Nicoya is a town in Costa Rica, and one of its most important tourist zones. The village of Nicoya on the peninsula was probably the first Spanish settlement (c.1530) in Costa Rica.It serves as a transport hub to Guanacaste's beaches and national parks. The city's population is around 15,000 second only to Liberia in the province. It is built in an old colonial style, in the Cordillera Volcánica de Guanacaste. Agriculture and cattle form the backbone of the city's economy, as well as the province which surrounds it.

The breathtaking beauty of the Nicoya Peninsula, particularly the contrast of hills and valleys meeting the sea, with islands scattered throughout the Gulf like precious jewels, is equalled only by its unspoiled tranquility and amiable people. The cares and worries of the outside world are forgotten, when you relax and enjoy the good living of Bahia Gigante.

The Gulf of Nicoya which separates the Nicoya Peninsula from the mainland of Costa Rica is a stunning marine and coastal landscape of wetlands, jagged rocky islands and cliffs, extensive mangrove habitat, and high biodiversity. A geological fault has once caused the land to submerge, leaving exposed only the tops of what were formerly low hills. These are the numerous islands which today dot the Gulf.

As it has always been easier and faster to travel to the southern Nicoya Peninsula by boat from Puntarenas, the region belongs to the province of Puntarenas rather than Guanacaste. Roads connecting to the northern province Guanacaste are still few and in bad condition.