Tour boat with a blue canopy carrying passengers along a river lined with dense trees and reeds

Palo Verde from Liberia: the Boat Safari and the Park Are Two Different Bookings

SINAC lists no boat service at Palo Verde. The Tempisque safari and the park trails are two different bookings from Liberia. Here is which to pick.

A silver 4x4 SUV crosses a narrow wooden plank bridge through a dense green forest

Do You Need a Rental Car at Papagayo Gulf? Count Your Off-Resort Days

Landing at Liberia for a Papagayo resort? The choice is not car or transfer. Count the days you will leave the property, then pick your ride. Ask us.

Turquoise river pool flows through a narrow rock canyon shaded by lush green trees

Papagayo Gulf Day Trips: Which One to Book, and the Days the Parks Are Shut

Staying on the Papagayo Gulf? Las Pailas shuts Mondays, the waterfall trail gates at noon, and the Bat Islands sit inside a national park. Ask us.

A covered tour boat carrying passengers cruises along a tree-lined river

Why a Palo Verde Boat Safari Is Not a Day in Palo Verde

The boat safari sold as Palo Verde cruises the Tempisque along the park edge. SINAC hours and fees, the gravel road in, and which day to book. Ask us.

Catamaran anchored near a sandy beach in Papagayo Gulf, with forested hills behind and turquoise water

Booking a Boat Day in the Papagayo Gulf: Why the Hour Beats the Boat

In the Gulf of Papagayo the hour you board matters more than the boat. Which Guanacaste boat day to book, why mornings win, and what to ask us first.

Surfer carrying a board walks along the shoreline as a vivid orange sunset lights up the sky over the beach

Do You Need a 4x4 to Reach Nosara? What Route 160 Looks Like Now

MOPT surfaced the 10 km Garza to Nosara road in 2020 and CONAVI opened three bridges in 2023. Where a 4x4 still earns its keep, and where it does not.

Aerial view of a coastal river mouth meeting the ocean beside a beach town with green mangroves

Tamarindo Turtle Tours: What the Park Allows Now, and What to Book Instead

SINAC's own Las Baulas page says there is no turtle observation. Here is what a Tamarindo wildlife morning really delivers, and what to book. Ask us.

Rincón de la Vieja from Liberia: Which Day to Book, and the Ticket Nobody Mentions

Las Pailas, the waterfall trail, or a ranch combo? Park tickets are online only, and most passes leave the park fee to you. Here is how to plan the da

Aerial view of Rincón de la Vieja volcano crater with a turquoise lake and rising steam

Rincón de la Vieja from Liberia: Mud Pots or Waterfalls, and the Two Deadlines That Decide

Las Pailas closes Mondays and the waterfall trail shuts its gate at noon. How to pick your Rincón de la Vieja day from Liberia, with SINAC fees.

Aerial view of a Liberia, Costa Rica town at sunset with rooftops, a main street, and mountains in the distance

Where to Stay When You Land at Liberia: Airport Strip, Town, or Drive On

Landing at Liberia airport? Your arrival hour decides: sleep beside the terminal, in Liberia town, or drive on to the coast. How to choose. Ask us.