Puntarenas

Introducing Puntarenas

Prior to the mid-20th century, Puntarenas was the largest and most significant open-water port in Costa Rica. Some of the finest coffees to grace European tables were carried to the continent on Puntarenas-registered freighters, and the steady flow of capital back into the city transformed it into the ‘Pearl of the Pacific.’ However, after the construction of the railway leading from the Central Valley to Puerto Limón, the establishment of a more direct shipping route to Europe initiated the city’s decline in importance, though Puntarenas managed to remain a major port on the Pacific coast.

This all changed in 1981 when a bigger port was opened at Puerto Caldera, about 18km southeast of Puntarenas, and the town turned to its current means of economic survival: tourism. Since Puntarenas is the closest coastal town to San José, in a few short hours the frenzied whirl of city life can be swapped for the cool breeze of the Pacific winds. In the dry season, Tico vacationers land in droves to visit the beaches, though most of the water (with the exception of the south side of the point) is polluted. However, the beaches are regularly cleaned, the views across the Golfo de Nicoya are scenic, and future plans to continue overhauling the beachfront are ambitious.

Despite its popularity with land-locked Ticos, Puntarenas has an unjustified reputation among travelers as a filthy port city that should be avoided at all costs. And, in the age of gringo buses and jet-boat transfers to the Península de Nicoya, this is becoming easier to achieve. The reality is that although Puntarenas will never be a destination for foreigners, its ferry terminal does provide the cheapest option for reaching the beaches of Southern Nicoya. And as far as port cities are concerned, it’s relaxed and brimming with local flavor, and you’ll probably be the only gringo sunning yourself on a well-kept beach full of Tico families.

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009