City: Province of Puntarenas
Top Things to do in Province of Puntarenas
Top Restaurants in Province of Puntarenas
Top 10 Things to do in Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Puntarenas (Spanish pronunciation: [puntaˈɾenas]) is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the western part of the country, covering most of Costa Rica's Pacific Ocean coast, and it is the largest province in Costa Rica. Clockwise from the northwest it borders on the provinces Guanacaste, Alajuela, San José and Limón, and the neighbouring country of Panama.
Restaurants in Province of Puntarenas
1. Royal Butterflies
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 110 reviews
Enjoy a relaxing experience whilst being surrounded by exotic butterflies with a lush backdrop of tropical plants. Learn about the amazing life cycle of the butterflies and walk along the river path whilst exploring the over 70 types of fruit trees being grown on the property. Cold drinks and souvenirs are available for purchase in the gift shop. Tour is $10 p/person. Free for kids under 6 years old.'
Reviewed By U3962DNjoell - Quebrada Amarilla, Costa Rica
I recently moved to Quebrada Amarilla. I am delighted to live close to the Royal Butterflies attraction. I just visited today for the first of what I expect to be many times and a place where I bring all visitors.. Dan and Donna showed me around. The setting is beyond beautiful. The attraction is on the same property as the most spectacular tree house I have ever seen. I have been recommending the tree house to all my friends. The tree house has beautiful views and is amazing from an architecture prospective even including a hidden room as well as all the amenities you would expect from a hotel room. The Royal Butterflies attraction is also surrounded by many other tall trees and close to a gentle river but well off the road and quietly away from the modest traffic. But back to the butterflies. The exhibit features extremely colorful and beautiful assortments of butterflies in a quiet and beautiful location. The setting was tranquil and I simply wanted to rest and absorb the fluttering creatures. I came out of the exhibit as if I had been in a deep relaxing meditation.
2. Playa Manuel Antonio
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11,923 reviews
One of Costa Rica's most popular beaches, Playa Manuel Antonio frequently hosts parties and festivals, and it is an ideal destination for avid surfers.
Reviewed By jimt903 - Middletown, United States
Along the trail through the M A national park, observe the flora and fauna, listen t o the call of exotic (for North Americans anyway) birds and at trail's end rejoice in the awesome views of Playa Manuel Antonio. Take your swimsuits. Monkey's galore and sloths high in the trees but the beach on the cove is the gem. Spend the afternoon if you take a light meal or snacks. And take water. There are adequate bath facilities.
3. Los Campesinos Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 148 reviews
We are an excellent option for rural tourism, we offer accommodation in rustic rooms with balcony, private bathroom and hot water, guided hiking trails, gazebos, suspension bridges, cable ferry, typical food prepared firewood Costa Rica, natural pools, waterfalls forests, rappelling tour and transportation. Excellent for couple, family or friends, would be a pleasure to attend.
Reviewed By Ironman009
We visited from manuel antonio. It was a long drive (1hr 10min) but well worth it for the waterfall views, hanging bridges and most of all swimming. Oh and a wonderful lunch. Give yourself 2hrs before lunch if you like to swim at the two falls, otherwise you can easily hike the trails in an hour. We did self guided because we were here to swim not view wildlife. The trails are well marked and short so no need for a guide unless you looking for wildlife. Hanging bridges are fantastic, really high up, great view falls, solidly engineered. The drive here goes through a couple villages so it is interesting but half the drive is on some very rough pot holes roads. The final 6km or so is dirt but very smooth, I was thinking they must frequently maintain it. Didn't feel 4x4 is necessary to this place. Enjoy your experience.
4. Pura Vida Gardens and Waterfalls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 400 reviews
Pura Vida Gardens and Waterfalls is unique in Costa Rica. It is truly a "Visual Masterpiece". The gardens begin with the natural beauty of Costa Rica and four waterfalls in the property with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. To this millions of plants, flowers and orchids from all over the world have been added. Manicured walkways meander long a river and at the crest of the mountain which make the entire 50 acre gardens accessible to all. Have lunch in our restaurant and browse the gift shop that offers authentic Costa Rica gifts.
Reviewed By Lnc12345
Took a bus tour to this out-of-the-way garden on a hilltop. Beautiful gardens with a view of the ocean & a waterfall. Owner is open & friendly. Driving in a bus is difficult due to winding Mt road. Worth it, however!
5. Curi Cancha Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,583 reviews
To protect of natural resources of the planet operating through an economically and environmentally sustainable business that preserves local forests and biodiversity, benefits people of the area, and provides the highest quality experience for the visitor. Walk along beautiful natural trails with an experienced guide and see different species of birds and mammals. Learn about the amazing diversity of the cloud forest.
Reviewed By Stuart-from-molesey
The guide was Carlos from the reserve and knew exactly where to find the birds and animals and was very knowledgeable on plants as well. Whilst not twitchers ourselves it was nice to see the Quetzal although I suspect that it was probably in its usual favourite tree. On one trail there was a fresh print of what was said to be a puma but rarely to be be seen. The humming bird feeder area was really great to stop and have a drink. We spent 2 hours with Carlos and a further 3 hours on our own. Great visit.
