A municipal road plan for 2017–2022 lists “LA PALMA, HDA.CULEBRA TORTUGAL (FIN DE CAMINO)” as a road’s endpoint in Tortugal.

Mining History at the Municipal Level

Looking at the municipality also leads to La Sierra. There, the Ecomuseo Minero de Abangares presents the ruins of the Edificio de Los Mazos. The building was constructed as an operations center for processing gold-bearing quartz from the mining area. The Ecomuseo Minero was founded on November 24, 1991, and declared cultural heritage in 2005 by the Ministerio de Cultura y Juventud under Law 7555. This connects getting oriented in Tortugal with an important chapter of the municipality’s mining history, without placing this historic center in Tortugal itself.

Guanacaste: Natural and Cultural Landscapes

In Guanacaste, Parque Nacional Palo Verde offers two distinct perspectives on the landscape. The park is in the canton of Bagaces, between the Bebedero and Tempisque rivers, in the lower Tempisque basin. The elevated Sendero La Jacana runs above Palo Verde Lagoon, is 20 meters long, and is used for birdwatching. By contrast, the 540-meter Sendero La Roca loop leads to a viewpoint overlooking Lago Palo Verde, the Río Tempisque, and the Gulf of Nicoya. The routes’ respective lengths and destinations make them easy to distinguish: one focuses on birdwatching above the lagoon, while the other is a loop trail with scenic views.

Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Ostional is also in Guanacaste. It encompasses the beaches of Ostional, Nosara, Peladas, and Guiones in the cantons of Santa Cruz and Nicoya. The protected area safeguards the world’s most important nesting and breeding site for the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). The coastal communities and the protection of these turtles are both defining regional themes.

Volcanic formations define the landscape of Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja: the massif includes nine cones and La Jilgueros Lagoon. Trails lead to the Von Seebach and Rincón de la Vieja craters, Las Pailas, the La Cangreja and Escondidas waterfalls, and other attractions such as fumaroles and mud volcanoes. Access conditions may vary. Parque Nacional Barra Honda offers a different natural highlight: it is Costa Rica’s only national park with an underground cave system.

Guanacaste also combines nature experiences with history. The historic Battle of Santa Rosa took place in Parque Nacional Santa Rosa on March 20, 1856. The park is also the only protected wild area in Costa Rica that contains a historical museum. At Playa Naranjo, visitors can surf, camp, and use trails near the mangrove area; conditions may vary. In Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas on the Nicoya Peninsula, the protected area includes Playa Carbón, Ventanas, and Langosta, as well as the hills of Morro and Hermoso and the San Francisco and Ventanas mangroves. Surfing is possible at Playa Grande.

Guanacaste’s Pottery Tradition and Cuisine

In San Vicente de Nicoya, the Ecomuseo de la Cerámica Chorotega highlights local pottery traditions that have endured for hundreds of years. In Guaitil de Santa Cruz and San Vicente de Nicoya, a tradition more than 5,000 years old continues using inherited techniques adopted from the Chorotega. Visitors can buy the resulting ceramic pieces. These two places provide a tangible cultural context for the region’s pottery history.

Cuisine also offers many regional points of reference. Traditional Guanacaste dishes include tortillas guanacastecas, Tanelas, Tayuyas, Costa Rican-style tamales, Pisque, and sweet tamales. Other specialties include arroz de maíz, Nicaraguan-style Nacatamales, Rosquillas, Bizcochos, Pozol, and Chicheme. Together with the pottery traditions and diverse protected areas, these dishes paint a varied picture of Guanacaste as a broader travel destination.

Discover more destinations: San Lázaro, Tilarán, La Cruz, Punta Islita, San Francisco de Coyote, Mata De Caña, Piedras, Sierra.

Go to the broader travel overview: Guanacaste.