The Puntarenas province is the biggest province in Costa Rica and its capital city, with the same name, is a popular place for tourists to pass through due to the Puntarenas – Paquera Ferry.
However, Puntarenas is not so much of a touristic destination.
Rather, it is a transit destination, as most people will go to Puntarenas town only to take the ferry to Paquera or Naranjo. Or dock for the day on a cruise.
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Puntarenas Province Facts
The biggest province in Costa Rica, encompassing 22% of the country.
Capital city is Puntarenas.
The province is so big, that it is home to the majority of Costa Rica’s tourist destinations, national parks and reserve.
Some of them are Manuel Antonio National Park, Cocos Island National Park, the Nicoya Penisula, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and Osa Peninsula.
Location of Puntarenas city
Puntarenas is about a 1.5 hour drive from San Jose.
The Town
Puntarenas, the capital city of the province is a very local, simple and humble town. It’s nickname is El Puerto since it used to be the largest fishing port in the country.
The town comprises of the entire peninsula and has one road going through the middle, called the Paseo de los Turistas.
They have a nice boardwalk running parallel to the shore and there are restaurants, hotels, shops and food stands up and down this road.
Puntarenas, Costa Rica Beaches
The main beach is Playa Puntarenas.
It’s not the prettiest beach and most people don’t swim in the ocean since it’s a fishing port so the water isn’t the nicest to swim in.
But sunsets here are really nice and you can walk along the shore to see birds and little fish.
People and Local Life
The “Puntarenense” or “Porteños” are very happy people and you will notice it as soon as you arrive.
At night, you will see them sitting outside their homes in rocking chairs, talking to family and neighbors all night long. They like to party, are super proud of their town and love their local team.
Unfortunately Puntarenas is not the prosperous fishing town it used to be back in the 70’s and 80’s.
Yeison’s father used to be the captain of a tuna fishing boat for many years in Puntarenas. Back then, the fishing industry was excellent before Costa Rica allowed the Chinese to fish in their waters.
You will still see lots of boats at the port but many are in bad shape, having been unused for so long.
Tourism is growing little by little, helping the locals find work other than fishing but it’s still tough.
Things to Do in Puntarenas, Costa Rica
When it comes to tourism in Puntarenas and things to do, the main attraction is the Puntarenas ferry to Paquera or Naranjo.
Tourists pass through the town to take the ferry, most of them don’t stay overnight.
Puntarenas is also where the two liveaboard companies sail to Cocos Island National Park.
There aren’t a ton of things to do in Puntarenas itself but it is a really nice little town to experience local life because it is not super touristy.
Most tourists just spend a couple hours in the town waiting for the ferry which is enough time to get a taste of this small town.
Puntarenas Cruises
Some cruises dock at Puntarenas, such as Holland America Kongsdam. Unfortunately, since the town does not have much to see or do, tourists will need to book a private tour or rent a car to sight see for the day.
If you would like to rent a car, please contact us to assist in the arrangements. We offer a car rental discount and our partners have an office near the Puntarenas dock, so they can deliver your car to the dock when you arrive, usually 8 or 9 AM.
For your return, you’ll return it to their office (4-430 PM) which is about 20 minutes away and then they will shuttle you to the dock.
You can rent a car for one day with this arrangement, without an extra fee.
Fiestas Civicas (Local Parties)
Puntarenas normally has local parties in February. Their parties are huge, with music, games and food all up and down the boulevard.
If you happen to be staying overnight nearby, this is a great local event to experience.
The dates of the parties change yearly. They are usually always either in February or March, but exact dates normally are not announced until a month or so before.
Isla Tortuga Cruise
Several companies depart from Puntarenas to do the one day Tortuga Island cruise.
It’s a nice day tour that cruises through the Gulf of Nicoya for 1.5 hours to Isla Tortuga which has a beautiful white sand beach.
You can read our experience on the Tortuga Island cruise and get $10 USD off the tour! If you have a car, you can meet the boat at the Puntarenas dock for the tour.
Churchills
This town is famous for churchhills, a shaved ice/ice cream dessert in Costa Rica.
In many beach towns, you will find vendors selling Costa Rican copos but churchills were created in Puntarenas and it’s a more intense version of the copo.
You will find several restaurants and shops selling churchills on Paseo de los Turistas.
