Recommended Tours, Nature Parks and Hotels in Northwest Costa Rica

Guanacaste province attractions

The Northwest region of Costa Rica, located in the Guanacaste province, is famous for its excellent sandy beaches where many hotels of all types are scattered, including luxurious 5-star hotels. The area also has a variety of national nature parks with tropical forests, volcanoes, thermal phenomena, and a variety of wildlife. You can travel and spend at least a week in this area.

The main tourist city of the area is Tamarindo, famous for its surfing beaches. The largest city in this province is Liberia, which has an international airport located only about 20 minutes' drive from the ocean shores.

Getting to the Area

Most Israelis arriving in Costa Rica land at its largest airport, in San Jose. This is indeed convenient for those traveling in Arenal, La Paz, Monteverde, and even Manuel Antonio. However, for those traveling in the northwest of the country in the Guanacaste province, in the area of the most beautiful beaches, the best surfing beaches, and the most popular resort area in the country, it is much better to fly directly to the airport of the city of Liberia. It is an international airport with flights from many destinations in the United States by most American airlines, from several destinations in Canada, and also domestic flights from other airports in Costa Rica. It is a small and vibrant airport with many restaurants, bars, an ice cream parlor, and shops. It is much more convenient and pleasant than the San Jose airport.

Travelers who started their trip from San Jose and traveled in the center of the country can travel to Tamarindo from San Jose by bus, but it is much better to use the large shuttle taxis of the Interbus company, which depart several times a day from San Jose, Arenal, and other destinations, and drive right to the hotel entrances in the Tamarindo area. Alternatively, you can rent a car or book a private transfer.

Guanacaste Province

The province that this area is included in is called Guanacaste Province and it includes many beaches, including Playa Hermosa, known for water sports, Playa Blanca with its quiet beaches, and the Papagayo Peninsula, which boasts luxurious resorts and golf courses. In addition to successful beaches, this province also has diverse nature parks, including Guanacaste National Park and Santa Rosa adjacent to it, which has surfing beaches and a tropical forest with hundreds of types of birds, Palo Verde National Park with a variety of forest types and birds, and Rincón de la Vieja National Park, named after the volcano located in it that recently erupted in 2017 (it has another volcano named Santa Maria) and is known for its thermal phenomena as well as a variety of birds and mammals, including various monkeys, puma, tapir, and jaguar.

This park is close to the city of Liberia and is a major attraction for hiking, swimming, spending time in hot springs, horseback riding, picnics, and camping. Another national park in the south of the province is called Diria, which features a tropical forest and its highest point reaches 1800 meters, causing cooler temperatures and contributing to a greater variety of vegetation and wildlife.

Recommended Hotels on the Northwest Costa Rica Coast

Hotel The Westin Reserva Conchal, an All-Inclusive Golf Resort & Spa

A 5-star all-inclusive hotel on the beach, about an hour and fifteen minutes' drive southwest of the city of Liberia. One of the most charming and successful hotels in Costa Rica.

The resort, located on a vast and successful beach in Conchal Bay, extends over an enormous area and contains about 40 buildings, most of them two stories high. All rooms are spacious and luxurious suites or mini-suites surrounded by rich vegetation and lakes. The hotel features golf, tennis, billiard tables, ping-pong, etc., a children's playroom, a spa and wonderful pools, sports and active leisure activities, shows, and a variety of restaurants (included in the stay price). Between the buildings are hammocks and lounge chairs. The service is extraordinary. Those who are too lazy to walk through the hotel's grounds can ride in one of the many carts that pass through the hotel paths.

JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa

A large, magnificent five-star resort located on a wonderful, almost private sandy beach with great large pools. Adjacent to golf courses and tennis courts. A club with a pool, manicured gardens, and plenty of successful restaurants. Free guided bike tours of about an hour. Free internet and parking. Located about 6 km south of Tamarindo.

Riu Resorts

They are called Hotel Riu Guanacaste and Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica. These are five-star all-inclusive resorts with 5 restaurants in each. Riu Palace is of higher quality and more expensive. It has 24/7 room service, which the other one does not. Both resorts are adjacent to a wide beach with brown sand.

Each resort has large and beautiful pools. These two resorts also share a water park adjacent to them.

Hotel Bosque del Mar Hotel Bosque del Mar Playa Hermosa

A charming 5-star boutique hotel on the lovely Hermosa Beach featuring 32 suites and mini-suites. It has a pool, a jacuzzi, and an excellent restaurant. Free internet and parking. The buildings are two stories high, immersed in tropical vegetation and almost unnoticeable. There are many howler monkeys in the trees. The hotel is located on the beachfront, about 20 km (as the crow flies) northeast of Tamarindo.

