Holiday Destination: Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz in Guanacaste Province in Costa Rica. Its capital city is also called Santa Cruz. The heart shaped canton is on the northern Pacific coast between Bahía Potrero to the north and the mouth of the Río Montaña to the south. It includes Cabo Velas, the furthermost western point on the Nicoya Peninsula. The Río Tempisque delineates a small portion of the eastern border. Its inhabitants are very diverse and consist mostly of farmers, fishermen, workers or employees of several of the many hotels located in the vicinity. The town is known within Costa Rica for its cultural heritage and many historical traditions. These traditions include the Fiesta de Semana Santa and the traditional bullfights as well as many others. Every year in Santa Cruz there are a number of festivals which include bullfighting ceremonies. These ceremonies, though traditional at heart, lack most of the features seen in Spanish bullfighting traditions. The bullfight usually starts with a man being placed on the bull with nothing but a string to hold on to. The bulls are treated with respect and dignity and in no bullring within Costa Rica is it ever alright to deliberately injure or kill a bull in a bullfight, whereas in Spain or Mexico the very purpose of the bullfight is for a trained professional to kill the bull. Santa Cruz is a beautiful town filled with kind and openhearted people who when meeting a tourist gladly directs him or her to the nearest beach, hotel or historical sight. the town is also connected to some of the most popular beaches in Costa Rica and there are buses going to these beaches almost every hour.

Climate

Summer 32 °C (89 °F), Winter 21 °C (69 °F)

Tourist Season

Winter season is the best for visiting Santa Cruz.

Accommodation

Hotels.

General Information Of Santa Cruz

• Land Area: 506.67 sq mi (1,312.27 km2)
• Population: 43 Thousand.
• Capital City: Guanacaste.
• Language: Spanish and English.

Tourist Attraction in or Near by Santa Cruz

Ostional Wildlife Refuge

The Ostional National Wildlife Refuge is located in the counties of Santa Cruz and Nicoya in the province of Guanacaste. The Ostional Wildlife Refuge is a 85.7 km2 Wildlife refuge of Costa Rica, part of the Tempisque Conservation Area, was originally declared a protected area in 1982, and its status has been changed several times since then, including covering a larger area both on land and out to sea. It was created to protect important nesting beaches of the Olive ridley sea turtle. The refuge comprises an area of 300 Ha on land and 800 Ha of ocean.

Nicoya Peninsula

The Nicoya Peninsula is a peninsula on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It is divided into two provinces Guanacaste Province in the north, and the Puntarenas Province in the south. It varies from 19 to 37 ml wide and is approximately 75 ml long, forming the largest peninsula in the country. It is known for its beaches and is a popular tourist destination. The main transport and commercial centre in the region is Nicoya, one of the oldest settlements in Costa Rica. The region was also featured in the book Blue Zones, by Dan Buettner, which focused on the longevity found among Nicoya's residents.

Santa Cruz Cathedral

The Catedral de Santa Cruz is one of the most important churches in Costa Rica, its story begins in the years of 1777 because many families living in great poverty, had to travel to church services from the area called The Lajuela and adjacent to the parish of Villa Vieja, and distance prevented them from attending the temple.

Barra Honda National Park

Barra Honda National Park is a national park in the western part of Costa Rica, which forms part of the Tempisque Conservation Area about 12 km from the Tempisque River. It was created in 1974 to protect its famous cave systems, under the Barra Honda Peak which was formed when islets from the Miocene Era were raised above the plains of the river. The caves and waterways there today were then carved out by the action of rain filtering through the limestone over 70 million years or more. The calcareous formations of the limestone caverns at the Park are the main visitor attraction, which are only estimated to be 50% explored. The park has a Ranger Station which is open for visitor attention from 8am to dusk, and has potable water and restrooms.

