Costa Rica regions: Puntarenas

Known as “the Pearl of the Pacific”, Puntarenas is the biggest region in Costa Rica, with an extension of 11,276 sq km, and spreads along 700 km of Pacific coastline, from the limit with Guanacaste to the border with Panama. Its main attractions are beaches, national parks and natural reserves.



The Carara Biological Reserve has thousands of acres of forests and mangroves. Only part of it is open to general public, although some more restricted areas can be explored if accompanied by professional guides.



The Manuel Antonio National Park is small but is one of the most visited parks in Costa Rica. Its rainforest are home for the titi monkey, among more than one hundred species of mammals and a similar amount of birds.

The South of Puntarenas forms the Corcovado National Park, a refuge for endemic and very threatened species such as the golden toad.

The port of Caldera and the city of Puntarenas are visited every day by tourist cruise boats, and is often taken as a departure point to explore Costa Rica by land.
The region is also famous for its local seafood gastronomy and its colorful Carnival.