Our Santa Rosa Nat'l. Park & Liberia City Tour will take you back in time. La Casona at Santa Rosa National Park was the site in 1856 of a famous battle between Costa Rican volunteer fighters and invading forces led by William Walker. Walker was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and later became the self-appointed president of Nicaragua. This ambitious American mercenary led troops from Nicaragua into Costa Rica, hoping for an easy conquest. They came to rest at Santa Rosa where Costa Rica’s volunteer forces surrounded them and were able to win this historic battle in only 14 minutes. We’ll learn more about this significant part of Costa Rican history while touring the rebuilt hacienda, La Casona. Santa Rosa was Costa Rica’s first national park, and is home to an incredible array of biodiversity with ecosystems such as the savannah, deciduous forest, marshland, and mangroves. The park is home to whitetail deer, coyotes, leatherback turtles, the elusive jaguar, collared peccaries, ocelots, jaguarundis, tapir, and 250 bird species, as well as world-class surf breaks. You will discover these wonders as you take one of two moderate hikes, led by your guide. 

 

Following the hike, we will take the scenic route through the city of Liberia, or “La Ciudad Blanca” as it was once known, due to its white adobe houses, white crushed gravel roads, and inhabitants who dressed completely in white to keep cool in the heat. Our city tour will include the church of Ermita La Agonia, an example of colonial architecture, and the old municipal buildings and jail. We will end our city tour with a delicious lunch at Posada Real, a restaurant located inside a home once inhabited by one of Guanacaste’s wealthiest families. Boasting a creative fusion menu and artifacts such as hand-painted frescoes and original hand-carved wooden shutters, we will dine in what was once the terrace. Our driver and guide will then deliver you safely to your lodgings in time to catch one of our gorgeous sunsets.

 

Who is this tour for?

This tour has been carefully curated to include points of interest for history enthusiasts and nature lovers. So many people visit our area but rarely venture beyond the beaches - and who can blame them? But we think the more you learn about Guanacaste’s biodiversity and history, the more there is to love! We hope you will join us for this special one-of-a-kind tour. Appropriate for people of moderate physical abilities. Degree of Dificulty: Easy. Walking and moderate short hiking.

 

Your day includes:

• Door-to-door spacious and comfortable transportation with your private chauffeur and bilingual naturalist guide on board. Your day begins early with a 6:00am pick-up. We promise it will be worth the early start!

• An hour-long drive with a stop for breakfast at a buffet style restaurant, serving typical Costa Rican cuisine and pastries as well as fresh fruits and coffee.

• With full bellies, we will travel another hour to reach Santa Rosa National Park and La Casona, where we will tour the rebuilt hacienda and learn about the invading conqueror William Walker and how Costa Rican’s brave volunteer forces put down this aggression in a matter of 14 minutes!

• We will also be led on one of two moderate hikes to revel in the incredible biodiversity of Costa Rica’s first national park.

• Our Liberia City Tour will spotlight historic sites such as the church of Ermita La Agonia, an example of colonial architecture in the area, and the old municipal buildings and jail.

• After a busy morning, we will arrive for our lunch in the tastefully preserved Posada Real, the former home of one of Guanacaste’s wealthiest families. 

• Your driver and guide will deliver you home in time for everyone’s favorite time of day - sunset!

 

Included in your tour: Private certified guide and driver, breakfast, lunch, entrance fees, all activities mentioned above, bottled water

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Not included: Tips, souvenirs

 

What to bring: Good walking shoes, sunscreen, hats, bug repellent, cameras, binoculars, snacks (especially if traveling with children), motion sickness medication if needed (our Costa Rican roads can be bumpy). Bottled water provided, but feel free to bring your own beverages if preferred.

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The Best in Costa Rica Private Tours!