guanacaste
location
This region is located in the northwest of the country, including Guanacaste, the Puntarenas cantons of Esparza and Montes de Oro and those of Orotina and San Mateo in Alajuela.
ecology
It is an extensive, coastal region with tropical forests, dry forests and wetlands.
climate
The region is characterized by the continental mass made up of the Cordillera de Guanacaste and Cordillera de Tilarán mountain ranges (with an average altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level, or masl), the peninsulas of Nicoya and Santa Elena (300 masl) and the Tempisque depression (30 masl). The dry period lasts from December to March, with 4% of annual precipitation falling in these months. April is a transition month, with the rains setting in from May to August (50% of annual precipitation). June is the first peak month of rain, while the Pacific veranillo comes in during July and August with the intensification of the trade winds. The second rainy period lasts from September to November, giving way to the transition into the dry season.