Plaza Los Mangos (Santa Cruz)

Before you go

Entry

Free

Tickets

Free entry, no ticket

Season

Main fiestas in mid-January (Santo Cristo de Esquipulas).

Checked

2026-10

Tip

Plan around mid-January for bull riding, marimba and fireworks.

Be careful

During the fiestas, watch from the grandstand - stay out of the ring.

Places nearby

• El Cafecito Santa CruzFood & CoffeeCozy café in an old house in the middle of Santa Cruz, the cowboy town of Guanacaste, with casados, milkshakes and vegan options.
• CoopetortillasSodas & Local FoodA women's cooperative about 500 m from Santa Cruz's main park that has cooked traditional Guanacaste food over a nearly 5-meter wood stove for decades - hand-patted corn tortillas, rice-and-corn soup and tripe soup at very low prices.
• La Casona de Santa Bárbara (Finca La Zanja Negra)Tours & AdventureA 150-year-old country house about 30 minutes from Santa Cruz where local cooks Marta Vallejos and Geiny Ruiz host village history walks, traditional food tastings, clay workshops and hands-on tortilla and clay-oven cooking, with music and Guanacaste cheers.
• Restaurante La Fulana CosaFood & CoffeeRestaurant tucked into the woods outside Nicoya, praised for its mixed ceviche, Italian dishes, friendly staff and relaxed garden setting.
• Palo Verde Boat ToursParks & WildlifeFamily-run boat safari on the Tempisque river next to Palo Verde National Park, known for crocodiles, monkeys and wading birds.
• Apami Wildlife Rescue CenterParks & WildlifeWildlife rescue center run by the Monkey Park Foundation in a forest near Santa Cruz, where guides explain the stories of each rescued animal.