Costa Rica “Liberia”
Liberia is the head of the province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. It emerged in the second half of the eighteenth century under the name of Pueblo de Guanacaste, as a result of the establishment of a parish in aid of its location, albeit without legal foundation. Liberia is approximately 4 hours from the capital of Costa Rica and the access is very easy by car. He was often called “The White City” because in the past, its streets were made of “gravel”, a dusty material of white color. Its climate is hot and dry from November to May and wet from late May to early November, with heavy rains in September and October. It has an average annual temperature of 27 degrees C and extremes are of historical 12.8 º C and 40.1 º C.
The town of Guanacaste, Liberia City in Costa Rica, arose from 1769 around a hermitage, but without formal legal act of foundation. In 1787, it became part of the municipality of Leon in Nicaragua. In July 1824 their neighbors declined the invitation of the government of Costa Rica to join that country, but became part of it in 1826, due to an Act of Congress of Central America, which added to Costa Rica throughout the territory of the former Party of Nicoya. Gradually shifted to Nicoya as the main population of the territory and was erected in the header of the Department of Guanacaste. In 1836 received the title of town and in 1854 changed its name to Liberia. In 1856, the city was renamed “Moracia,” in honor of Juan Rafael Mora Porras, president of the republic at that time. After the coup that gave the latter, the city finally came to be known as “Liberia”.
Actualy, tourism is given a lot to this zone, which has an airport that receives daily international flights: Daniel Oduber Airport, so it is common to see foreigners walking along the outskirts of the city. It is a city known for some by their folklore and customs. The climate is typical summer weather. One of the main attractions of this area of in Costa Rica are the proximity of the beaches and the many hotels that are on them. Places like the Gulf of Papagayo have been greatly developed in recent years and the growth continues. With the arrival of more international flights to the area tourism has emerged as the largest partner for the development of the city of Liberia. It is currently installed in the area several high technology companies. The first is Ad Astra Rocket Company and is located on the campus of the University EARTH (La Flor). Undoubtedly, the zoo Africa Mia became one of the top attractions in Liberia, Costa Rica. Giraffes, wild boar, ostrich, oryx, zebras and bongos try to captivate the national and foreign tourists.
Parts of the developments are the offspring that took some of the exotic animals as “Tico”, the dromedary of six months. Hippos and rhinos could complete the exotic menu of interesting animals of this place. Some of the airlines that fly daily to Liberia are: American Airlines, Continental, Delta. The group Taca has already had permits from the respective ICT so it will soon be added to this list. There are also charter flights from Canada to companies Sunwing and Sky Service. Daniel Oduber Airport in Costa Rica receives an average of 38 weekly flights, with an average of 1,118 passengers per day. Only in January 2005 over 32 thousand tourists entered the city of Liberia for this airport. In 2005 the number of passengers from this airport in Costa Rica was almost 400,000 passengers. Only during the 2007 season (December-April) is expecting more than 200,000 passengers. The British airline First Choice Airlines is flying from London, England, at the airport in Liberia since May 2007.
As tourism has ascended dramatically over the past three decades, so has the importance of the city of Liberia Costa Rica. The influx of tourists has made the international airport in Liberia a major hub for travelers, as many find it a preferable spot to fly into than San Jose. The terminal is significantly less crowded, thereby granting easier access to transportation and nearby accommodations and any flight into Liberia means you arrive within close proximity to some of the country’s top parks and beaches.
Located only a half-hour’s drive from the popular Golfo de Papagayo, Liberia Costa Rica is the capital of the scenic Guanecaste region. Despite its growing reputation as a tourist destination, the city retains a quaint colonial atmosphere, the streets still a sea of cracked white adobe homes with muted red-tile roofs. Founded in the mid-18th century, the history of Liberia can be found in these aged houses, the facades giving birth to Liberia’s nickname: the White City. Though well-preserved, citywide renovations have sought to build a balance between Liberia’s provincial past and its apparent future as a major tourist hot spot. As of now, there are not too many hotels in Liberia Costa Rica, but the ones that do exist are relatively inexpensive and functional, such as the Hotel Boyeros or Hotel Guanecaste.
A popular park for both local and tourist is the Santa Rosa national park. Visitors get a glimpse into the history of Liberia at Santa Rosa - in 1856 an American named William Walker tried to invade the country to turn into his personal slave state., but Costa Rican farmers banded together to drive him out. A critical battle took place at this spot, and Walker was forced to retreat back into Nicaragua. A flight to Liberia will also touch down near Tamarindo, one of the most popular spots for beach resorts and the preferred getaway of thousands of travelers.
The history of Liberia is further explored in the city’s Sabanero museum, a small but informative collection of photos and tools showing the transformation of the city in post-colonial Costa Rica. It’s certainly not worth a flight to Liberia, but it has a sentimental feel for the past that seems lacking in many of the major cities of Costa Rica. And despite the many attempts by both the government and business entrepreneurs to change the city’s makeup, Liberia remains a small town at its heart - usually a starting point towards the nearest beach, volcano or park to explore.
