Costa Rica Guide
The Central Pacific and southern Nicoya
Tilarán
On the last weekend in April, Tilarán celebrates its ranching roots with a well-attended rodeo festival. Throughout the rest of the year, the town's wide streets channel the vigorous breezes that breathe life into an otherwise lazy tropical hamlet. These same winds create the best windsurfing conditions in the country (optimal conditions Dec– April) at the nearby Laguna de Arenal, 5km away. On the lakeshore east of town, Hotel Tilawa ( 
695-5050, 
www.hotel-tilawa.com ; Price: $51-75) has large rooms and cabinas, a swimming pool and hot tub, and arranges windsurf and kitesurf rentals and lessons. After a day on the waves, guests can enjoy home-brewed beer at the hotel bar. In town, the best option is the tranquil Hotel Guadalupe ( 695-5943, www.hotelguadalupe.com ; Price: $31-50), 100m south of the Parque Central and above an excellent restaurant. The rooms, with cable TV and hot water bathrooms are on the smallish side, but if you get one with a balcony you can revel in the view of the rolling green countryside. The parkside Hotel y Restaurant Mary ( 695-5479; Price: $11-20) has clean, bright rooms (ask to see a few before making a decision) with cable TV and private hot-water bathroom, friendly staff and free coffee.
Hungry tourists flock to Las Leñitas, 80m north of the church, for a reliable menu that includes burritos and salads. At Aroma Tica ( 695-3065; www.aromatico.com ), 300m north of the church at the intersection of the road to Cañas and Arenal Town, you can get local information from English-speaking staff, surf the Internet, shop for souvenirs and eat at the pricey restaurant.
Tilarán's bus station sits 100m north of the Parque Central. In addition to service to Santa Elena, there are bus connections west to Cañas and the Interamericana, from where you can head north to Liberia and the Guanacaste beaches, or south to Puntarenas. Two daily services travel east to La Fortuna, a beautiful two-hour trip along the shores of Laguna de Arenal.