Puntarenas Tourist Attractions

This city is the capital of the Puntarenas province and has a population of about 100,000 people. Puntarenas lies where the Nicoya Gulf meets the Pacific Ocean and was Costa Rica's major port during the 19th C. Goods, especially coffee, were hauled from all over the country to be shipped to Europe from Puntarenas.Puntarenas remained the most important port on the Pacific coast while rail access to the Caribbean coast was being built. In 1981 a new port was opened south of Puntarenas on the Pacific coast at Caldera, and this facility has become more important. Nevertheless, cruise ships often still dock at Puntarenas for day visits. The city is at its busiest during the dry season when many travellers arrive.Puntarenas is on a sandy peninsula that is 8km/5mi long but only 600m/1,968ft wide at its widest point. The name Puntarenas literally means "sandy point". While there are several sandy beaches, they are polluted and not suitable for swimming, as are the river estuaries. Currently, projects to clean up the waters are underway. Puntarenas is a pleasant town, and many travellers use it as a jumping off point to visit the southern Pacific coast or the Nicoya Peninsula.