The first impression as you continue northwest along Highway 1 from Cañas [1] is of a vast barren plain, burning hot in dry season, with palms rising like tattered umbrellas over the scrubby landscape, flanked to the east by the steep-sided volcanoes of the Cordillera de Guanacaste, from which rivers feed the marshy wetlands of the Tempisque Basin.
Away from the main highway, the villages of whitewashed houses are as welcoming as any in the country. For the traveler interested in history or architecture, there are some intriguing sights, and the area is charged with scenic beauty.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/costa-rica/guanacaste-and-the-northwest/canas-and-vicinity/canas