Holiday Destination: Puntarenas

Puntarenas is the capital and largest city in the province Puntarenas, Costa Rica, at the Pacific coast. The eponymous and oddly shaped province has its largest section in the South, far from the capital. With beaches on the Pacific Ocean, it also attracts many tourists, especially surfers. It is also a possible stopover point for the tourist destination Monteverde, to the northwest. Clockwise from the northwest it borders on the provinces Guanacaste, Alajuela, San José and Limón, and the neighbouring country of Panama. Its port, Caldera, is one of the main ports in the country. Also, regularly scheduled ferries carry vehicles from Puntarenas to the Nicoya Peninsula.

Climate

Summer 25 °C (77 °F), Winter 24 °C (76 °F)

Tourist Season

Winter Season is the best for visiting Puntarenas.

Accommodation

Hotels.

General Information Of Puntarenas

• Land Area: 10 sq mi (30 km2)
• Population: 10 Thousand.
• Capital City: Puntarenas.
• Language: Spanish and English.

Tourist Attraction in or Near by Puntarenas

Manuel Antonio National Park Puntarenas

Manuel Antonio National Park, in Spanish the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, is a small National Park in the Central Pacific Conservation Area located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, just south of the city of Quepos, Puntarenas, and 132 km from the national capital of San José. Established in 1972 with an area enumerating the smallest of any Costa Rican national park, it is the destination of as many as 150,000 visitors annually and well known for its beautiful beaches and hiking trails. In 2011, Manuel Antonio was listed by Forbes among the world's 12 most beautiful national parks.

Cabo Blanco Strict Nature Reserve Puntarenas

The oldest protected area in Costa Rica, Cabo Blanco is an absolute nature reserve. What this means is that initially no visitors were allowed here. However, in the 1980’s this strict policy was relaxed slightly and tourists can now visit here apart from Mondays and Tuesdays, when the reserve is closed to the public to minimize environmental damage. Part of the Tempisque Conservation Area, the Cabo Blanco Strict Nature Reserve was created in 1963 by a Scandinavian couple, Olof Wessberg and Karen Morgenson. The first major conservation project in Costa Rica, this reserve came into being to protect the deforestation that was taking place along the Nicoya Peninsula in the 1950’s. Located on the southern tip of the peninsula in Puntarenas province, this nature reserve covers a total land area of 1272 hectares as well as safeguards over 1700 hectares of the surrounding ocean.

Cocos Island National Park Puntarenas

Cocos Island National Park, Puntarenas is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Puntarenas. The Cocos Island National Park, Puntarenas is well known for its eco diversity and a wide range of rich flora and fauna. Cocos Island is a luxurious green Island in the middle of the ocean. It is located 496 kilometers from Cabo Blanco on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It comprises a chain of underwater volcanoes that extends from the Galapagos Islands to the Central American Trench off Burica-Quepos Point. The beautiful Island was discovered by the Spanish navigator Joan Cabezas around 1526. It first became famous because of the three treasures hidden there by Willan Davies and William Thompson between 1684 and 1821. The so called treasure of Lima, which Thomson hid, is the most valuable of all because it consists of a life size image of the Virgin and child in pure gold. The approximately 7,000 millimeters of annual precipitation provides appropriate conditions for the formation of many waterfalls, some of which drop spectacularly into the sea.

Guayabo Negritos and Pajaros Islands Puntarenas

Guayabo, Negritos and Pajaros Islands, Puntarenas is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Puntarenas. The Guayabo, Negritos and Pajaros Islands, Puntarenas is a biological reserve in Puntarenas. These islands are located at either end of Gulf of Nicoya. Together they form one of the most scenic areas in the country. These islands have been set aside as biological reserves to protect and preserve the large population of seabirds along with the local flora and fauna. Guayabo appears as a mound which is approximately 50 meters high. The island is some what rhomboid in shape. It can be reached by landing on its small and only beach. The rest of the island comprises steep cliffs which are always battered by the sea waters. Sea birds form the bulk of wildlife here. It is one of the largest nesting sites for the brown pelicans. The predominant species in this forest are frangipani, spiny cedar and gumbo limbo. Some of the species commonly found in the islands are red land crabs, white tipped doves, parrots, raccoons and hermit crabs which thrive in plenty. The Negritos Islands is another roosting site of the brown pelican.

Puerto Plata City Puntarenas

Puerto Plata City, Puntarenas is the capital of the Province of Puerto Plata. A visit to Puerto Plata City, Puntarenas is always a new experience for the tourists and travelers. The city is characterized by busy and narrow streets. The streets are lined with houses which have typical quaint colonial gingerbread architecture. Another hall mark of the city is wide oceanfront boulevard. The place also boasts of the historical Spanish fortress. Tourists visiting the place can buy the best pineapples in the world. The local markets of the area which offer plentiful of this fruit are major tourist attractions in Puntarenas. Other tourist attractions in Puntarenas include the amber museum. Sight Seeing in Puntarenas also includes a visit to the summit of the Silver Mountain. The amber is known to be the most transparent in the world. The Amber Museum shops offer a wide selection of Dominican amber jewelry, both in Puerto Plata and in Playa Dorada Plaza.

Accessibility

Bus Terminal in or Near by

San Pedro de Poás Bus Station

Carmen
Alajuela, Costa Rica

Airport

Tambor Airport: For International and Domestic flights.

Railway Stations

Estación de Ciruelas

Alajuela, Costa Rica

Estacion de trenes Orotina

Orotina, Costa Rica