PROVINCES: Province of Puntarenas

Buenos Aires

Small agricultural town situated in El General Valley on Rio General river. It has a tree-filled plaza. It`s surrounded by belonging Del Monte Company, a pineapple and peach plantations. On October of 2001 its inhabitants blocked the Panamerican Highway in protest against hydroenergy project.

Burica (point)

It`s a point, the most distant Costa Rica territory in the South-West. It is devided into half between Costa Rica and Panama. There are common drug trafficers. There live 200 residents.

Caldera

Built in 1981, now the main pacific port of the country that consists of three docks. It`s visited by freighters and massive ferries. It handled the cargo of over 360 major ships a year. In 2002 due to the heavy storm, the mole has been damaged. In April of 1842 Honduran Francisco Morazan called there and started the invasion to Costa Rica.

Cerro Pando

[2.468 m.n.p.m.]. Peak in the Costa Rica-Panama border. The border through that was set on the ground of a treaty from 1910 (Loubet proposition). It devides the waters of the tributaries of the gulf Dulce (Costa Rica) and Charco Azul (Panama). Its slopes stood out with basalt-andesite rocks. In 1998 they discovered the new specie of anole lizard [Norops fuscuoauratus], that exists only there.

Damas

An island in the central pacific coast, that is ranked by some people as the peninsula. It has very prolongated shape, runs pararelly to the continent and is separated from that by the estuary with the same name (that is covered by mangroves). The lately earthquakes devided that into two sectors.

Dominical

(200). Backed by a wall of palms, small quiet fishing village in the southern part of Puntarenas province, a few kilometres to the north of Ballena Marine Park, between a low ridge of costal hills. At the beginning of the century it was settled by Victor "chucuyo" Sibaja who owned the plantations of dominicos (a variety of plantains). Since the road has been paved it has been discovered by foreigners. Its brown-sand beach has a reputation of strong rip currents. Not far from there the archeological excavations are situated. After falling down a tree in the jungle, the Indians graves has been shown. From there archeologists dug out pieces of jars and remainings of petroglyphs. It`s a traces of Indian tribes that lived there in years of 800-1500.

Dona Ana (beach)

It`s situated in Barranca district (Puntarenas canton), at the mouth of Barranca river. It has 200 metres of lenghts and is tucked between two cliffs. It`s covered by palms and almond trees. It`s high reputed by syrfing lovers.

Esparza

It was founded as Espiritu Santos in 1574 by governor Anguciano de Gamboa and was linked with Puntarenas by road in 1879. In XVI century there was appointed the vicegovernor. It has colonial church of weathered pink stone. There used to live famous painter and architect Fadriguez Guttierez. In the outskirt link two alternative highways that lead to San Jose.

Esterillos (beach)

11 kms long palm-fringed beach separated from Hermosa Beach by the Point of Judas. It has many tide pools. It is devided into three parts: Esterillos East, Central, and West. It stands out with two sculptures: a marmaid that sits atop the rocks and a pair of lovers lying in tight hold. In the sand there are an ancient mosaic of mollucks fossils embedded in the rock strata.

Golfito

Former town of banana company, settled in the bay of the same name, which is a part of the larger one Dulce Bay in Puntarenas province. From the land side it`s limited by forested, steep hills of Golfito National Reserve. The town has prolonged shape. For that reason its main street runs parallel to the bay. It`s devided into two different quarters. The east one is called Pueblo Civil and is destinguished by typical for that region wooden architecture. The west quarter is a former headquarter of banana companies, which thrived there in 1938-1985. The solo-houses are repainted. Around some of them there areso called "sausages trees". Some of the houses give accomodations for the clients of the biggest free-zone in the country. The free-zone was created in 1988. In that quarter there are besides a local airstrip and main mole. To the west from the town the brown Cocoa beach spreads. Not so long time ago, the british film company Enigma was making there a film about Chico Mendez the fighter for Amazonian forests. Therer were also two other film productions in the vicinity of town. They were titled "El Dorado" oraz "Columbus".

Jaco

The concentration of seaside resorts and a beach of the same name. It`s situated in the middle of pacific Costa Rica coast, 110 kilometres off San Jose. It`s very popular among surfers and popular spot for Josefinos (inhabitants of San Jose) for weekends. It has a reputation of party and night life town. In the water appeared strong danger currents. At the main street are scattered shops, hotels, vacation houses and the water equipments hiring establishments. Most of the long lenght of that reach the rice fields. In the beach the canadian filming company used to shoot the science-fiction films. Now it tries to get the official name "touristic town of Costa Rica".

