Known for its magnificent beaches and a long dry season with sizzling sunshine, the Nicoya Peninsula is 130 kilometers long and averages 50 kilometers wide—separated from the Guanacaste plains by the Río Tempisque and Gulf of Nicoya.

Most tourist activity is along the dramatically sculpted Pacific shoreline. Away from the coast, Nicoya is mostly mountainous.

More than 70 percent of Costa Rica’s coastal resort infrastructure is in Nicoya, concentrated in some half a dozen resort communities in northern Nicoya. Several deluxe hotels and a golf course are already in place, with more to follow, tilting the demographics away from eco-conscious travelers toward a more package-tour crowd.

The opening of the Daniel Oduber International Airport at Liberia in 1996 has significantly boosted arrivals of package tours. All along the coast, residential condo complexes are sprouting like mushrooms on a damp log.

Though each beach community has its own distinct appeal, most remain barefoot and button-down, appealing to laid-back travelers who can hang with the locals and appreciate the wildlife that comes down to the shore. This is particularly so of the southern beaches.

Waves pump ashore along much of the coastline, and many beaches have been discovered by surfers, who are opening up heretofore hidden sections of jungle-lined shore. Newly cut roads are linking the last pockets of the erstwhile inaccessible Pacific coast, though negotiating the dirt highways is always tricky—and part of the fun.

Predominantly dry to the north and progressively moist to the south, the peninsula offers a variety of ecosystems, with no shortage of opportunities for nature-viewing; monkeys, coatis, sloths, and other wildlife species inhabit the forests along the shore. Two of the premier nesting sites for marine turtles are here.

The offshore waters are beloved of scuba divers and for sportfishing. And water sports are well developed.

The best time to visit is December–April, when rain is virtually unheard of. The rainy season generally arrives in May and lasts until November, turning dirt roads into muddy (and often impassable) quagmires sure to test your driving skills to the max. September and October are the wettest months.

The so-called Papagayo winds—heavy northerlies (nortes)—blow strongly from January through March, and are felt mostly in northern Nicoya. Surfers rave about the rainy season (May–Nov.), when swells are consistent and waves—fast and tubular—can be 1.5 meters or more.

The downside—besides the immense over-development of condominium projects—is the skyrocketing crime in Nicoya. In 2006 the police chief called it an “emergency.” Due care is now needed.

The Best of the Nicoya Peninsula

• Guaitíl
• Tempisque Safari Ecological Adventure
• Playa Grande Marine Turtle National Park
• Ostional National Wildlife Refuge
• Nosara
• Isla Tortuga
• Cabo Blanco Absolute Wildlife Reserve
• Santa Teresa and Malpaís