1Papagayo
Calm bays, all-inclusive resorts and Costa Rica's driest weather, about an hour from Liberia airport.
4 nightsBest: January to May
Guanacaste
Costa Rica's driest province, with its own international airport in Liberia, the all-inclusive resorts of Papagayo, the surf town of Tamarindo, and volcanoes, dry forest and ranch country inland.
- Destinations
- 11
- Each with its own page
- Hotels we book
- 55
- 3-star and above
- Fly into
- LIR
- Liberia, about 1 hour to Papagayo
- Best weather
- Dec to Apr
- Dry season
- Pairs with
- Arenal
- Private transfer from Liberia, about 3 hours
Why go
Beaches, volcanoes and ranch country in the dry northwest
Guanacaste is the driest part of Costa Rica, which means more days on the beach, and Liberia's airport puts most of the province within an hour or two of landing. The Gulf of Papagayo has calm bays and the all-inclusive resorts, about an hour from the airport. Conchal is a beach made of crushed shells, Flamingo a white sand bay, and Tamarindo the liveliest beach town, with beginner surf and restaurants you can walk to. Just south of it, Avellanas and Langosta are quieter surf beaches. Inland, Rincón de la Vieja is an active volcano with hot springs, volcanic mud and horseback trails, about an hour from Liberia, and Miravalles is quieter still. It is cattle country too, with cowboys, rodeos and the broad Guanacaste tree, the national tree that gave the province its name. The people of Guanacaste voted to join Costa Rica on 25 July 1824, and the day is still celebrated every year.
BeachesFrom the Papagayo resorts to Tamarindo's surf
VolcanoesHot springs and mud at Rincón de la Vieja
Cowboy cultureRanches, rodeos and corn-based food
Destinations in Guanacaste
The places our clients stay most come first. Each has its own page.
2Tamarindo
Guanacaste's liveliest beach town: beginner surf, sunsets over the Pacific and restaurants you can walk to.
4 nightsBest: December to May
3Conchal
A beach made of crushed shells, with some of the clearest water in Guanacaste.
4 nightsBest: January to March
4Flamingo
A white sand bay with clear blue water, quiet evenings and the Catalina Islands about 20 minutes offshore.
4 nightsBest: January to March
5Rincón de la Vieja
An active volcano about an hour from Liberia airport, with hot springs, volcanic mud, waterfalls and some of the best horseback trails in Costa Rica.
2 nightsBest: November to April
6Playa Panamá
A quiet beach in the Gulf of Papagayo where the water is so calm it feels like a lake, about an hour from Liberia airport.
4 nightsBest: January to March
7Playa Avellanas
Little Hawaii: a surfers' beach south of Tamarindo with more than eight breaks, long walks on the sand and sunsets over the Pacific.
3 nightsBest: December to March
8Playa Langosta
A quieter beach just south of Tamarindo, with surf breaks for experienced surfers, sunsets over the Pacific and Tamarindo's restaurants a short taxi ride away.
4 nightsBest: December to March
9Liberia
Guanacaste's White City and home to Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR), the gateway to the northern beaches and volcanoes.
1 nightBest: January to March
10Miravalles
A quiet volcano in northern Guanacaste, with Costa Rica's biggest geothermal fields around it, hot rivers and springs, and far fewer visitors than Arenal.
Best: December to May
11Bahía Salinas
Costa Rica's top bay for kitesurfing and windsurfing, in the far northwest of Guanacaste, where a steady wind blows over flat water from November and the top of the bay is already in Nicaragua.
Best: November to March
The map
![Map of Guanacaste in Costa Rica with its 11 destinations numbered and the 55 hotels we book]()
Where Guanacaste is, and what is in it
Each number is a destination with its own page; the small dots are the 55 hotels we book here.
