If a tourist who is going to stay just a few days in Costa Rica would ask me which area of the country encompasses most of its beauties, my answer will definitely be: Guanacaste.

Guanacaste, the second in size of Costa Rica’s seven provinces embraces, in its 10,140.71 square kilometers, several of the country’s main attractions: beautiful beaches, warm weather, great surf, diving and sportfishing and the flora and fauna biodiversity of dry and tropical forests.

That’s why this province is a favorite of frequent visitors , especially two top beach spots along the Pacific Coast: Flamingo Beach and Tamarindo Beach with only a distance of about 20 miles between them.

Moreover, the international airport in Liberia, the capital of Guanacaste, is now open to international arrivals , both regular and charter and it is just a 50 minute drive to Tamarindo or 40 minutes to Flamingo.

Located at 281 kilometers from San José, Guanacaste has an average altitude of 25 meters above sea level and an average temperature of 28’C.

The province’s exhuberancy is very well depicted in its seven National Parks (Palo Verde, Santa Rosa, Guanacaste, Rincón de la Vieja, Las Baulas Marine National Park and Barra Honda) and three wildlife reserves: Isla Bolaños National Wildlife Refuge, Lomas de Barbudal Biological Reserve and Ostional Wildlife Reserve.

Guanacaste is also home of seven dormant volcanoes: Miravalles, Tenorio, Rincón de la Vieja, Orosí, Górgona, Cacao and Cerro Chato.

Toucans, pelicans, anteaters, sloths, howler monkeys, jaguarundis and raccoons are just some of the distinctive species that inhabit the area.

As of the beaches, well, Guanacaste’s Pacific Coast goes from Bahía Salinas, up north beside the border with Nicaragua, to Puerto Coyote in the Nicoya Península. Naranjo beach, Garza, Hermosa, Coco, Ocotal, Potrero, Conchal, Flamingo, Playa Grande, Tamarindo, Brasilito and Langosta, are just a few of the beaches along this golden coast, most of them safe for swimming and great for diving and surfing.

Flamingo Beach:

Flamingo, named after the pink flamingos that once inhabited the coast, is a renowned area for its structured growth and has been ranked as one of the best destinations among the entire Gold Coast of Costa Rica. Flamingo is a modern community with an ever increasing number of activities, services, and accomodations.

It’s no wonder there’s a full service Marina in Flamingo, (considered the best on the Pacific coast south of Acapulco, Mexico) since the area offers world class sportfishing,both deep blue water and reef or shoreline fishing, boasting world records in Marlin, sailfish,snapper, wahoo, tuna and roosterfish.

Flamingo is also great for sea-kayaking and snorkeling with its many inlets, secluded virgin beaches and clear waters.
Just right beside the marina is the Flamingo Beach Resort,a deluxe, modern resort with 91 large, air conditioned rooms and suites literally steps away the crystal blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Another great choice for lodging in Flamingo is the Flamingo Marina Resort. Whether you`re a budget-conscious traveler or one who prefers to be surrounded by all the luxuries of home, Flamingo Marina Resort offers a choice of quality accommodations that cater to your needs. All of which are spacious, comfortable and tastefully appointed. (see details on www.crica.com)

If golf is your sport don’t miss in this area the Garra de León Golf Course at Meliá Playa Conchal Beach Resort .Designed by course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. and completed in August of 1997, Garra de León offers the best of up-to-date features while still preserving the natural tropical environment of Guanacaste. The 72-par course is home to 7,030 yards of technical water hazards, challenging elevation changes and beautiful ocean views. There are several lagoons and lakes that decorate the course and house many birds and other wildlife.(see www.golfcostarica.com)

But there’s even more to Guanacaste: if diving is in your mind, you’ve come to the right place: the diving off Costa Rica's northwest coast is on volcanic rock pinnacles. Most of these formations are at 40-90 foot depths.Colorful Cortez and King Angelfish, Pufferfish, Jewel and Pacific Moray Eels as well as 3 to 5 different types of Parrotfish and occasional Sea Turtles are some of the species you might spot at this depth Down to about 50-60 feet, there are huge schools of Jacks, Grunts, Mackerel or Spadefish. This is the depth where divers usually see the most Manta Rays, Bat Rays, Eagle Rays, and White-tipped Sharks.

We warmly invite you to consider Country Day School Guanacaste.  CDSG is at the center of a growing and diverse Guanacaste community that includes Costa Ricans, Europeans, Asians, North and South Americans.  Our school is a non-sectarian, college preparatory and co-educational day/boarding program.  We are a US accredited school with a 40 year history through our widely respected Country Day campus in Escazu, San Jose.  The school year extends from mid-August to mid-June.   All instruction is conducted in English with the exception of our K through 12 Spanish Program.  

You will find our students, parents and teachers to be adventurous and active in outdoor activities and learning opportunities.  Costa Rica offers us the ability to provide a fun and exciting ‘learn by doing’ environment for our students and visiting groups.  Our 39 acre facility has a sports complex including full covered gym, soccer field, swimming pool, and a high ropes course and zip lines for team building activities.  Country Day School believes students have a variety of learning styles and intelligences, and considerable effort has been devoted to assuring Country Day’s traditions of high academic standards and attention to the individual needs of students.

La Paz Community School is a nonprofit, cooperative school serving the communities of coastal Guanacaste in Costa Rica. La Paz offers classes from preschool through tenth grade and fulfills several needs that were previously unmet:

The need for an affordable, high-quality educational alternative. Experiential learning supplements traditional curricula by engaging students in creative projects and service activities.

The need for dual language education in English and Spanish. Bilingual students communicate more effectively and will ultimately find rewarding employment opportunities.

The need for increased environmental consciousness. Students run recycling programs, plant trees, sell reusable shopping bags, conduct beach clean-ups, and help build awareness about natural resource conservation.

The need to integrate Guanacaste’s diverse cultural populations. The student body represents 20 different nationalities; these youth and their families learn and grow together, rather than living in isolation or conflict.

The need to include children from all socioeconomic levels. Scholarships help to bridge the resource gap between low-income families from the local community and wealthier Costa Ricans and expatriates.

Enrollment has grown steadily and already more than doubled since La Paz was founded in 2007. Future aspirations include completing the education cycle through twelfth grade and expanding the scholarship program. La Paz has non-profit status in both Costa Rica and the United States. The school relies on generous supporters around the world to fund the scholarship program and supplement tuition income. Private donations are essential for La Paz to remain sustainable and within reach of the broader community.

Centro Panamericano de Idiomas (CPI) is the only Spanish immersion school in Costa Rica that allows students to study at three separate campuses, in three distinct regions of the country - Heredia, Monteverde, and Flamingo Beach.

At each campus, we maintain the same high-quality teaching methodology, faculty, and administrative resources, to ensure students receive the same first-rate instruction no matter where they choose to study.
Our programs are appropiate for families, college students, professionals, as well as retired couples.