Town of Nicoya in Guanacaste
The colonial church of Nicoya
Nicoya is the major town of the peninsula and the cultural center of the province of Guanacaste. It was Costa Rica's first colonial city and boasts of having the oldest church in Costa Rica. The Parroquia San Blas was founded in 1644 and now houses a small museum with ancient religious artifacts. The citizens of Nicoya cherish their little gem which has recently undergone a complete renovation. In front of the church is the lovely and well tended central park of Nicoya. It is shaded by huge old trees and is a favorite place for meeting and relaxing in the middle of the commercial center.
Nicoya center
People from the whole surrounding area, including the beach villages of Samara and Nosara
regularly come to Nicoya to deal with their legal and banking
needs and do major shoppings.
The town also hosts the biggest and best equipped hospital in the Nicoya Peninsula,
Hospital La Anexion. Despite its importance, Nicoya is still a small and pleasant town where
even in the center few structures are higher than one storey.
The name of the town is of indian origin. Nicoya was the chief of the Chorotega
indians at the time when the Spanish conquistadores arrived in Costa Rica. The indigenous heritage is still palpable in the traditions and
tales of the area.
See: Fiestas and Traditions in Nicoya
Fruits are abundant in Costa Rica
Nicoya offers a good selection of reasonably priced hotels and serves as a good base for exploring the natural highlights of the area.
Nearby Nature Tours:
The nature reserve of Barra Honda with its extensive cave system is only 22 km east of Nicoya. A little bit further north is Puerto Humo at the banks of the Rio Tempisque which is an El Dorado for birdwatchers. From there you can take tours by boat on the vast river and its mangroves to see flocks of waterfowl. Across the Tempisque is the Palo Verde National Park. Local fishers take you by boat the 3 kms up river to the park's dock. From the river you walk 2 kms to the administration.
Nicoya's mountainous interiors
South of Nicoya, in the mountains near the village of Hojancha you can make eco-tours through the forest of the Monte Alto Nature Reserve with its huge array of orchids.
From Hojancha an alternative road to the paved main route to Samara goes through the hilly Guanacaste countryside to Punta Islita or Carrillo and Samara. The road is little traveled and only few people live in the area.