✈ LIRPapagayoTamarindoConchalRincón de la ViejaPlaya AvellanasPlaya LangostaLiberiaMiravallesBahía Salinas
- 1Papagayo
- 2Tamarindo
- 3Conchal
- 4Flamingo
- 5Rincón de la Vieja
- 6Playa Panamá
- 7Playa Avellanas
- 8Playa Langosta
- 9Liberia
- 10Miravalles
- 11Bahía Salinas
- Destination page
- Hotel we book
- Airport
- The region (approximate)
Quieter places we also book
- Brasilito and PotreroBeach hotels on the bay just north of Playa Flamingo, a short walk along the sand from town.2 hotels we book
- Playa AzulA secluded beach where forest and gardens run down to the sand.1 hotel we book
- Las CatalinasA small beach community about 20 minutes from Playa Flamingo, with an adults-only boutique hotel above the bay.3 hotels we book
- Playa GrandeFive kilometres of sand with consistent surf, where leatherback turtles nest from November to April.2 hotels we book
- Palo VerdeThe national park for birders, on the Tempisque River, with boat tours past crocodiles and nesting colonies.2 hotels we book
What our clients book most in Guanacaste
Ranked from the trips we planned in the last 12 months.
- 01Catamaran sail with snorkellingPrivate or shared, 4 hours
- 02Diamante Eco Adventure ParkShared, 2 hours
- 03Sunset catamaran with snorkellingShared, 4 hours
- 04Adventure day at Hacienda GuachipelínShared, Full day
- 05Rincón de la Vieja hike and Oropéndola WaterfallShared, 3.5 hours
- 06Sunset catamaran sailShared, 4 hours
When to go
Driest December to April
May to November is the green season, usually with showers in the afternoon, when the hills and the forest turn green. Even then Guanacaste is the driest part of the country.
Dry seasonGreen season, afternoon showersSemana Santa, 21 to 28 March 2027: plan early
Best months, destination by destination
| Destination | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papagayo | best | best | best | best | best | |||||||
| Tamarindo | best | best | best | best | best | best | ||||||
| Conchal | best | best | best | |||||||||
| Flamingo | best | best | best | |||||||||
| Rincón de la Vieja | best | best | best | best | best | best | ||||||
| Playa Panamá | best | best | best | |||||||||
| Playa Avellanas | best | best | best | best | ||||||||
| Playa Langosta | best | best | best | best | ||||||||
| Liberia | best | best | best | |||||||||
| Miravalles | best | best | best | best | best | best | ||||||
| Bahía Salinas | best | best | best | best | best | |||||||
| Brasilito and Potrero | best | best | best | best | best | |||||||
| Playa Azul | best | best | best | best | best | |||||||
| Las Catalinas | best | best | best | best | best | |||||||
| Playa Grande | best | best | best | best | best | |||||||
| Palo Verde | best | best | best | best | best |
Fly straight into Liberia
From Liberia (LIR)about 1 hourPrivate transfer to Papagayo, Conchal or Flamingo
From Arenalabout 4.5 hoursPrivate transfer across the province
From Monteverdeabout 3 hoursPrivate transfer down from the cloud forest
More to see in Guanacaste
Where to go next
Where our clients go after Guanacaste
Good to know
Guanacaste questions we answer every week
Which airport is closest?
Liberia (LIR), the Daniel Oduber International Airport. Several airlines from the United States and Canada fly there directly, and Papagayo, Conchal, Flamingo and Rincón de la Vieja are all about an hour away by private transfer.
Where should I stay in Guanacaste?
Papagayo for the all-inclusive resorts and calm water, Conchal or Flamingo for clear water and quiet evenings, and Tamarindo to walk to restaurants and take a first surf lesson. For a night beside a volcano, Rincón de la Vieja is under 2 hours from Papagayo.
When is the best time to visit Guanacaste?
December to April is the dry season. May to November is the green season, with fewer visitors and the landscape at its greenest.
Can I surf in Guanacaste?
Yes. Tamarindo and Playa Negra are well-known surf spots, and Playa Grande has some of the most consistent breaks in Costa Rica.
Where are Playa Carrillo and Punta Islita?
On the Nicoya Peninsula: Playa Carrillo is about 10 minutes south of Sámara. You will find both on our Nicoya Peninsula page.
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