Walk Paseo de los Turistas
The best thing to do is to walk the whole Paseo de los Turistas. You’ll see lots of Costa Rican families, get nice views of the ocean and try local food.
Weather
This area is very hot. It experiences typical tropical weather with a dry and rainy season.
Dry season is from mid December to end of April and rainy is from beginning of May to beginning of December.
In dry season, it can get up to 90°-100° F (32°-37° C) every day for months.
In rainy season, it normally rains at night and is sunny in the mornings.
The average day time and night time temperatures do not vary greatly. It drops a few degrees in the rainy season, but is still hot and very humid.
Puntarenas, Costa Rica Hotels and Restaurants
There aren’t any fancy hotels or resorts in town but you will find small cabinas and standard hotels.
We stayed at Puerto Azul Hotel, a couple kilometers out of downtown and it was a decent hotel with clean rooms, a pool and private parking lot.
Cabinas Madeleine is another option in Puntarenas.
You can find great seafood in Puntarenas. Popular places are Isla Coco’s Bar, Soda El Buen Sabor, and Restaurante Mar Abierto.
Read About Other Cities in Costa Rica Here!
Zarcero, Costa Rica: Really cute small town in the Central Valley with a beautiful church and topiary gardens.
Grecia, Costa Rica: Small town in the Central Valley that is popular with American expats.
La Fortuna, Costa Rica: Main tourism hub and town at the base of Arenal Volcano. One of the most popular tourist destinations with lots of adventure, wildlife, nature and more.
San Vito, Costa Rica: Small mountain town in the South with lots of wildlife and nature. Off the beaten path destination.
Silvia Siren says
We are planning a trip to Costa Rica the last week of September. I have been reading your blog the last last couple of months and have learned so much. I truly appreciate all your videos and information about traveling in Costa Rica. We are planning to go from Monteverde to Puntarenas to take the ferry to Paquera in late September. How are the roads between Monteverde and Puntarenas during that time of the year? What route do you suggest? Any tips or advice?
Thank you!
Silvia
Sammi says
Hi, you can check our post Monteverde road conditions. for more information. I do recommend to rent a 4×4/4wd because of rainy season and the roads in Monteverde.
Dorie says
Hi. We are driving from Monteverde to a beach area. We would like to do a day trip to Tortuga Island. Would you be able to recommend a town or two to look for lodging where we could go to Tortuga Island & the beach??
Frederick L Maybaum says
We are going to San Jose for 8 days on Jan 2nd. Looking for a day trip to the coast. What do you recommend? We could also do an overnight trip if you have a suggestion for that.
We have traveled quite a bit but not to Central America.
Thanks,
Sammi says
hi Frederick, you can check our post Day trips from San Jose for ideas. I personally recommend Tortuga Island day tour!
Christine Rubick says
Hi,
My Spanish is pretty spotty and not great, will I still be okay overnighting here on our way to Monteverde?
Thanks!!
Christine
Sammi says
Hi Christine, that will be fine. If you stay at a hotel like Puerto Azul or a nicer one, the front desk speaks Spanish. The smaller hotels don’t really speak much but the basics.
Esther says
Hello,
I was wondering what were the dates for Carnival 2019?
Thank you,
Esther
Sammi says
I believe middle of February, you can Google it to find exact dates.
Ryan Yondola says
I am planning on studying abroad for a semester and puntarenas is one of my top choices. I am an environmental science and management major and I was wondering how the local wildlife is. Are there nearby forests?
Sammi says
Hi Ryan, is it Puntarenas the city or Puntarenas the province? The province is the biggest in Costa Rica and has the Osa Peninsula, South/Central Pacific and Monteverde which has a ton of wildlife. If it’s just Puntarenas the city, there isn’t too much there since it’s a fishing village.
Ryan says
It is Puntarenas the city. The wildlife around the city is not that great?
Sammi says
Not really in the town because the town is zoned and developed so you need to go outside the city to find the forests. There are several refuges not too far though, like Curu is right across Nicoya Peninsula and that has a great deal of wildlife.
Ryan says
Is there much within walking distance? Do you think I would get bored spending 5 months in Puntarenas?
