Guanacaste’s Nicoya region is a hub for heading into the rainforest. It’s also one of the world’s few Blue Zones – areas where people seem to live longer, thanks to factors like a vegetarian diet and a focus on community.
Costa Rica’s different ecosystems provide habitats for more than 900 species of birds, many of which are migratory. A visit to Rancho Humo Estancia, a private ecological reserve near Palo Verde National Park, yields dozens of bird species in its surrounding wetlands, including herons, storks, gulls, egrets and ibises. The north of Guanacaste delivers even more ecosystems, along with forest trails, rocky canyons and winding rivers. Tradition rules at places like Hacienda Guachipelin at the edge of the Rincón de la Vieja National Park, a ranch compound noted for its adventure activities like rock climbing, river tubing and horseback riding. This is also where you can take the healing waters of thermal hot springs and spa mud baths at nearby Rio Negro Hot Springs, thanks to a 9,000-year-old volcano.
