Planning and directions

Guanacaste

Guanacaste is famed for its long stretches of sandy beaches that attract flocks of tourists each year to bask in the sun, for the curling waves that have made this an international surfing destination, and for the lively cowboy culture that is to this day a way of life in the province.

It's also home to an incredible diversity of wildlife, from the marine turtles that nest on its shores, to the rare quetzal bird that dwell in vast stretches of protected park areas to the north.

Northern Guanacaste

The hotel is located in the province's northwest, near the Papagayo Peninsula. This part of Guanacaste is home to rare swaths of dry tropical forest, a unique ecosystem with specially adapted flora and fauna. The region experiences just two seasons: dry and rainy.

Guanacaste's temperatures are warm year round, ranging from 80-95○F (25-35○C). The coastal waters are also warm year-round, though January and February's winds can blow in colder, nutrient-rich currents. This is a prime season for whale-watching, most commonly humpbacks, who bring their calves into the protected bays along the coast to feed and gather strength before resuming their northward migration.

Dry season: Summer

From January to April, the dry season reigns, and hardly a drop of rain will fall as the grasses turn to gold. Deciduous trees drop their leaves, and the landscape is transformed as their crowns burst into brilliant blooms of crimson, yellow, pink and purple.

This time of year is considered summer in Guanacaste, and the sun shines without fail as the beaches receive surfers and sunbathers to frolic in the Pacific waves, while sport-fishers cast a reel in the rich offshore currents. The province's lively 'fiestas' are celebrated every weekend in a new town, with traditional bull-riding, games, rides, music and dancing.

Rainy season: winter

In May, the rains come, greening the landscape again as plants that lay dormant during the drought spring to life. Howler monkeys grunt in the trees overhead, and hundreds of bird species migrate to the seasonal wetlands to raise their young. Afternoon showers bring somewhat cooler temperatures, and the fruit trees hang heavy with mangoes, limes, papaya, oranges, guava and bananas.

Beginning in August, several species of marine turtle clamber onto the darkened beaches at night to lay their clutches of eggs, including the highly endangered leatherback turtle, measuring more than a meter in length.