6. Neo Fauna CR
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 214 reviews
Neofauna is a conservationist project focused on the reproduction, rescue and release of wild animals; this a private project financed by the sale of tours.
Reviewed By 928ilanah - Toronto, Canada
The place is a pretty little refuge in Jaco down a cute little street past a local school. The surroundings are lush and in March the shade was a blessing and there was a breeze! When we arrived there was someone there to greet us and to tell us what animals they had, how much it cost (25 USD per person) and where the money went to. As it was a conservation effort to save species we were fine with the amount! We set off with our guide who was kind and very knowledgeable. Our 3 year old daughter is normally quite shy but his demeanor quickly won her over. When we visited the different animals he told us why they were there and the treatments they were receiving. The butterfly area was gorgeous and beautiful- so many butterflies! Our guide went above and beyond to show us the animals and make us all so happy. I can't wait to go again! It was my daughter's favourite excursion in Costa Rica- including Manual Antonio!
7. Tico Pod Art House & Gifts
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 242 reviews
Unique, hand picked gifts and art. Supporting many local Costa Rican artists and artisans. From fine art canvases, wood carvings and fine silver jewelry to folk art and hand-made soaps; you'll find a great selection of Costa Rican products (as well as few from other Central American artists). Authentic Boruca Indian masks from Costa Rica and Chorotega Indian Pottery. Beautiful leather bags and local jewelry.
Reviewed By dangillotte
Such a great at gallery featuring wonderful Costa Rican arts and crafts. Really nice store with interesting and quirky selections like a Dia de las muertes nativity scene. Highly recommended. Affordable and fun
8. Playa Espadilla Norte
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 192 reviews
Reviewed By RalphB795
You have to pay to get into the National Park which was a highlight of the trip, at the end of the tour (best to get a guide) is this beach. Rather fabulous, with added squirrel monkeys and a sleepy raccoon.
9. El Miro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 37 reviews
Reviewed By O2037MVmichelep - Hartford, United States
Great hike. Free the look out points were Awesome also the abandoned building was so cool to explore. Saw monkeys lizards ants carrying leafs birds. After going to the 2 lookout points took a diff. Pass towards Hermosa beach breath taking.
10. Jaco Beach
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,608 reviews
Reviewed By 442kristiana - Naples, United States
Pretty beach, black sand so it looks a bit like dirt but still very nice. Plenty of different Surf Schools, most charge around $10 per day to rent a surfboard, or $35 for a surf lesson. Two loungers and an umbrella are about $10 but you can negotiate depending on what else you are renting from them. If you get a surf lesson, most of the time they will give you the beach chairs and umbrella for free. Tico's Surf School was great, it's owned by their 4 times national surf champion and all the guys working there are very friendly. We negotiated the use of 2 surf boards every day for $20, and most of the time they let us use 2 boogie boards for free as long as we rent the surf boards. Boogie Boards were nice and a lot of fun too, but seemed like a ripoff if you had to pay $10 for each. (You can buy MOREY at Costco in the USA for $25-$30 almost the same quality). If you can, bring couple boogie boards with your from the USA, it can save you quite a bit of money for a week or two. You can always leave them behind when you go back, or sell them to another tourist there for $20 on the beach... :) Keep in mind High Tide is when you want to surf on this beach, which varies throughout the week and it comes different time of the day. In the beginning of our trip it seemed to be around 3pm or 5-6pm, but then it changed to 9-10am towards the end of our trip. During low tide you can still boogie board but surfing is tough if not impossible. Kids can still learn to surf on the whitewash so it's still fun. Parking is free around there, but try to park closer to the beach and don't leave valuables in your car - we saw someone lurking around our vehicle signaling another person, so ended up having to move it directly on the beach from where it was, a little walk on an adjacent street. When you get to the beach with your car, some of the surf school attendants may try to signal you to park and tell you that you can park for only $10 for the day, but don't fall for it, parking is free. Just say no I'll just park for free instead... ;) Be careful on the beach during low tide, even though it's very shallow and safe, it starts pulling in pretty hard and we saw someone almost drown, had it not been for the lifeguards that swam way past the surf to get him. Low Tide - the water recedes from the beach towards the ocean, so it pulls towards the deep ocean. High Tide - water invades the beach, so generally speaking it pushes you towards the shore. Waves were consistent everyday, with Magic SeaWeed app showing around 3-4 feet surf, but when you got in it was closer to 6'-7' every day, with some monster sets coming out of nowhere that were probably even higher. Again, between the smaller waves and the larger sets, there are plenty of waves for everyone to catch. Very easy conditions for surfing if you are a beginner. More experienced surfers go to Hermosa Beach, which is the next beach to the south. It's more desolate, and untouched, and it hosts all the surfing competitions. If you have a chance, drive down that way for lunch and try Las Olas Ahi Poke Hawaiian Style - best spent 700 colones in Costa Rica! Sit on the beach in the shade, drink and eat, and watch the surfers. If you aren't an experienced surfer, don't try surfing there, go back to Jaco :)
