I believe Guanacaste is the most interesting part of Costa Rica because of its attractions and climatic diversity. Here you´ll find Costa Rica´s most beautiful beaches, the volcanoes, the hot springs, wet lands around Palo Verde and the Tempisque river, the caves of Barra Honda and even cloud forest going up to Monte Verde.
Guanacaste has more sunshine and a shorter rainy season. For this reason and because of the nice beaches most tourists come here. There are some very touristic areas in Guanacaste, especially in the northern part of the Nicoya Peninsula, but also some rural ones where life is still at a slow pace and the expression “pura vida” applies.
When I arrived in Costa Rica 15 years ago Guanacaste was much less forested and each dry season farmers would burn their fields. Things have changed a lot since then. Because of government initiatives especially on the Nicoya Peninsula many farmers stopped cattle farming and left their pastures to nature. Meanwhile the picture has changed considerably. Above all in the southern part of the Nicoya Peninsula where I´m living and working forest has grown back and many animals are repopulating the area.