Liberia (Costa Rica)

Liberia is the capital city of the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica. It is located about 220 km (138 mi) Northwest San Jose.

After Mexico's War of Independence from Spain, the settlement of Guanacaste, as Liberia was known then, transitioned from being a town in the Partido de Nicoya of the Federal Republic of Central America to being part of Nicaragua and then Costa Rica. Even though this happened later than the annexation of the rival town of Nicoya on July 25th, 1824, Liberia celebrates that day annually as it became the primary settlement of the Guanacaste province.

Liberia's economy centers around agriculture and tourism with the nearby coast and volcanic regions. Even though precipitation is relatively less than other parts of Costa Rica, it can still feel sweltering with an average temperature of 27 degrees Celsius.

By plane


There is an exit tax that must be paid on international departures. You can pay by credit card, but it will be recorded as a cash advance with higher fees.

By bus
A large public bus network services Liberia and connects it with San Jose, the beaches and the Nicaraguan border. From the only stop light in town along the Pan American Highway, go 300 meters north and turn right. There is the Pulmitan de Liberia bus stop with buses going to San José (US$5), and the Terminal Municipal 2 blocks away that will take you to Guanacaste beaches and the Nicaragua border.

Centrocoasting.com is a very useful website for navigating the region by bus. Here you can check the bus schedules from the Municipal Terminal and from Pulmitan Station

By car
Liberia is at the cross section of the Interamericana that stretches throughout Central America and the Route 21 that heads to famous beaches such as Tamarindo.

Get around
Public bus or on foot. Liberia is a small city where everything you are likely to wish to see is within walking distance.

Eat
There are several different options of restaurants in the area, ranging from American fast food chains to local food restaurants like Guanaburger. There are lots of "sodas" (small local restaurants) around Downtown Liberia that serve Costa Rican food, and also several bakeries including Musmanni and Panaderia Alemana (German Bakery).

At the intersection of the two main roads
In this area are chain restaurants like McDonald's, Taco Bell, KFC and Burger King.



Drink

 * LIB is a second story bar in the Plaza Santa Rosa. Modern design and sometimes modern music.