Brief synthesisThe Area de Conservación Guanacaste comprises 147,000 hectares of land and sea in the Northwest of Costa Rica. The many forest types comprise a large tract of tropical dry forest, an often overlooked, highly vulnerable global conservation priority. Criterion (ix): A striking feature of Area de Conservación Guanacaste is the wealth of ecosystem and habitat diversity, all connected through an uninterrupted gradient from the Pacific Ocean across the highest peaks to the lowlands on the Caribbean side. Small peripheral areas are regularly bought and added to the protected area and lend themselves for future incorporation into the property. Protection and Management RequirementsArea de Conservacion Guanacaste is a conservation complex comprised of contiguous protected areas which has expanded over time.