Discovering Guanacaste: The poster child for Costa Rica's natural beauty

It’s a region so prosperous and beautiful that the Nicaraguans want it back.

Guanacaste, the most northwesterly province in Costa Rica, is largely divided into plains populated with cowboys that live on cattle ranches and a rugged Pacific coastline where laid-back surfer Ticos dwell.

Once part of Nicaragua’s territory following independence from Spain, Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega has twice declared that he wants to reclaim the province.

With draws such as towering volcanoes, sprawling national parks, Unesco World Heritage Sites and vast lakes falling within its borders, it’s no wonder Guanacaste is the most visited region in Costa Rica.

But it is the palm-fringed beaches and Tiffany blue waters that the region is most famous for.

From the golden coastline visitors can sail into the horizon on day cruises, admire the shoreline from a stand-up paddleboard and watch green turtles nesting by night.

At Playa Grande our guide Nelson led us through thick forest on to deserted sands where we waited for the go-ahead over walkie-talkies.

“It’s a competition to see who gets there first,” he joked as we ambled over a hillside in flip-flops, armed with torches to guide the way.

What resembled fat tyre-like tracks in the sand were in fact indents made by a turtle’s fins.

We watched in awe as a female deposited a stack of perfectly circular white eggs into a burrowed hole.

“Fifteen years ago you could see 50, 60 green turtles here a night,” Nelson explained. We saw only one.

Despite these dwindling turtle numbers, which reflects a global trend, Costa Rica has long been an advocate for sustainable living and ecotourism.

In its 2014 report, The Global Green Economy Index ranked the country as number three in the world, and eco-conscious clients will likely feel at ease there as many hotels and tour operators are mindful of the environment and boost impressive green credentials.

Eco-status aside, there are other reasons why Costa Rica has fallen on to the tips of tongues in the past 12 months.

On November 3 last year Thomson launched weekly direct flights from Gatwick to Guanacaste’s capital Liberia on one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

And in May this year, British Airways will launch non-stop twice-weekly flights between Gatwick and Costa Rican capital San Jose on a Boeing 777.

Statistics from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute show that increased exposure has helped tourism boom.

Between 2009 and 2014 the number of European tourists visiting Costa Rica grew 48%, from 250,154 arrivals to 370,482.

And after the US and Central America, Europeans represent the third largest tourism market for Costa Rica. It’s looking like a wise choice for the British carriers to make.