Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [237]
GUAITIL
An interesting excursion from Santa Cruz is the 12km trip by paved road to the small pottery-making community of Guaitil. Attractive ceramics are made from local clays, using earthy reds, creams and blacks in pre-Columbian Chorotega style. Ceramics are for sale outside the potters’ houses in Guaitil and also in San Vicente, 2km beyond Guaitil by unpaved road. If you ask, you can watch part of the potting process, and local residents would be happy to give you a few lessons for a small price.
If you have your car, take the main highway toward Nicoya and then follow the signed Guaitil road to the left, about 1.5km out of Santa Cruz. This road is lined by yellow corteza amarilla trees and is very attractive in April when all of them are in bloom. Unreliable buses (₡225, 45 minutes) serve the village from Santa Cruz every two hours from dawn to dusk on weekdays and until 2pm on Saturday. However, a round-trip taxi should only cost about ₡8000, depending on how long you stay.
If you don’t have time to get to Guaitil, visit the small depósito (outlet) selling ceramics on the peninsular highway, about 10km north of Nicoya on the eastern side of the road. Be aware that if you take a tour to Guaitil, you may be taken to one particular shop on a commission basis; try to browse other shops in town and share the wealth.
Hotel Diriá (2680-0080/402; hoteldiria@hotmail.com; s/d US$30/45; ) Though once in grander shape, this long-standing hotel 500m north of the plaza is looking a little tired. But rooms come with air-con, bathroom and cable TV, and the pleasant shared terraces have lovely rattan rocking chairs.
La Calle de Alcalá (2680-0000; s/d US$54/73; ) With its stucco arches and landscaped garden around a pool with a swim-up bar, this inn gets points for design details. Carved wooden doors open into cool, tiled rooms with amenities like hair dryers, wicker furniture and window seats. The pleasant alfresco restaurant-bar (mains ₡3000 to ₡12,000) is the best in town.
Hotel La Pampa (2680-0586; d with/without air-con US$58/45; ) A good midrange option, 50m west of the plaza, this terra-cotta–color building houses 33 simple and clean modern rooms, all equipped with bathroom and cable TV.
El Milenio (2680-3237; mains ₡1600-3300; 9am-9pm) With a notable Chinese population, Santa Cruz has its share of Chinese food – El Milenio tops them all with its colossal portions of fried rice, decent stir-fries, big-screen TV and blessed air-con. It’s 100m west of the plaza.
El Chile Dulce (8833-1880; mains ₡1760-3000; 7am-6pm; ) This ridiculously cheap, contemporary cafe next to Terminal Diria has terrific panini sandwiches, soups, casados and even barbeque ribs. Lots of vegetarian options too.
Among the several supermarkets in town, the SuperCompro, just east of the Empresas Alfaro ticket office, is the biggest.
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Getting There & Away
Santa Cruz is 57km from Liberia and 25km south of Filadelfia. It’s on the main peninsular highway and is often an overnight stop for people visiting the peninsula. A paved road leads 16km west to 27 de Abril, from where dirt roads continue to Playa Tamarindo, Playa Junquillal and other beaches.
Some buses depart from Terminal Tralapa on the north side of Plaza de Los Mangos. For Empresas Alfaro buses, buy tickets at the Alfaro office, 200m south of the plaza, but catch the bus on the main road north of town.
Liberia (La Pampa) ₡770; 1½ hours; departs every 30 minutes from 4:10am to 8:40pm.
Nicoya (La Pampa) ₡310; one hour; departs every 30 minutes from 4:50am to 9:20pm.
San José ₡4690; 4½ hours; seven buses from 4:30am to 5pm (Tralapa); eight buses from 3am to 4:30pm (Empresas Alfaro).
Other local buses leave from Terminal Diria 400m east of the plaza. The schedules fluctuate constantly, so ask around.
Bahía Potrero, via Playa Brasilito & Playa Flamingo ₡600; one hour; departs 19 times per day.
Playa Junquillal ₡400; 1½ hours; departs 4:45am, 6:45am, 10:15am, 12:15pm, 2:15pm and 5:30pm.
Playa Tamarindo ₡400; 1½ hours; departs 4:20am, 5:30am, 9am, 10:30am,