# Things to see in Santa Elena (Costa Rica): 5 places and when to go

> Santa Elena is a town in Costa Rica, and this site lists 5 places in and around it, mainly Nature (5), Wildlife (1), Mountains (1). The best known are Orosí Volcano, Guanacaste National Park and Cerro El Hacha. The best time to come is December to March; also possible: April to August and November. In June there are 12 h 38 of daylight, and in December, 11 h 22. Here is what there is, when to go, how to get there and what else is nearby.

- Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/santa-elena/
- Reviewed on: 2026-10-08
- Language: en

## In a nutshell

- **Where:** Costa Rica · 10.979, -85.4706
- **Places:** 5 places on this site, in the town and around it.
- **What people come for:** [Nature](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/naturaleza/) (5) · [Wildlife](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/fauna/) (1) · [Mountains](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/montana/) (1)
- **Best time:** December to March.
- **Also possible:** April to August and November.
- **Nearest airport:** LIR Liberia, 44 km as the crow flies
- **Highest point:** Orosí Volcano, at 1,440 m.

## What to see in Santa Elena

The places in and around Santa Elena, best known first, each with its own page: what it is, when to go and what is next to it. Distances are from the centre, as the crow flies.

- [Orosí Volcano](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/volcan-orosi/): Nature · 3 m
- [Guanacaste National Park](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/parque-nacional-guanacaste/): National park of Costa Rica · 6.7 km
- [Cerro El Hacha](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/cerro-el-hacha/): Mountain in Costa Rica · 8.4 km
- [Volcán Orosilito](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/volcan-orosilito/): Volcano · 2.5 km
- [Volcán Pedregal](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/volcan-pedregal/): Volcano · 5.7 km

## When to go to Santa Elena

The best time to visit Santa Elena is **December to March**; also possible: April to August and November. This comes from its own places: a month counts as the town's best time when it is the best time for half of what there is to see.

| Mes | Época | Hours of daylight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| January | Best time | 11 h 25 |
| February | Best time | 11 h 39 |
| March | Best time | 11 h 56 |
| April | Possible | 12 h 15 |
| May | Possible | 12 h 30 |
| June | Possible | 12 h 38 |
| July | Possible | 12 h 35 |
| August | Possible | 12 h 22 |
| September | Better not | 12 h 03 |
| October | Better not | 11 h 45 |
| November | Possible | 11 h 29 |
| December | Best time | 11 h 22 |

In June there are 12 h 38 of daylight, and in December, 11 h 22. In January, 5 of the 5 places are at their best.

When to go to Costa Rica in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/#cuando-ir).

## Getting to Santa Elena

The nearest main airport is Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR, Liberia), 44 km as the crow flies. How to get around Costa Rica (train, car, bus) is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/#moverse), and what to sort out before you leave is in [its checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/#antes-de-salir).

- [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=10.979%2C-85.4706)
- [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=10.979%2C-85.4706)

## Other towns nearby

- [La Cruz, Costa Rica](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/la-cruz/): 6 places · 20 km
- [Curubandé](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/curubande/): 5 places · 22 km
- [Liberia, Costa Rica](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/liberia/): 8 places · 39 km
- [Cañas District](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/canas/): 8 places · 73 km
- [Huacas](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/huacas/): 11 places · 76 km
- [Nicoya](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/nicoya/): 6 places · 93 km

And all of Costa Rica, in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is there to see in Santa Elena?

The best known: [Orosí Volcano](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/volcan-orosi/), [Guanacaste National Park](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/parque-nacional-guanacaste/), [Cerro El Hacha](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/costa-rica/cerro-el-hacha/). In all, 5 places in the town and around it, all on your trip map from day one.

### When is the best time to visit Santa Elena?

December to March; also possible: April to August and November. In June there are 12 h 38 of daylight, and in December, 11 h 22.

### How do you get to Santa Elena?

The nearest main airport is Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR), 44 km away. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=10.979%2C-85.4706) opens the route on the map.

### How do I add it to my trip?

Create a trip with Santa Elena as the destination and these 5 places are on your map, each with its category. The ones you like go into a day's plan with one tap, and Kokai reminds you when you pass nearby.

Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright), licensed under the ODbL, from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/), CC0, cities from [Natural Earth](https://www.naturalearthdata.com/) and airports from [OurAirports](https://ourairports.com/data/). Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).