Santa Cruz, home of the Municipalidad, provides shopping  and  services for a large area of Guanacaste.  Playa Junquillal is one of the many beaches near Santa Cruz.  Newly paved roads, recently constructed commercial centers and gorgeous beaches draw many visitors.  You will find a natural Costa Rican community blended with several internationals.  A good destination for family vacationers, a blue flag award beach, recognized for their clean, safe beach and successful community efforts for turtle and monkey preservation projects.
Also, home of a variety of artists who open their studios for visitors, as well as an established producer of colorful tropical porcelain tableware, called Cooper Mays.
Visitors can shop for Costa Rican artwork in wood, fabric and fused glass.