Puntarenas is the main city in the southernmost province of Costa Rica. It is the capital of the coastal province, and its port, Caldera, is one of the main ports in the country. Some 100,000 live in the city and close towns. With beaches on the Pacific Ocean, it also attracts many tourists.
Puntarenas is now a shadow of its former self. Fish are fresh, but otherwise the city feels stale. Many headed for Puntarenas detour to one of the friendlier, quieter, and more pleasant towns or beaches just south, skipping the city altogether. Come to catch the ferry to the beautiful beaches of the Nicoya Peninsula, but don't plan on staying long.
he Museo Histórico Marino de la Ciudad de Puntarenas (661 5036), in the parque central, highlights the history of Puntarenas and its inhabitants through exhibits on archaeology, customs, and trade relations and a brief display on the region's natural resources. Housed in a building that was once the city prison, the museum is worth a glance if you have a couple hours between buses or ferries.
Along the south side of the peninsula is Playa Puntarenas, a long, powdery beach of which only the westernmost kilometer or so is clean enough for swimming. Just a 15min. bus ride away is a cleaner and calmer beach behind Cabinas de San Isidro, 7km from Puntarenas. (Take a bus toward Esparza, Miramar, Barranca, or El Roble from the stop on Av. 1, Calle Central/1, and ask the driver to let you off. 15min., every 15min. 5:30am-8pm, ˘120.)
