Located in the northern flatlands of Costa Rica, Guanacaste is home of the sabanero (the cowboy), and is marked by a tradition deeply rooted in cattle ranches, sugar cane, melon, and rice harvesting. Dramatic volcanic hills and ridges rise above the plains as one moves inland and upward. Its complex geography is such that you can be lounging on the beach in the morning, and scaling the side of a volcano deep in the cloud forest by afternoon.
Along with the “Wild West” of Costa Rica, Guanacaste is also lovingly referred to as the gem of the country. The province sits at the northwestern corner of the country, bordering Nicaragua. Its beaches, with their alternating black and white sands, are some of the most prized in the country.
Culturally, Guanacaste is chock full of tradition, folklore, and fiesta. Its people — mainly descendents of a mix of the native Chorotega Indian and Spanish blood — are proud in their ways and are always ready with a wave and a smile.
Civic fiestas — large carnivals which support the hosting town — feature stoic bull riders and gussied up fiesta princesses ready for their last dance, and are the year's most eagerly-awaited celebration, a source of community pride.
Guanacaste's Nicoya Peninsula was recently named a world "blue zone", one of the places on the planet whose residents live unusually long, healthy lives.
A team of researchers discovered Guanacaste was home to one of only four known blue zones in the world, where even the over-90 crowd still get up for a full day’s work. The secret of their youth? The team pointed to the region’s clean drinking water, the cultural work ethic (very much a 'work to live', not 'live to work' mindset), and local fruits rich in anti-oxidants, all of which made for a healthy, long life.
In exploring the province, you will see layer upon layer of diversity. Brightly-colored clapboard houses with wood burning stoves flank a cutting edge space rocket laboratory, herds of cattle cross in front of typical restaurants boasting wireless internet, all markers of the intersection of an older, simpler way of life brushing up against the more modern.
Known for its sunsets and wild lightning storms, its fishermen with their hand reels, and its children in their national blue uniforms, Guanacaste reveals a heart of Costa Rica that extends well beyond the beaten path. Guanacaste is still wild. There are parts of it still unexplored. It is a province that holds onto a different way of life, one steeling itself in the face of the modern — and one that will change your view of the world.
