Highway 2 to Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz
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This small town, 20 kilometers north of Nicoya, is the “National Folklore City” and a gateway to Playas Tamarindo and Junquillal, 30 kilometers to the west. Santa Cruz is renowned for its traditional music, food, and dance, which can be sampled during fiestas cívicas each January 15 and July 25.
The ruin of an old church (toppled by an earthquake in 1950) stands next to its modern replacement with a star-shaped roof and beautiful stained-glass. The leafy plaza boasts a Mayan-style cupola, lampshades with Mayan motifs, and monuments on each corner, including a “bucking bronco” (cowboy) on the northeast.
Diría National Park (Parque Nacional Diría, $6 entrance), covering 2,840 hectares of montane forests, including cloud forest, along the spine of the Nicoya mountains, lies 14 kilometers south of town. It has miradores (lookouts), camping, and trails. The MINAE (tel. 506/680-1820) office in Santa Cruz has information.
Accommodations
A good deal is the motel-style Hotel La Estancia (tel./fax 506/680-0476, $13 s, $20 d with fans; $18 s, $27 d with a/c), which has 15 pleasing modern units with fans, TVs, and private baths with hot water. Spacious family rooms have four beds. Some rooms are dark. Secure parking.
The motel-style Hotel Diría (tel. 506/680-0080, fax 506/680-0442, hoteldiria [at] hotmail [dot] com, from $35 s, $40 d), at the junction of Highway 21 and the main street into town, is centered on a pool and grounds full of palms. The 50 air-conditioned rooms (some have fans only) have clean airy bathrooms. El Bambú restaurant is popular with locals.
Outshining all contenders is the Hotel La Calle de Alcalá (tel. 506/680-0000, fax 506/680-1633, hotelalcala [at] hotmail [dot] com, $25 s, $40 d; $60 junior suite; $70 suite with whirlpool tub), one block south of Plaza de los Mangos. This Spanish-run hotel boasts a lively contempo decor and pleasing aesthetic. It has 29 air-conditioned rooms with cable TVs, bamboo furnishings, and pastels. They’re set around an attractive swimming pool with swim-up bar. It has secure parking.
Food
For rustic ambience, try Restaurante La Yunta (tel. 506/680-3031, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Mon.–Sat., $2–10), facing Parque Ramos, in an old farmhouse-style building decorated in farm implements. It serves shrimp, lobster, octopus, and other seafood.
The most elegant restaurant in town is at Hotel La Calle de Alcalá (tel. 680-0000, 7 a.m.–10 p.m.) serving típico dishes and seafood such as octopus in garlic ($6), plus filet mignon ($8). You’ll also like Casa Fonda (tel. 506/680-4949, 6 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, $2–10), facing Parque de los Mangos. Clean, modern, open-air, this lovely spot serves ceviche ($3.50), soups, pastas, great seafood ($8), and even filet mignon ($9.50).
For baked goods, try Musmanni, 50 meters north of the main plaza.
Getting There
Daily Tracopa buses depart San José for Santa Cruz from Calle 14, Avenida 5 . Tralapa buses (tel. 506/221-7202, tel. 506/680-0392) also depart San José for Santa Cruz daily from Calle 20, Avenidas 3/5. Daily buses also run from Liberia (tel. 506/665-5891), Nicoya, and Puntarenas to Santa Cruz.
There are gas stations on Highway 21 at the west and east ends of town.
© Christopher P. Baker from Moon Costa Rica, 6th Edition
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