The name is derived from the word quahnacaztian, which is a native word for the guanacaste tree. This tree is the national tree of Costa Rica.

Guanacaste is located in the northwestern part of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. To the north it borders Nicaragua. To the east is the Alajuela Province, and to the southeast is the Puntarenas Province.

Guanacaste's capital is Liberia. The province covers an area of 10,141 km², and, as of 2000, had a population of 264,238. It is the most sparsely populated of all the provinces of Costa Rica.

Guanacaste's climate and culture are unique among Costa Rican provinces. The province experiences little rain and consistent heat from November to April. Tourists seek out this dry heat during the North American winter to enjoy the breathtaking Guanacastecan beaches. From May to October, the climate is similar to that of San José, consisting of showers daily and moderate temperatures. Guanacaste is, however, considerably warmer than provinces residing in higher elevations.

Guanacaste is the least populated province in Costa Rica.

Ranked list by population (as of 2000)

The largest of Costa Rica's provinces, Guanacaste's coastline stretches from the border of Nicaragua down to the mid-Pacific region of the province of Puntarenas. It also dips down into the Peninsula Nicoya, ending near Playa Caletas. Within this dramatic coastline is a wide variety of beaches, from nine protected wildlife areas, to some of the best surfing beaches in the country.

On the map Finca Las Brisas is just a little north of Sarmara on 150. The numerous beaches we visit are primarily between Samara to the south and Nosara to the northwest.

Speaking of fishing, Costa Rica, and the Nosara region in particular offer some of the best in the world.  The seas are calm, porpoises, whales, and sea turtles are abundant, and there are plenty of highly skilled and knowledgeable charter captains.  The fishing is as diverse as it gets.  

Fish in-shore for schooly tunas, jacks, red snapper, snook, rooster fish, and sierra mackeral (the best sashimi fish we have ever tasted), or go just 5-10 miles offshore to hook up with sailfish, marlin, large tuna, dorado, and wahoo.  Costa Rica is renowned for some of the best sailfishing in the world.  Al and his buddies caught 27 in just four days on Al's first trip to Costa Rica. 

South of the Liberia Airport. Finca Las Brisas is about 25 minutes directly south of Nicoya on the same road.

Nicoya is the major town of the peninsula and the cultural center of the province of Guanacaste. It was Costa Rica's first colonial city and boasts of having the oldest church in Costa Rica.

For example we closed on Finca Las Brisas in Nicoya even though there is a bank in Samara which would have been closer.

The town also hosts the largest and best equipped hospital in the Nicoya Peninsula, Hospital La Anexion which you will pass when you enter town from the north. Despite its importance, Nicoya is still a small and pleasant town where even in the center few structures are higher than one story. 

Directions

Map of Nicoya http://www.nicoyapeninsula.com/nicoya/nicoya.html

-          Follow the directions from Nicoya to Samara
4. around 5km before reaching Samara
    there is a Petrol station (this is the only gas station in the entire area) at the left hand
    side
-          take the next junction after the petrol station to the right and drive in direction Nosara

  5km later you will find a junction just before the village Barco Quebrado where you turn left back south toward Samara

Click to downloads direction to Finca Las Brisas from the main road.