Neily

Banana and oil palm plantation village 17 kilometres off the Panama border, in Coto Colorado Valley. It was established in 1940`s due to the Panama people immigration wave. It spreads at the base of Fila Costena Mountains on the west bank of Rio Corredores. It`s on the Panamerican Highwaya. It`s a transport hub enabling to reach to San Vito to the north. It`s locally called Villa.

Palmar Norte

It`s separated for lying to the south its similar town Palmar Sur by Terraba river. In period 1938 - 1985 that was the centre for banana growing in Diquis Valley. On the court of the colege, lie two stone spheres dug out by archeologists. That terrain used to be inhabited by Brunca tribes.

Palmar Sur

A village in the southern part of Costa Rica, in Diquis Valley. From the similar town Palamar Norte it`s separated by Terraba river. There used to discovered pendants of frog and shaman. There are excavated also misterious perfectly rounded stone spheres from precolumbian period. Two of them decorate the lawns at the entrance to the town. In the centre of town lies a clapboard church with two-sided roof and a side tower. It has also its own air-field.

Parrita

Little banana town on the river with the same name. Now around it spreads plantations of oil palms. Indians called it "a place where corn is cultivated". The roads leading to it are caracterized by old, iron bridges. It was founded in 1922 by bananas plantator Agaton Lutz Stiegl from Germany. On January is held mule parade with bull fights.

Pavones (beach)

Beach, perfect for surfers from April to October. It`s said to appear the longest waves more than a kilometer) in the world around that. It`s backed by hills. There is a string of houses.

Punta Leona (point)

The point in the central part of pacific coast, not far from the entrance to Nicoya Bay. It`s consisted of white sandy beach, on which there are many swimming-pools with chutes. In early 1990`s was built there very elegant Selvamar Hotel. The motion picture "1492" starring Gerard Depardieu was filmed on location there.

Puerto Jimenez

(6.000). The main town of Osa peninsula. The centre and the airport are situated in its western side, and the modern quarter and Platanares beach are placed to the east. On the main street there is a touristic information. The heart of town is a Carolina restaurance, that served as a base for trekking touristic groups. The town briefly fluorished in the 1980`s during gold-boom days. It`s linked with Golfiro port by a ferry. To the north-east of town lies narrow mangrowe estuary and few brown-sand beaches.

Quepos

Former large port, now sport-angling centre in the middle Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It`s the closest town for Manuel Antonio National Park. It`s name comes from the name of Quepoa - a subtribe of the Borucas Indians, that in colonial times lived in area of today`s town. To Espadilla Norte beach park leads from Quepos 7-kilometre road. In 1930`s, The United Fruit Company set up the banana plantations, that in 1950`s were destroyed by "panama" deceise. (The first banana boat called in 1928). Since that time, the town surroundings are devoted for oil-palm production.

In downtown lie bars, discos, restaurants and souvenir`s shops. Its long square is dedicated for scauts. In Boca Vieja Estuarium quarter there are old historical houses on stilt. In 1571 Spaniard Juan de Pizzarro founded the first Costa Rica Franciscan mission very close to that.

San Vito

A town created in 1951 by 111 Italian immigrants families. It`s situated in Coto Brus valley, close to the Panama border at the elevation of 980 m.a.s.l. In 1953 was built the first church. In 1965 was granted the municipal rights. It has the triangular municipal park. At the main cross-road the Cultural Centre of Dante Alighieri is situated, that gives the touristic informations. The town is surrounded by Brunquenia Hills, that are covered with coffee and orchards. In the centre there are plenty of Italian restaurances. In 1945, it was linked by Panamerican Highway offroad for the strategic purposes. 6 kilometres to the south from San Vito, in the vicinity of Brunquena Hills, the San Vito Botanical Gardens are placed. There are 2.000 orchids species, rich collection of tropical plants and 100-years old trees. They are scattered on the surface of 10 ha. The Gardens were settled out in 1963 by Robert and Katherina Willsons. In 1973 it was given for Centre for Tropical Agronomy Research and Teaching. It`s the buffer zone for The La Amistad International Biosphere situated on the Panama-Costa Rica border-land. In 1994 the main research building was burned out.

Sierpe

A village situated at the entrance to the Osa peninsula, trapped between banana plantations and swamps. Through the river with the same name it`s linked with Drake Bay. It`s in delta of Terraba river.

Zancudo (beach)

Gray-sand beach between the gulf and the estuary of the Rio Coto Colorado. It`s littered with coconuts and stretches about 6 kms along. Its name means "mosquito".