Puntarenas, ferry port to Nicoya

From here the ferries leave for Paquera and Naranjo

The small town of Puntarenas is also the capital of the province of the same name. Only 45,000 people live in Puntarenas.

The city lies on a very narrow spit of land in the middle of the Gulf of Nicoya. Puntarenas is not particularly attractive as a destination, but the city still has its flair. The ferries that cross from here to Paquera (Tambor) and Puerto Naranjo on the Nicoya Peninsula are important.

The ferry services are car ferries to reach the south of the peninsula (Playa Tambor, Playa Montezuma and Malpais). You can see the ferry times here: http://www.navieratambor.com/horarios-y-tarifas

Very close to the city is the port of Caldera - the largest and most important container port on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The province of Puntarenas is the largest province in Costa Rica; in addition to tourism, the population lives mainly from fishing. Part of the northern, all of the central and southern Pacific coast belongs to the Puntarenas Province.