Tours and Attractions in and around Tamarindo

Tamarindo is, as mentioned, the main resort city of the region. It is located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean in the Nicoya Peninsula. The city is famous for its popular surfing beaches, suitable for both beginners and more experienced surfers, and for its ecotourism.

Details about recommended attractions and hotels in Tamarindo can be found in my detailed article: Vacation and Tours in Tamarindo

Guided Tour of Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park

Rincón de la Vieja Park, located northeast of the city of Liberia, is an impressive and diverse park: on one hand, thermal phenomena such as bubbling mud pools, boiling water pools, and minerals; and on the other hand, a forest rich with giant trees, flowers, and many animals: from a giant boa snake to iguanas, birds, and monkeys.

The park's visitor center is located about 26 km northeast of the city of Liberia.

From the visitor center, you set out on a two-and-a-half-hour circular hike in the park, about 3 km long. The first part of the trail is accessible, while the rest is not.

♦ To book a guided day trip to this park departing from various destinations in the area from the Viator website:
Volcano Hike, Waterfall Swim & Hot Springs Combo on Rincon de la Vieja
Guided walking tour in the park, transportation, lunch, swimming in a waterfall, and hot springs.

It is highly recommended to go on a guided tour with an experienced guide who will reveal to you the natural wonders of Costa Rica.

Short video of the trip to Rincón de la Vieja National Park:

Guided Tour of Palo Verde National Park

Palo Verde National Park is located about an hour and fifteen minutes south of the city of Liberia. On this trip, you go on a boat cruise of about an hour along the river, where you see a large variety of vegetation and forest trees along the river, as well as many animals along the river: crocodiles, iguanas, bats, white-faced capuchin monkeys, and many birds.

♦ To book a boat tour in this park departing from various destinations in the area from the Viator website:
Jungle River Cruise at Palo Verde National Park
Transportation to the boat departure point, a boat cruise in the jungle to view wildlife and vegetation, and transportation back.

Short video about a river cruise in Palo Verde National Park:

Waterfall and Wading Pools - Catarata Llanos del Cortés

The waterfalls are located about 30 km southeast of the city of Liberia. These are high waterfalls with large wading pools at the bottom where many travelers bathe.

Marino las Baulas National Park

A nature reserve located about 25 minutes' drive north of Tamarindo. This is a large and important nesting site for female sea turtles. Every year, many females arrive in the area to lay their eggs. The nesting season in this area lasts from November to April, making it suitable for those arriving in Costa Rica during the dry season (unlike Tortuguero, where the nesting season is in the wet season between June and October). Visiting the site is only permitted with a local guide. The reserve has several hiking trails where you can observe many species of animals and birds.

Diamante Eco Adventure Park Tour

The park is located about an hour's drive (43 km) southwest of the city of Liberia in northwest Costa Rica. It is a large adventure park with five ziplines and a Superman line, some of the most modern and safest in Costa Rica. Some are very high and long (including the longest double zipline in Costa Rica) with spectacular views of the ocean, mountains, and beachfront hotels.

A rope park for the whole family, a very diverse zoo that teaches about the animals of Costa Rica—from jaguars and pumas, to monkeys and sloths, to crocodiles, toucans, and a butterfly greenhouse. The site houses animals that were rescued due to injury, or were domesticated without a permit and confiscated, or were raised in captivity.

There are also horseback riding, ATVs, and beach activities including kayaking, snorkeling equipment, and hammocks.

There are also activities in a typical local house, including squeezing juice from sugarcane, learning the stages of making chocolate from cocoa beans, and the stages of processing coffee beans. A well-maintained place, rich in vegetation, well-organized, with knowledgeable guides and fascinating explanations.

Different activity packages can be purchased: a package that includes all activities and lunch, a package that includes only the zipline, or a package that includes only the animal park.

To book an activity at this park from the Viator website:
♦ Diamante Eco Adventure Park Day Pass with Lunch
Full-day package including lunch and transportation from the nearby Riu hotel. Includes an all-day pass to 5 ziplines, hanging bridges, Tarzan swing, hiking trails, a tour of the zoo and butterflies, and time at the private beach with hammocks, kayaks, SUP, and snorkeling.

Note: The large Riu resorts with about 500 and 700 rooms each (details on the hotels at the beginning of the article) are located adjacent to this park; the park provides free shuttle service from these hotels to the park for hotel guests.