60101 Archives

Location: next to Chacarita beach in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Puntarenas Beach GPS Coordenates: 9.974662,-84.844455 (9°58’28.78″N, 84°50’40.03″W)
District: Puntarenas, canton: Puntarenas, province: Puntarenas.
Zone postal code: 60101.

Bus · Restaurants · Hotels · Photos · Things to do

Puntarenas Beach Costa Rica is a large rectilinear type beach with dark gray sands and blue waters, located very close to the Central Valley, exactly a one-hour drive away from the capital, that features a wide range of attractions ideal for the sun, the beach and fishing from La Punta (“the Point”), which are complemented with protected zones, continental and insular areas. Its coasts are decked by plenty of islands, inlets, beaches and beautiful natural treasures, which makes Puntarenas a tourist destiny by excellence.

In fact, the city of Port of Puntarenas, which is at just four meters above sea level, is one of the most important tourist regions of Costa Rica, which has been the place for national and international tourism and recreation for years, as it offers a variety of quality tourist services, nice for stopovers, distribution, scales and excursions.

Puntarenas, which was generated by port activities and fishing, today has several hotels and cabins near the sea, as well as the well known all-included packages prevail in it’s touristic development, as well as plenty of restaurants, interesting buildings and historical sites. Also, Puntarenas boasts a cruise ship terminal at the remodeled Puntarenas Wharf, which has a series of piers and docking areas from which ferries depart for established tourist destinations such as Paquera and Cobano, as well as tours around the islands and mangrove swamps in the Puntarenas estuary.

The area between the wharf (Cruise Ship Terminal) and the place known as La Punta (“The Point”), where this extensive length of shoreline ends, is the preferred place for swimmers. Besides swimming, visitors can enjoy other water sports and activities, such as boat tours, parades, seaside concerts and many other recreational activities that creates an ideal environment for sharing culture with the people of Puntarenas. The carnival takes place in February, during the dry season, perfect weather for enjoying the beach and all the carnival’s events. Also, along the strip, tourists can make use of other facilities such as fields for playing sports, green areas, showers, restrooms and all the necessities for beach enjoyment.

Running parallel to Puntarenas main beach, is the Paseo de los Turistas (“Tourist Strip”), highly frequented for its variety of quality tourist services. It stretches from the Pacific Marine Park (the old train station) to La Punta. Here visitors can find several hotels, restaurants, bars, handicraft shops and stands where can enjoy traditional fruit salads and snow cones better known here as “Churchills”.

Getting to Puntarenas Beach in Puntarenas, Puntarenas:

From San José

Drive north towards Puntarenas on highway #27. When you see Puntarenas exit, turn right and continue for about 12 km (7 miles) until you reach to Puntarenas beach. This route requires a total of one hour from San Jose.

From Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR)

Drive to the northeast toward Liberia. Once in Liberia, continue along the same highway towards Puntarenas for about 120 km (75 miles). Once at the entrance to Puntarenas, turn right and continue for about 12 km (7 miles) until you reach to Puntarenas beach. This route requires a total of 2 hours.

Puntarenas Beach by Bus

You can take a bus from the route San José – Puntarenas (Empresarios Unidos, +506 2222-0064), which takes about 2 hours. It is recommend buying the ticket a day early to ensure your space.

Address map: Click here to view directions from Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), Alajuela, Costa Rica TO Puntarenas Beach in Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Puntarenas Beach Restaurants

Puntarenas Beach Hotels

Things to do in Puntarenas Beach

Puntarenas Beach Photos

Address: Former Plaza police headquarters building in downtown Puntarenas, district: Puntarenas, canton: Puntarenas, province: Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 60101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.976564,-84.827625 (9°58’35.63″N, 84°49’39.45″W)
Hours: From Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 430 p.m.
Website: www.parquemarino.org
Fax: +(506) 2661-0633
Telephone: +506 2661-5272

Address map: Click here to view directions from Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), Alajuela, Costa Rica TO the Marine Historic Museum of Puntarenas City, Costa Rica at Google Maps

Marine Historic Museum of Puntarenas City Interior in Costa Rica

The Marine Historic Museum of the Puntarenas City not only is an aquarium with marine life up to the Cocos Island National Park, full of fresh and salt water species, but it also shows the natural beauty of the Puntarenas Port, the wealth of its history and the Puntarenas people charm. At its different sites on natural history, archeology and history, is reflected the way of life that for thousands of years has developed in this region. Archaeological information has allowed to know about the first settlements of indigenous groups in the region, the way how they got their food, taking advantage of the various resources of the area, types of burial practices and the terms of trade and commerce therein.

The story focuses on the Puntarenas city, although the province includes part of the North, Central and Southern Pacific areas in Costa Rica, it has grown more independent and distinct from the rest of the province. In this same manner we will be taken to the past and learn how the Puntarenas Port became one of the most important in the country and some of the traditions and religious celebrations of the Puntarenas people, characterized by its diverse geographical and cultural origins.

The museum displays the diversity of natural resources of the area, including its wetlands, forests, marine life, land animals and birds. The museum outlines the importance of the Nicoya Gulf and the islands that are in it. Delves further into the natural wealth of the Cocos Island and tells about pirates and their treasures. It is located in the Former Plaza police headquarters building in downtown Puntarenas.