Guanacaste Costa Rica

Guanacaste Weather: The weather throughout the province of Guanacaste is characterized by being hot with well-defined wet and dry seasons. The one exception is the highland portion of the province which consists of the upper Pacific-facing slopes of the volcanoes in the Guanacaste Cordillera and the northern half of the Tilarán Cordillera. The cool, moist conditions along these ridges support luxuriant cloud forests. Elsewhere, the natural vegetation type originally found in Guanacaste is tropical dry forest.

This kind of forest extends from parts of Mexico down the western side of Central America to Costa Rica, where it reaches its southern limit in the general area of the Carara Biological Reserve. Due to the pronounced dry season that affects this habitat type for at least six months out of every year, fire works very well as a land clearing tool, and hence, most of the original forests have long since been removed for agricultural activities, principally cattle ranching. The parks and reserves in Guanacaste protect much of the remaining examples of tropical dry forest in the entire region.

The annual dry season in Guanacaste is caused by the effects of the northeast trade winds that blow in off the Caribbean from November through March. This humid air loses its moisture as it crosses the Caribbean lowlands and the cordilleras. Given that the Guanacaste Cordillera is both the lowest and narrowest in the country, there is little to block the passage of the arid air that comes gusting down the western slopes drying out everything in its path, as well as preventing any breezes from bringing in moist air from the Pacific Ocean during these months.

When the trade winds shift northward, air currents once again bring humidity and life-giving rains in from the Pacific Ocean. It is remarkable to observe how quickly the parched and brown countryside regains its verdant appearance after the first showers of each new rainy season. In Guanacaste, these afternoon showers usually return by mid-May and continue until about mid-November.

In Costa Rica, Guanacaste ranching has persisted to the present day and was given a real economic boost in the 1950's and '60's with the development of the "hamburger connection" and North America's increased demand for cheap beef.

The other agricultural products of relative importance in Guanacaste are sugar cane and cotton, and since the late 1980's, with the creation of a large-scale irrigation program (the water comes from Lake Arenal after passing through several power generating stations), rice has become a prominent crop.

Tourism, of course, is currently the region's most lucrative activity since Guanacaste is blessed by having many of the country's most beautiful beaches and its sun-drenched dry season coincides with the winter months in northern latitudes.

Guanacaste National Parks:

1) Isla Bolaños Biological Reserve

2) Santa Rosa National Park

3) Guanacaste National Park

4) Rincón de la Vieja National Park

5) Barra Honda National Park

6) Palo Verde National Park

7) Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve

8) Las Baulas Marine National Park

9) Tamarindo National Wildlife Refuge

10) Ostional National Wildlife Refuge

1) Lake Arenal: This natural depression caused by local geological faults formerly contained a small lake that emptied into the Arenal River which flowed into the Caribbean via the San Carlos and San Juan Rivers. However, in the 1970's, the Costa Rican Electric Company (I.C.E.) began construction of what is currently the country's largest hydroelectric generating project.

An earthen dam was built only seven kilometers to the west of Arenal Volcano--that had erupted violently just a few years earlier. As the waters filled up behind the dam a thirty-kilometer long lake was formed. Water from the lake is tunneled to the Pacific side of the country, passing through three turbine-driven generating stations, before being channeled into a system of irrigation canals that have substantially increased the agricultural productivity of the lower Tempisque basin in Guanacaste.

As well as its importance for energy and agriculture, Lake Arenal provides excellent recreational opportunities, especially for windsurfing and freshwater fishing. The northwestern end of the lake is buffeted by strong winds, particularly from December through March, that make for ideal windsurfing conditions.

Fishing for guapote (Cichlasoma dovii), often referred to as "rainbow bass" even though it is not related to bass, is another popular sport on the lake. The season is open year-round (on this lake only) and there is a limit of 10 fish per day.

2) Nicoya Colonial Church

3) Eco-museum (Las Juntas): In the early part of the 20th century, gold mining was an important activity along the Pacific foothills of the Tilarán Mountains. Discovered in 1884, the mines near Las Juntas de Abangares were eventually sold to the North American entrepreneur, Minor C. Keith, the same person who built the railroad between San José and Limón. In their heyday, the mines employed nearly a thousand workers, but were also the scene of a violent labor dispute in 1911.

The Eco-museum was developed around the ruins of one of the oldest gold mines in the region where some of the old machinery, hand tools, and infrastructure can still be seen. The surrounding area is forested to a large extent and provides good opportunities for birdwatching and other nature observation.

The town of Las Juntas de Abangares is located 6 km. northeast of the PanAmerican Highway (the turnoff is 24 km south of Cañas). Drive through the town and follow the signs for the "Eco-museo", about 2 km. farther on. The museum is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Phone: 662-0129 (in the Municipal Offices of Las Juntas).

4) Indigenous crafts manufacturing in the town of Guaitil: Continuing a tradition that predates the Spanish settlement of Guanacaste, the descendants of the Chorotega tribe living in the village of Guaitil still produce fine quality pottery. Having changed with the times, much the way the oxcart manufacturers of Sarchí have, the ceramic ware made in Guaitil is now destined mostly for the souvenir trade and is not so much a matter of creating vessels for daily usage. Nonetheless, it is still interesting to observe the process of making and decorating the variety of earthenware products.

To reach the village of Guaitil, take the road out of Santa Cruz to the east past the town of Santa Barbara (about 10 km.).

5) Cowboy Museum (Liberia): Known in Spanish as El Museo del Sabanero, the Cowboy Museum is a tribute to the hard-working plainsmen of yesteryear that are such an important part of Guanacaste's past and tradition. The museum showcases all sorts of memorabilia from old photographs to chaps and branding irons, and gives an insight into what life was like on the haciendas in times gone by.

Located 3 blocks south and one block east of the Municipal Building in Liberia, the museum shares space with the Liberia Cultural Center in a restored adobe house that was originally built more than 100 years ago. Hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Phone: (506) 666-1606.