Curu National Wildlife Refuge

Curú National Wildlife Refuge is located in the south of Nicoya Peninsula. This place has captured the fancy of many nature lovers. There is a provision of 36 beds, although the cabins are meant primarily for researchers and students. The refuge sports the feel of being cut-off from the mainland. The refuge is just 5% of the total 1214 hec property. Almost 75% of the land is declared to be a forest, the rest 20% of the land is used for agriculture and cattle raising. The status of refuge was accorded in 1983. You can explore the place by hiking or trekking. There are 17 trails you can choose from, with various difficulty levels. You can go here swimming. The white sands of the beach and quiet waters are the perfect place to unwind.

Cafe Cafe Coffeehouse

A coffeehouse or coffee shop is an establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee or other hot beverages. It shares some of the same characteristics of a bar or restaurant, but it is different from a cafeteria. As the name suggests, coffeehouses focus on providing coffee and tea as well as light snacks. Many coffee houses in the Middle East, and in West Asian immigrant districts in the Western world flavored tobacco smoked through a hookah. From a cultural standpoint, coffeehouses largely serve as centers of social interaction the coffeehouse provides social members with a place to congregate, talk, write, read, entertain one another, or pass the time, whether individually or in small groups of two or three people. A coffeehouse serves as an informal club for its regular members.

Lake Arenal

Lake Arenal is an artificial lake in Costa Rica, located in the northern highlands of the country. It was enlarged to its present size as a part of a 1979 hydroelectric project by the Costa Rican government to provide electricity to the country. The lake is approximately 30 km long and almost 5 km at its widest point, making it the largest lake in Costa Rica at 85 sq km. Its depth varies between 30 and 60 meters depending on the season. The town of Arenal was relocated to higher ground when the lake was expanded in 1979. The old towns of Arenal and Tonadora now lie abandoned at the bottom of the lake, with the new town of Arenal existing to the northeast on the lake.

Ecocentro Danaus

A small visitor’s center where you can pick up the self guided tour booklet then set out on the short trail through the forests and gardens to the butterfly enclosure. About thirty species are bred at Danaus and you can observe the stages of their life cycle then see the adults close up in a natural habitat. Red eyed tree and Dendrobates poison dart frogs live in ecologically representative displays along with other amphibians and reptiles. Night time tours are available by arrangement and recommended if you’re most interested in the amphibians since many are nocturnal.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens

La Paz is a waterfall in central Costa Rica. In Spanish, it is known as Catarata de La Paz. It is 31 km north of Alajuela, between Vara Blanca and Cinchona. The waterfall is located immediately alongside the road from Alajuela that leads to the northern plains of Costa Rica. The River La Paz forms the waterfall after traversing 8 km of volcanic terrain, and then continues through the rainforest of the eastern side of Poás Volcano. A short path leads behind the waterfall, where a small shrine had been located. Upstream from the waterfall is La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a hotel and park, where visitors can observe many different species of local wildlife. Landslides damaged the road that runs alongside the waterfall.

Aventuras Naturales

Aventuras Naturales rafting adventure tours through the rain forest will make your Costa Rica vacation truly one of a kind ! Enjoy this once in a lifetime adventure with Aventuras Naturales, the whitewater rafting company that owns & operates the unique Pacuare Jungle Lodge & the highest Original Canopy Tour in Costa Rica. In the Atlantic region of Costa Rica there is a protected zone of incomparable beauty that begins near the town of Siquirres and covers approximately 25,000 acres as it descends down the Talamanca Mountain Range. This is the area known as Pacuare, which constitutes one of the most important protected areas in the region. High annual rainfall, along with its proximity to the lowlands combine to nature the complex life systems whose abundance make for extraordinary scenic beauty. This area is still inhabited by the Cabecar Indians, you can hike the same paths that this indigenous tribe still uses.

Accessibility

Bus Terminal in or Near by

Huacas Bus Stop

155 Street
Huacas, Costa Rica

Terminal de Lumaca

Avenue 10
Santa Cruz 10000, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Tres Rios bus station

Avenida Segunda
Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Bus Station frente Hotel Cocori

Paso De La Vaca
Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Airport

Guanacaste Airport: For International and Domestic flights.

Railway Stations

Estacion del Tren de Plaza Viquez

Calle 11
Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Estacion del Pacifico

Calle Central Alfredo Volio
Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, Costa Rica