Ecomuseo de las Minas de Abangares
Landmark · Guanacaste · hidden gem
An open-air museum in La Sierra, above Las Juntas de Abangares, on the site of what was Costa Rica's biggest gold-mining operation (1884–1931). Restored structures and old machinery, period photos and forest trails leading to hidden ruins tell the story of the gold rush that built the town; it has been protected heritage since 2005.
Mondays (open Tue–Sun 8:00–16:00)
- Cost
- about $5
- Time there
- 2 h
- Best time
- morning
- Kids
- 7 / 10
- View
- 5 / 10
- Crowds
- 1 / 10
- Swimming
- 0 / 10
- Effort
- 3 / 10
- Location
- 10.283813, -84.924569 — Google Maps
Before you go
- Entry
- ₡1,500 for residents · foreigners ₡2,500; students and seniors ₡1,000 (2023)
- Tickets
- Pay at the entrance
- Kids
- Good for kids
- Checked
- 2026-10
Tip
Allow two hours for the full tour. Pair it with the thermal pools at Pueblo Antiguo Lodge in the same village, and try pan de amor at a bakery in Las Juntas on the way back.
Be careful
Stay on the marked trails around the old mine ruins.
Getting there
In La Sierra, about 5 km northwest of downtown Las Juntas de Abangares.
Places nearby
- Pueblo Antiguo Lodge y Spa (thermal pools day pass)Day Passes & Hot SpringsA small country lodge on a 42-hectare forest estate in La Sierra, near the old Abangares gold mines.
- El Trapiche TourFood & CoffeeFamily farm (opened to visitors in 2005) where you see coffee, cacao and sugar cane and taste each product, then make a cane sweet yourself.
- Kapi Kapi RestauranteFood & CoffeeA hilltop restaurant just outside Santa Elena with long views over the green hills, known for thin-crust pizza at lunch and a more upscale dinner menu with pasta and Costa Rican dishes.
- Canyoning Monteverde (Finca Modelo Ecológica)Tours & Adventure · from $65Family-run farm offering waterfall rappelling down six waterfalls (tallest 40 m) with fixed safety cables, plus tree climbing and a night walk.
- Don Juan Tours Monteverde (coffee, chocolate, sugar cane)Tours & AdventureFamily farm tour that walks you through coffee, cacao and sugar cane with tastings, plus night-walk combos.
- Monteverde Extremo ParkTours & Adventure · from $45.20Adrenaline park above the cloud forest with a long canopy line, a 143 m bungee jump (billed as Central America's highest) and a Tarzan swing.
Sources: OpenStreetMap node/4433497110 · https://vozdeguanacaste.com/en/explore-guanacastes-highlands-with-this-rural-tourism-guide/ · https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/4433497110