Costa Rica is surrounded by some of the most-amazing coastlines in the world and Guanacaste is one of the jewels of the Pacific Coast. You'll hear yourself saying: "Ahhhh... Life's a Beach" while staying in Guanacaste. Every beach you go to along this golden coast is famous for some of the best sunsets in the world. And the climate on that part of the Costa Rican coast is like Southern California very arid and sunny almost all-year long. You can't go wrong in Guanacaste if you add it to your Costa Rica vacation itinerary! There has been a significant amount of investment into this region recently, especially large, chain hotels that offer all-inclusive packages at their resorts such as the RIU hotels, Barcelona, J.W. Marriott, Four Seasons, Westin the Hyatt Andaz and more. And now the Dreams property, famous for its resorts throughout Mexico and the Caribbean, is building a large family-style, all-inclusive resort in the Northern Papagayo region of Guanacaste. These resorts are nice, but Costa Rica is more-famous for its comfortable, independent, small hotels with charming local flare. Some of the more-popular places to visit is Tamarindo, Flamigo, Playas del Coco, Hacienda Pinilla, Ocotal, Playa Negra, Avellanas and Papagayo, but it is no secret that our favorite part of Guanacaste is the Nicoya Peninsula, specifically the beaches of Playa Samara and Playa Carrillo. We especially like this area because they are the closest beaches to the Arenal Volcano and the Monteverde Cloud Forest and are easily accessible from either international airport - San Jose (SJO) or Liberia (LIR). The Nicoya Peninsula of Guanacaste is considered one of the Blue Zones of the world with extraordinary life longevity - it's not unusual to come across fully-functional elderly folks well into their hundreds living the Pura Vida of Costa Rica! When organizing your Costa Rica vacation, it works well to fly into either airport, then spend a some nights near the Arenal Volcano, add a couple nights in Monteverde and then head to the beach to relax your last few nights in the country. We recommend you chose one of the beaches in the Guanacaste province to finish off the perfect Costa Rica vacation!