Like an oasis in the desert, Cañas is the first town of any decent size you’ll find as you cruise north on the Interamericana, in the driest and dustiest part of Costa Rica.

With a population of about 25,000 Cañas is a typical Latin American town where everything closes down for lunch. Cowboys on horseback, with machetes share the road with macho pick-up trucks and the streets swelter in the dusty heat.

Tourist Offices
The town has an Internet café, bank, post office and public phones.

Around and closeby
It’s a good base to organise rafting trips on the nearby Rio Corobici or for exploring Parque Nacional Palo Verde, but most tourists prefer to stay in nearby Liberia as it is more geared for visitors. Cañas offers cheaper accommodation, but be warned, showers are generally cold!

If you’re interested in rafting, it’s designed around watching the wildlife rather than having a wild ride down the river which is dotted with swimming holes. Reservations can be made at the Safaris Corobicí office about 4.5 km north of the town.

Sightseeing
It’s worth visiting the local Catholic Church just to see its psychedelic mosaics designed by famous local painter Otto Apuy. Also worth visiting is La Pumass, the wildlife shelter just behind the office of Safaris Corobicí, which houses pumas, jaguars, ocelots, margays and other exotic animals.