| Cordillera de Guanacaste | |
|---|---|
| Guanacaste Range | |
 Arenal volcano | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Miravalles Volcano |
| Elevation | 2,028 m (6,654 ft) |
| Coordinates | 10°44′54″N85°9′10″W / 10.74833°N 85.15278°W /10.74833; -85.15278 |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Country | Costa Rica |
| Parent range | Central America Volcanic Arc |
| Biome | Atlantic rainforest, lowlands |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | Quaternary |
TheCordillera de Guanacaste, also calledGuanacaste Cordillera, are a volcanicmountain range in northernCosta Rica near the border withNicaragua. The mountain range stretches 110 km from northwest to the southeast and contains mostly complexstratovolcanoes.[1] The range forms part of the southern region of theContinental Divide, with the highest peak is thestratovolcanoMiravalles at 2,028 m.[2]
Rivers flowing from the range drain into theCaribbean Sea (Guacalito,Zapote) and thePacific Ocean (Blanco,Tenorio, Martirio, Corobiá and San Lorenzo).
Protected areas located in the mountain range includeGuanacaste National Park established in July 1991[3] andArea de Conservación Guanacaste World Heritage Site inscribed byUNESCO as aWorld Heritage Site in December 1999.[4]
The range contains areas of ecological significance, as the Miravalles Forest Reserve, hills and canyons that can be seen from the lowlands of Guanacaste, areas rich withepiphytes, ferns and palms; and areas ofgeothermal activity, exploited for energy use. Geothermal energy exploited in Guanacaste account to 18% of Costa Rica's electricity and is also exported toNicaragua andPanama.[2]
Cordillera de Guanacaste is divided into two sections:[5]
