The Santa Cruz of Costa Rica is hardly the hip and happening surf-washed town of its California namesake. Here, out between the wild and bucolic backwaters of Guanacaste Province, there's just enough energy to summon up the annual bullfighting festivals and Easter parades, along with a couple of immersive farmer's markets throughout the week. The main centre focuses on a wide plaza that's peppered with leafy trees and watched over by a half-ruined clock tower. Nearby, the curious creations of the town's sculpture park (Park Bernabela Ramos) cement the town’s distinction as the National Folklore city, fusing the artistic traditions of Spanish colonialism and the native Central American tribes. Once you're done seeing that, perhaps you can then organize with your Santa Cruz tour guide to make a trip out to the rural Haciendas that pepper the surrounding province, where the beautiful backcountry of Guanacaste can be seen in full.