Guanacaste, a province in the northwestern portion of Costa Rica, has a population of over 350,000 people and includes the communities of Liberia, Nicoya, Cañas, Santa Cruz, Juntas, Bagaces, and Tamarindo, among others. The province offers a mix of volcanos, rolling flatlands, plains, swampy wetlands, and coastal beach areas. Most of the ex-pats living in the area reside near the coast along the Pacific Ocean, and the waterfront areas tend to be popular with tourists also.
The combination of friendly locals, affordable living, and relaxed culture help make Guanacaste a desirable place to live and visit. The area tends to be drier than many other parts of Costa Rica, though there is a bit of a rainy season between May and October. Guanacaste features 65 beaches that range from small and secludedto large and bustling, and which offer a variety of relaxation and recreation opportunities. Spanish is the main language here, but some larger centres also have many English-speaking people.
Several highways run throughout the province, making travel from one community to the next fairly easy. The most common way to travel to the province is by flying into the Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia.