Guanacaste is without a doubt the preferred destination of tourists in Costa Rica, specially foreign tourists, the beautiful beaches along the Northern Pacific coast are, of course, the main reason for this; however, there are so many other places to visit in Guanacaste aside from the beaches, one of them is the area of Miravalles in Bagaces.

Bagaces was one of the communities affected by Hurricane Otto last year, but the locals made sure to get back on their feet through hard work. The area is where the Miravalles Volcano is situated, one of Costa Rica’s active volcanoes; although it has not had an eruption in many decades, it makes sure to make his high activity noticeable through its thermal energy, which is used by the Costa Rica Electric Institute in its geothermal energy plants that help produce some of the country’s clean electricity.

Thermal hot springs are one of the main attractions for visitors, there are several places in the area where you can enjoy the hot springs, one of the most popular ones being Río Perdido resort; also Las Hornillas is without a doubt one of the sites in this region that are worth visiting.

Las Hornillas is a private property which offers a wonderful tour that takes you through beautiful trails, there are two waterfalls in the area, and of course the hot springs, you also get to see the bubbling mud pods and fumaroles; the volcanic mud here, although smelly, is said to have rejuvenating and invigorating properties, many visitors opt of the mud bath for this precise reason.

Tenorio Volcano in the valley of Bijagua is only about an hour and thirty minute drive away, it offers great hiking trails and untouched nature which is home to different endangered mammals such as jaguars and ocelots. Through here you can reach the famous Río Celeste and its waterfall; the light blue color of the river is actually caused by the interaction of chemicals and minerals from the volcano.