Sammi says
To be honest, not really. The town is pretty small and it’s a very local town as it used to be the biggest fishing port (as you can see from the video in the post). You’d need a car if you want to explore the country or luckily Puntarenas is a pretty good bus hub so from Puntarenas you can go to Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, Tilaran (on the way to La Fortuna), Liberia, San Jose from there. Then there is the ferry and you can go to the Nicoya Peninsula via ferry and bus.
Martha & Cabell Cropper says
Hi Samantha & Yeison – we enjoyed reading your information about Puntarenas. We live in town having retired from the USA. However, we were married in Puntarenas 40+ years ago and traveled frequently with our children to visit family. You’re right to say that there are efforts to upgrade and renovated tourist facilities and visitors can see the changes. In addition Puntarenas Beach has been recognized for cleanliness by qualifying for the “Bandera Azul” (Blue Flag) awarded by the Costa Rica Department of Health and the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism. Visitors should not be concerned about bathing off the beach. Also, the Parque Marino del Pacifico is open. One of the biggest attractions of this recreation park is its aquarium, which has an exhibit hall with animals from the Costa Rican waters, such as clownfishes, damsels, sea-horses, cat-sharks, crocodiles, marine turtles and many other animals indigenous to Costa Rica. Please contact us the next time you are in Puntarenas. We’d love to show you why we think Puntarenas is an undiscovered tourist destination.
Sammi says
Hi guys, thanks for your comments! Yeison actually grew up in Puntarenas as his father was a fishing boat captain there for many years so he knows it very well. It’s a nice little local town and hopefully more people visit it!
Marcela says
Hi Samantha & Yeison, myself and my family are visiting Costa Rica for the first time this coming August. I absolutely love your blog, there is so much information and knowledge from both of you that I’m a bit overwhelmed with what to do the 1 week we are visiting. We are staying in Puntarenas but rented a car because we definitely want to explore. Can you give us your suggestions, we love the beach, absolutely want to go to a volcano and zipline of course! Thank you for everything you do 🙂
Sammi says
Hi Marcela, I’m glad the blog has been helpful. For one week in Puntarenas, you can do a lot of things especially with a car and you’re in a good location to explore different parts of CR. I highly recommend the Tortuga Island day tour and we have a $10 discount for it. It’s a very nice day cruise through the Gulf of Nicoya. You can also do a day trip to the Nicoya Peninsula and take the ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera to visit the beaches close to Paquera like Pochote and Tambor.
You can also head down south to Playa Jaco Costa Rica, hike at Carara National Park or go a bit further to Manuel Antonio National Park. The one thing about staying in Puntarenas is that you will need to drive at least 1 hour to everything since there’s not much close except for the ferry and day cruise.
You can even do a day trip and visit Monteverde Costa Rica and go ziplining there. Monteverde has some awesome ziplining like at 100% Aventura. For volcanoes, the best one is Arenal Volcano National Park since Poas may or may not be open (it is slated to open June-ish but it keeps getting pushed back so we don’t know for sure).
Todd says
Hey I read the article, but I was a bit distracted when I read it, so I might of missed it, but isn’t there a maritime museum or some type of small aquarium in town? Also, I think I remember that the church has some type of aquatic motif, which I thought was interesting. Also, I think that I remember that the church entrance faced east, which must be one of the few that faces east because most church entrances in CR face west. I think it might be cool to showcase some beaches around Puntarenas, especially since your marido probably has some insider insight to some of them. Any way, just always wanted to say, great website! You’re the best!
yeison says
Hi Todd,
The aquarium is not longer open, it was part of project from the National University for research but it is close now. You are right about the churches in Costa Rica facing west but I didn’t know that the Puntarenas church is facing west.
Every time we go to Puntarenas it looks nicer, it seems that they community is finally getting more involved and now they want more tourist to visit. Thank you for the nice comments about the blog and have a nice day 🙂
Mary {The World Is A Book} says
I’ve always seen Puntarenas on cruise ship itinerary stops but it just doesn’t seem like the Costa Rica I want to see or experience. We’ve decided to skip on cruising to Costa Rica but instead spend a few days there soon (hopefully). Those churchills look delicious! That carnival crowd picture is crazy and a bit scary to think being in the at crowd.
Sammi says
We took a ferry ride from Puntarenas to Tambor and it was actually a gorgeous ride. Not sure about the cruise though… where are you guys going in Costa Rica? Glad to hear you are making your way over here ! 🙂