Liberia, the capital of Guanacaste province is a country with extensive rainforests, some of the most lush and dense ones in Central America. Liberia is an ideal gateway to the whole of Costa Rica and its beautiful beaches and parks. The Santa Rosa National Park and Rincón de la Vieja National Park have some great hiking trails apart from options to ride horses, enjoy the gush of the waterfalls or take mud baths. Alternatively travellers can stop at Liberia on their way to the Guanacaste beaches and to Nicaragua. Travellers also frequently head to the west to chill out on some of the great beaches including Playa Hermosa, Ocotal and Tamarindo. English is spoken widely in Liberia but in remote areas it is better to have a local guide.
The friendly city of Liberia is locally known as 'the white city' ("la ciudad blanca") due to the plethora of colonial houses constructed with a kind of white clay giving it a whitewashed look. Liberia's traditional culture includes dance, storytelling, and carved masks that are part of its artistic traditions. You may have to haggle to pay a good price for a mask depending on the work and size.
A great way to spend time in Liberia is to walk along the streets around the Plaza Central and take in the sights and sounds of the place. The main attraction of this area is the modern church of Iglesia Inmaculada Concepcion de Maria. Many local shops and restaurants surround the plaza. Eating out may be surprisingly inexpensive for enormous portions of Liberian food that includes chock rice, cassava leaf, potato greens, palm butter, goat and pepper soup among delicious breads and fish.