Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Buses depart from Junquillal to Santa Cruz (US$2, 1½ hours) at 6am, 9am, 12:30pm and
4:30pm; you can catch the bus anywhere along the main road. Buses from Santa Cruz'
Terminal Diria to Junquillal depart at 5am, 10am, 2:30pm and 5:30pm.
If you're driving, it's about 16km by paved road from Santa Cruz to 27 de Abril, and
another smooth 17km into town.
From Junquillal, it's possible to drive 35km south to Nosara via the legendary surf spot
of Marbella. However, this is a very rough dirt road for 4WD only and may be impassable
in the rainy season. There are no gas stations on the coastal road and there is little traffic,
so ask locally before setting out. It's easier to reach beaches south of Junquillal from
Nicoya.
A taxi from Santa Cruz to Junquillal costs about US$50.
DON'T MISS
GUAITIL
An interesting excursion from Santa Cruz is the 12km trip by paved road to the small ar-
tisanal potter community of Guaitil. Attractive ceramics are made from local clays, using
earthy reds, creams and blacks in pre-Columbian Chorotega style. Ceramics are for sale
outside the potters' houses and also in San Vicente, 2km beyond Guaitil by unpaved road.
If you ask, you can watch part of the potting process, and local residents will be happy to
give you a few lessons for a small price.
Take the main highway toward Nicoya and then follow the signed Guaitil road to the left,
about 1.5km out of Santa Cruz. This road is lined by yellow corteza amarilla trees and is
very attractive when they bloom in April. Unreliable buses (US$0.60, 45 minutes) make
the trip from Santa Cruz, or a taxi will cost about US$20, depending on how long you
stay.
Santa Cruz
A stop in Santa Cruz, a
sabanero
(cowboy) town typical of inland Nicoya, provides some
of the local flavor missing from foreign-dominated beach towns. Unfortunately, there
aren't any attention-worthy sights, so most travelers' experience of Santa Cruz consists of
changing buses and buying a mango. However, the town is an important administrative
