Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [185]
BAC San José (2666-2020; Centro Comercial Santa Rosa; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) Changes traveler’s checks; try this 24-hour ATM if others won’t accept your card.
Banco de Costa Rica (2666-2582; cnr Calle Central & Av 1) Has a 24-hour ATM.
Banco Nacional (2666-0191; Av 25 de Julio btwn Calles 6 & 8; 8am-3:45pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) Has a 24-hour ATM.
Banco Popular (cnr Calle 12 & Av 25 de Julio) Has a 24-hour ATM.
Citibank (cnr Interamericana & Av 25 de Julio;9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-12:30pm Sat) Has 24-hour ATM and changes money.
HSBC (Av 25 de Julio btwn Calles 6 & 4; 9m-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-12:30pm Sat) Has a 24-hour ATM.
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Sights & Activities
Though there’s not much of historical or cultural interest in town, the lack of sights gives you an excuse to relax in one of the local restaurants or bars as you plan your next trip to a beach or volcano.
Near the entrance of town, a statue of a steely-eyed sabanero, complete with an evocative poem by Rodolfo Salazar Solórzano, stands watch over Av 25 de Julio, the main street into town. The blocks around the intersection of Av Central and Calle Central contain several of the town’s oldest houses, many dating back about 150 years.
The pleasant Parque Central frames a modern church, Iglesia Inmaculada Concepción de María. The park is also the seasonal hangout of the Nicaraguan grackle, a tone-deaf bird that enjoys eating parrot eggs and annoying passers-by with its grating calls.
A new museum of archaeology featuring the collection of ex-president Daniel Oduber is scheduled to open in late 2010. The museum will be located in the old city jail, a castle-like building worth a look.
Walking six blocks northeast of the park along Av Central brings you to the oldest church in town, popularly called La Agonía (although maps show it as La Iglesia de la Ermita de la Resurección). Strolling to La Agonía and around the surrounding blocks makes a fine walk.
About 9km south of Liberia, Africa Mía (2666-1111; www.africamia.net; self-guided walking tour adult/child US$16/11, guided van tour adult/child US$27/22; 9am-5pm) is a private wildlife reserve with free-roaming elephants, zebras, giraffes, ostriches and other animals. Splurge for the deluxe African Safari Wildlife Tour (adult/child US$65/55) in an open-top Hummer with a stop at a waterfall.
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Tours
Hotel Liberia and La Posada del Tope are great budget hotels that can organize trips and tours throughout Costa Rica. La Posada del Tope has the best deals on rental cars and is the exclusive downtown vendor for Tica Bus tickets to Nicaragua.
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Sleeping
Liberia is at its busiest during the dry season – reservations are strongly recommended over Christmas, Easter, Día de Guanacaste and on weekends. During the wet season, however, most of the midrange and top-end hotels give discounts.
BUDGET
Hotel Liberia (2666-0161; www.hotelliberia.com; Calle Central btwn Avs Central & 2; dm US$10, r with/without bathroom US$15/13; ) Rooms in this rambling, century-old building surround an outdoor lounge complete with TV, hammocks and jet-lagged backpackers chatting about their past and present travel plans. Rooms are tidy and bright but pretty basic. The hotel is recommended for its vibrant atmosphere that’s in part created by the Peruvian manager Beto.
La Posada del Tope (2666-3876; hotelposadadeltope@gmail.com; Calle Central btwn Calles Central & 2; r without bathroom per person US$9-18; ) This budget hotel is housed in an attractive mid-19th-century house that’s decorated with old photos, antiques and mosquito nets, and has a bit of an old-plantation feel to it. Rooms have shared bathrooms and are fairly basic, though the hotel is recommended as the bilingual Tico owner, Denís, is a wealth of information and can help book tours and transportation. The newer annex across the street (known