Liberia, city, northwestern Costa Rica. It lies along the Liberia River, a tributary of the Tempisque, at the foot of the Cordillera de Guanacaste approximately 45 miles (70 km) south of the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Liberia is a commercial centre and a transportation hub for several nearby national parks, nature reserves, and beach resorts on the Nicoya Peninsula. The Guanacaste area was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999 (extended in 2004). Livestock is raised, and fruits, grains, and sugarcane are cultivated on the agricultural lands surrounding the city. Liberia’s Museo del Sabanero (“Cowboy Museum”) explores the cattle-and-cowboy culture of the region. No railroad serves the city, but it is on the Inter-American (Pan-American) Highway; another highway leads southward to towns on the Nicoya Peninsula. The international airport is located 7 miles (12 km) to the west of the city. Pop. (2000) 34,469; (2011) 48,597.