Puntarenas

Puntarenas is the name of a Costa Rican, as well as port city located on the Pacific Coast and covers and extensive amount of territory with white sand beaches. It's the largest Province of Costa Rica and its located 75 miles (120 km) west of San Jose. Puntarenas means “Sandy Point”. It is a long narrow sand spit that is an extension of the Nicoya Peninsula and juts out into the Gulf of Nicoya, only two blocks wide at its narrowest point. To the south is the open end of the Nicoya Peninsula with mild surf hitting the beach, which can be crossed by taking a ferry. On the north is an estuary with mangrove swaps, important to wildlife and fisheries. Buses depart daily from San Jose, leaving every 40 minutes but they can get horribly crowded. You can also charter and air-taxi to Chacarita Airport, east of the town of Puntarenas, but there are no scheduled services. Puntarenas has suffered some economic stagnation but is recovering due to the current tourist boom. Being Costa Rica’s most important fishing port, Puntarenas is the perfect place to enjoy fresh seafood: shrimp scampi, fried fish, Corvina ceviche and more dishes that will be a treat to your taste buds. Port Caldera which is located 10 miles (16 km) south of Puntarenas has become the most important port of call for major cruise liners, which may explain why real estate investments here have become more lucrative. Area Code: