Country : Costa Rica
Population : aprox. 100,000

Puntarenas which means "Sandy Point" in Spanish is located on the western side of Costa Rica, 120km west of the capital of San Jose, and is the largest city in the province of the same name. It is home to Caldera, the port – one of the country's main ports. Although situated on the pacific side of Costa Rica, it is in fact located in the Gulf of Nicoya. It has a population of over 24,000 people. The local people are known as Ticos and are famous for their hospitality. They are well-educated and hard working people.

Discovered by Hernán Ponce de León in 1519, Puntarenas was known as Villa Bruselas and was only developed in 1840 for coffee exportation. The culture is a reflection of the racial diversity, with a predominantly European influence. The cultural legacy is clearly evident in their love for peace and democracy, unlike other Latin American countries which have been under dictatorships.

Community Rural Tourism is one of the initiatives that, little by little, has represented an important means of development for the rural communities and the richness stems from their cultural diversity, throughout its history, waves of immigrants have added to the pre-Hispanic native populations, settling on this land and making it their home.

During peak tourist seasons, the Casa de la Cultura hosts excellent plays and concerts. Home to a number of festivals and carnivals, a good time to visit the city is during the Festejos Populares in November, and the Fiesta del Virgin del Mar in July. During February and March, the city comes alive with annual carnival celebrations as well.

The Monteverde cloud forest, just outside of Puntarenas is a spectacular reserve and extremely important for their ecotourism. Unlike rainforests, the cloud forest receives less rain and because the cloud forest is situated at a higher altitude, it has more humidity and is therefore cloudier than a rainforest. This biological reserve sits at an elevation of between 1,200 m to 1,600 m, and is surrounded by a misty cover that supports a fantastic diversity of flora and fauna.

It is a destination with plenty of adventure like surfing, deep sea fishing and many more attractions. So mush so that a lot of international media have acknowledged this as a destination for adventure.


Famous Why? The Monteverde Cloud Forest
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Tags: costa rica, capital, 1519, europe	[edit tags]

Date Added: 19 October '08

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