Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [177]
Hacienda La Pacífica (2669-6050; mains ₡2800-6800; 6am-10pm) Once a working hacienda and nature reserve, this elegant restaurant is 4.5km north of Cañas on the Interamericana and is now part of a private hotel for researchers. Many of the ingredients are grown right here on experimental organic plots, including the only large-scale organic rice cultivation site in the country.
Many of the restaurants in town shut down on Sundays, but luckily there’s an enormous SuperCompro (8am-8pm) right on the Interamericana and a Palí (Av 5 btwn Calles 4 & 2; 8am-8pm) just around the corner.
Return to beginning of chapter
Getting There & Away
All buses arrive and depart from Terminal Cañas (8am-1pm & 2:30-5:30pm) at the northern end of town. There are a few sodas and snack bars, and you can store your bags (US$0.50) at the desk. There’s also a taxi stand in front.
Juntas ₡390; 1½ hours; departs 9:30am, 2:30pm and 6pm.
Liberia ₡1050; 1½ hours; departs 4:30am, 5:35am, 6:10am, 6:40am, 7:15am, 7:45am, noon, 1:30pm, 4:30pm and 5:30pm.
Puntarenas ₡1400; two hours; departs 6am, 9:20am, 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm and 4:30pm.
San José ₡2280; 3½ hours; departs 4am, 4:50am, 5:40am, 6:30am, 8:30am, 11:20am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm and 5:30pm.
Tilarán ₡450; 45 minutes; departs 6am, 8am, 9am, 10:30am, noon, 1:45pm, 3:30pm and 5:45pm.
Upala ₡1260; two hours; departs 4:30am, 6am, 8:30am, 11:15am, 1pm, 3:30pm and 5:15pm.
Return to beginning of chapter
VOLCÁN TENORIO AREA
A paved road 6km northwest of Cañas branches off the Interamericana and heads north to Upala, passing between Volcán Miravalles to the west and Volcán Tenorio (1916m) to the east. Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio, part of the Area de Conservación Arenal (ACA), is one of the highlights of northwestern Costa Rica.
The park entrance is located just north of Bijagua (pronounced ‘bee-hag-gwa’), the only sizeable town in the Tenorio area. Bijagua has a few hotels, a Banco Nacional ATM, several small sodas and bars, but no gasoline; the nearest gas stations are in Upala or Cañas. If you have your own wheels, the park is an easy day trip from Liberia or Cañas.
LAS FIESTAS DE GUANACASTE
Guanacastecos love their horses, almost as much as they love their fiestas. And what better way to get the best of both worlds than with a tope (horse parade), a mix of a Western rodeo and a country fair complete with a cattle auction, food stalls, music, dancing, drinking and, of course, bullriding? In Costa Rica the bulls are never killed, so watching the insane helmetless, bareback, bucking bronco action is exciting and (usually) gore-free. Even better than watching the bullriding is the aftermath of the rider getting tossed, as it’s fairly common for the local drunks and young machos to jump into the ring to act as volunteer rodeo clowns, which is simultaneously hilarious and scary.
Though the bullriding usually draws the biggest crowds, the main event is the tope itself, where you can see the high-stepping gait of the sabanero (cowboy), which demands endurance and skill from both horse and rider.
Topes are also a great place to catch the region’s traditional dance, known as the Punto Guanacasteco. Perhaps the showiest aspect of the dance is the long, flowing skirts worn by the women. This skirt is meant to resemble an oxcart wheel, which is a traditional Costa Rican craft most often associated with the town of Sarchí. Punto Guanacasteco traditionally served as a means of courtship, and it’s common for the dance to be frequently interrupted by young men who shout rhyming verses in order to try to win over a love interest. The dance and accompanying music are fast paced and full of passion, and they’re similar to most other Central American styles.
Topes are a fairly common occurrence in Guanacaste,