Page 18 - NORTHERN GUANACASTE TOURIST GUIDE

Cultural Heritage
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Liberia, known as the White City due to the powdery white gravel used in construction, is the most developed city of Guanacaste. It is where basic services, hotels and restaurants are located, along with the airport. Liberia is also home to significant cultural, culinary and artistic expressions (dance, music, handicrafts).
La Cruz, Carrillo and the La Cruz Coastal Tourism Corridor are intriguing destinations for those who want to experience rural fishing communities such as Cuajiniquil, Puerto Soley and El Jobo. Visitors will also be able to enjoy the Mirador de La Cruz and other sites of great historical importance such as La Casona in Santa Rosa National Park. The Papagayo tourist pole offers abundant lodging options in the Playa Panama, Playa Buena and Punta Ballena sectors, complemented by the tourist corridor from Playa Hermosa to Playa Matapalo.
The cultural activities and expressions of the area are particular to Guanacaste, including the lowlands or bajura. These include bull riding, traditional national festivities, and Carrillo’s status as the “archaeological city of Costa Rica”.
Bagaces, Cañas & Islita
In the area you will be able to enjoy a variety of tourist activities related to rest, health, culture, adventure and nature, since the area around Rincón de la Vieja National Park offers a wide variety of activities concentrated around the Curubande and Cañas Dulces sectors. These include incredible options of high quality spas that are immersed in the natural surroundings. The Papagayo tourist pole also offers a remarkable selection of beaches.
Guanacaste’s cultural expressions include activities that can be seen throughout the region: bullfights in rustic wooden rings, wooden houses with corrals and stables, domestic animals (chickens and cattle), wood stoves and adobe-style ovens. Take a look at the traditional ox carts of Guanacaste, the carretas – in fact, why not take a ride in one? The design of the ox carts highlight the original color and texture of the wood, giving them a more rustic touch and highlighting the beauty of the craftsmanship. Sometimes they lack the usual walls, since some ox carts are not used to transport grain, but rather tree trunks or even roots and branches.
Guanacaste is a province that has one of the most authentic collections of its folklore and local traditions, which is highly valued by Costa Ricans. It is a hotbed of traditional and folk songs, some of whose authors are known and others of which are not, which are known across the country as: El Punto Guanacasteco, El Torito, Pasión, Amor de Temporada, Pampa, and El Cambute. It’s a region where you can enjoy the joyful melodies of the marimba, delicious food, local handicrafts, sabanero culture and villages with cultural expressions of dance and music that are on display during the village festivals or in cultural events throughout the year.
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Photos: Soledad Hernández