Guanacaste is a large region; its numerous attractions are spread out and getting between any two can eat up the better part of a day. The region is diverse enough to justify exploring in its entirety, for which you should budget no less than a week. Monteverde alone requires a minimum of two days, and ideally four to take advantage of all that it offers. Nor would you wish to rush exploring Rincón de la Vieja National Park, requiring two or three nights.

Recent years have seen a boost in regional tourism following expansion of the new international airport at Liberia, now served with direct flights by most key U.S. carriers. The airport is well served by car rental companies.

The Pan-American Highway (Highway 1) cuts through the heart of lowland Guanacaste, ruler-straight almost all the way between the Nicaraguan border in the north and Puntarenas in the south. Juggernaut trucks frequent the fast-paced and potholed road, which is one lane in either direction. Drive cautiously!

North of Liberia the route is superbly scenic. Almost every site of importance lies within a short reach of the highway, accessed by dirt side roads. If traveling by bus, sit on the east-facing side for the best views.

Touristy it might be, but Monteverde, the big draw, delivers in heaps. Its numerous attractions include canopy tours; horseback riding; art galleries; orchid, snake, frog, and butterfly exhibits; and, at Selvatura, the one-of-the-kind Jewels of the Rainforest Bio-Art Exhibition is worth the arduous uphill journey to Monteverde in its own right. Most visitors come to hike in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, the most famous of several similar reserves that make up the Arenal-Monteverde Protection Zone. Monteverde boasts scores of accommodations to suit every taste.

Back in the lowlands, the town of Cañas offers Las Pumas Rescue Center and the Río Corobicí, the former a refuge for big-cat species; the latter good for relatively calm whitewater trips. To the north, few visitors bother with Miravalles Volcano, which is your gain: several recreational facilities take advantage of thermal waters that also feed bubbling mud-pots and geysers. A side trip to Palo Verde National Park, with more than a dozen distinct habitats, is recommended for birders.

Nearby, Liberia is worth a stop for its well-preserved colonial homesteads. The city is gateway to both the Nicoya Peninsula and Rincón de la Vieja National Park, popular for hikes (overnight if you wish) to the summit and for horseback rides and canopy tours from nature lodges outside the park.

Santa Rosa National Park is more easily accessed from the Pan-American Highway and is popular for nature trails offering easy viewing of a dizzying array of animals and birds. It also has splendid beaches, great surfing, and La Casona, a historic building considered a national shrine. Equestrians in particular will enjoy a day or two at Hacienda Guachipelín, at the base of Rincón de la Vieja Volcano.

Visit Puntarenas, the main town, solely to access the ferry to southern Nicoya, or perhaps for a cruise-excursion to Isla Tortuga.

The Cámara de Turismo Guanacasteca (tel. 506/654-5355, www.letsgoguanacaste.com), the Guanacaste Chamber of Tourism, is a good recourse.