Guanacaste Museums

[edit] The Hacienda Santa Rosa

Better known for its main building, La Casona, the Hacienda Santa Rosa was first founded in the 1740s and functioned as a farm until the 1960s in the northwestern region of Guanacaste. The property holds great historical value because it was the site of the famous battle of 1856 in which a group Costa Rican army volunteers defeated professional mercenaries led by gringo filibuster William Walker, who was on a mission to overtake lands in Central America.

You will find La Casona in the Santa Rosa Park, which, with 122.350 acres, flourishes with wild life, with over 200 species of birds and about 115 species of mammals, including deer, five species of wild cats, vampire bats, white-faced monkeys, and howler monkeys.

From Mangrove to Rain Forest, the whole park is like a small country by itself. Not far from the main entrance of the park you will find the stunning and pristine little coves of Blanco Beach; with crystal clear water and shiny white sand, they provide an excellent bird watching spot. Not far is the Cuajiniquil Canyon, known for its unique micro climate and a multitude of organisms, flora and fauna.

What you will see when you first look at La Casona is actually a replica as it was burned down in 2001 and almost immediately rebuilt. It is now a museum and is well worth a visit just for itself.

In 1972 it was founded as the very first National Park of Costa Rica. It is part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area, which also incorporates Rincon de la Vieja National Park, Bolaños Island Wildlife Refuge, Junquillal Bay National Wildlife Refuge and the Horizontes Experimental Station.

You can call the station for more information at (506) 666-5151 ext19 from 8am to 4pm. Price of admission is $7. The station at the entrance of the park can provide you with some additional information and various maps of trails as well as camping grounds.