Bagaces, Costa Rica, is an off-beaten track region that is full of nature, wildlife, adventures, and soothing hot springs and mud baths. Discover with Gustavo Leon Customized Tours the magnificent area of Bagaces.
Costa Rica hides places full of traditions and culture, towns that have much to tell the visitor eager to explore new destinations; this is how we arrived at the heart of Guanacaste’s pampa, where Bagaces is located.
A bit of history
Bagaces’s name honors the cacique Bagatzi, who occupied these lands when the Spaniards arrived; it is thought that Bagatzi refers to the terms “Baga,” reed and cane, and “tzi,” place, which translates as place of cane or reed.
After colonization, the canton of Bagaces was surrounded by a large estate, which passed through several hands that included the former presidents General Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez (born in the canton) and Mr. Bernardo Soto Gutiérrez. In this period of landownership, the canton’s main activity consisted of exporting live cattle to Nicaragua and extracting tallow for export to Panama. Also, they used to move fat cattle to the central valley.
As an anecdote told until today, Bagaces was hit by the plague of cholera and yellow fever in 1856; these diseases caused many victims, even more than those that occurred in the battle of the National Campaign of 1856. From this sad story comes one of the most enduring traditions. The locals say that Father Juan Casas organized a solemn mass to ask God to intercede to remove the plague. In this activity, he proposed to choose a saint to whom to consecrate the little local church.
The draw had different possible names, from the favorite candidate, the Immaculate Virgin Mary, to other little-known saints such as Saint Caralampio. It was established as a condition that the name that came out first would be the saint that, by divine design, would remove the plague. The first name that came out was San Caralampio, and the congregations were not happy with how extravagant and funny his name was and demanded that the draw be repeated. So, a second and third draw was made, wherein in both cases the result was the same; as a sign from heaven, as those present would say, this saint who came from Asian lands to scare away the plague came to prevail.
Anselmo Llorente y La Fuente, the first bishop in Costa Rica, would declare June 5th of each year as the date for celebrating the patron saint. This date was in honor of the last Bagaceño who died of cholera: Mr. Andres Lopez, the owner of Hacienda Catalina. Since then and until today, San Caralampio has been declared the patron saint and advocate against the plague and contagious air of the Canton of Bagaces. Today is a grand celebration with festivities, horse parades, and local ferias that attract many visitors.
Places to see, experiences to live:
Bagaces is currently home to the Tempisque Conservation Area (ACT), one of the organizations that promote conservation and oversees the administrative supervision of Palo Verde National Park and the Lomas de Barbudal Reserve.
Palo Verde National Park comprises a group of diverse floodplain habitats delimited by rivers and a row of limestone hills. This region is subject to large seasonal flooding. Due to the plain’s poor natural drainage, the area frequently floods during the rainy season as a result of the combined action of rain, tides, and overflows from the Tempisque and Bebedero rivers. At times, the entire area becomes a vast lagoon, making it one of the most spectacular places in Costa Rica for bird watching.
The National Park’s next-door neighbor is the small Lomas de Barbudal Biological Reserve, known as “The Insect Park,” due to the important variety of resident arthropods in this small reserve. Lomas de Barbudal has several plant associations, such as the wooded savannah, the evergreen forest, the riparian forest next to the watercourses, and the tropical dry forest, the largest. The savannah is an open area covered with grasses and trees scattered throughout the region.
In addition to these two essential lungs of the area, Bagaces encloses other very particular beauties.
With extensive savannas delimited by the Salto River to the north and the Tenorio River to the east, the union of these two mighty rivers offers the opportunity to find the impressive waterfall called Llanos del Cortes.
This spectacle to the eyes emerges as an oasis surrounded by extensive savannas typical of the area. Today, the administration is in the hands of the local municipality, which is a mandatory stop described as one of the country’s most magnificent waterfalls.
After walking less than three hundred meters down a path—a little steep but conveniently paved—the visitor will find himself facing a natural wonder and will feel transported to a whole fairy tale world that seems to have come out of the imagination and drawn by the hand of the best of artists.
Once down there, you can swim, hike, buy some souvenirs, and cool off from the intense heat of the North Pacific lowlands.
Miravalles Volcano has been dormant for centuries, except for a small phreatic eruption in 1946. Nowadays, its slopes have been used to develop one of the most important geothermal projects in the country.
The National Park covers about 10,850 hectares. In addition to the volcano building, this protected area includes well-preserved rainforests and cloud forests covering its lower slopes. Miravalles is classified as a 2,028-meter-high stratovolcano complex with six eruption points at its peak. Old lava flows can be found on its western and southwestern flanks. To the southwest is Las Hornillas, an area of great hydrothermal activity. It is a site worth visiting to take home incredible views and memories as a souvenir.
Bagaces has as a privilege its proximity to the coastal areas; this allows it to be a starting point for those who want to enjoy the mountains and the beach on the same trip, a strategic destination that is waiting to be discovered.
In the sectors of Fortuna and Guayabo de Bagaces, although it seems unlikely due to being in the “Hot Guanacaste Region,” it is possible to discover a mountain destination with excellent climate, hot springs, volcanic clay baths, and lodging services. Beautiful views of the Miravalles Volcano accompany these attractions. With a slight detour of 20 minutes from the center of Bagaces, you can reach this area full of beautiful scenery.
We highly recommend that you ask Gustavo Leon about the tours that include the region of Bagaces in your vacation.
The experience of Bagaces will stay in your heart and mind forever!
Bagaces is a fantastic off-the-beaten-path location.
Costa Rica hides areas rich in heritage and culture, villages with much to teach the traveler eager to discover new places; this is how we came to Bagaces, nestled in the heart of Guanacaste’s pampa.
Bagaces, in Costa Rica’s North Pacific Place, is an off-the-beaten-path region full of nature, wildlife, adventures, and calming hot springs and mud baths. Gustavo Leon Customized Tours will take you on a tour of the gorgeous Bagaces area in this fantastic blog post.
