Puntarenas Highlights

This tour will be lead by a professional naturalist/tour guide as you cover the regions highlights. During this tour you will enjoy:

1) Wildlife Safari Boat Tour: Famous for its large American Crocodiles, the Tarcoles River forms the Northern border of Carara Biological Reserve on the Central Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The Tarcoles River is home to one of the world’s largest crocodile populations in the wild. Board a custom-built, flat-bottom river boat at our private botanical garden. Then, glide along this placid river with our naturalist guide, who describes the birds, animals, and habitat in great detail. After visiting the river mouth, you venture up a mature mangrove estuary, where the guide stops to learn about this remarkable ecosystem. Aquatic birds, Scarlet Macaws, parrots, Iguanas, monkeys and many other interesting species are very easy to see during this amazing tour.

2) A Nature History Walk & Hanging Bridges. Become a Tropical Forest pioneer as you take a walk through the trails of Villa Lapas Reserve. Experience the raw power of the rainforest through our SkyWay walking tour. Of 1.5 miles (2.5 km) in length, this all-ages tour lets you observe a wide array of exotic flora and wildlife firsthand. Make yourself one with the jungle! Five suspended bridges at more than 180 feet above the ground!. Each of these bridges is an astonishing 300 feet in length, crossing through the very heart of the tropical rainforest. Experience the unique sensation of getting surrounded by the magic of virgin, unspoiled nature. Villa Lapas's privileged location, along the border between the Tropical and Dry Pacific eco-systems, gives us the benefit of gathering hundreds of species of birds as well as exotic animals (poison dart frog, monkeys, raccoons, lizards, anteaters and many more), plus astonishing views of the Pacific Ocean!

3) Santa Lucia Village: A Shopping Experience. Having experienced the tropical forest trails, time is allowed for guests to relax and stroll around in the beautiful shopping Village of Santa Lucia, a quaint replica of a Spanish settlement during the Colony. At this complex, our passengers will be able to purchase that special gift from a big array of items, including local gourmet coffee and small oxcarts and enjoy complementary tropical fruits and Ice Tea.

4) Visit to Molas & Coffee. On the way to the pier, stop at Molas & Coffee Shop, a beautiful souvenir’s store and Art Gallery with excellent products. At these places, free time is allowed for have lunch at the restaurant, where delicious typical and international dishes are offered for an excellent price. You can taste the typical dish of Costa Rica, “El Casado” a plate that combine rice, beans, vegetables, fried plantain and a meat of your selection (chicken, steak, fish) for an affordable price of $ 10. (Lunch is not included in the tour’s rate).

5) Countryside Drive and Sightseeing. After leaving Molas, continue your journey down to sea level while admiring the sweeping views, green rolling hills covered by pasture lands, colorful homes with large gardens, mango plantations and the ocean in the distance.

6) Puntarenas City Tour. Puntarenas City is the largest city in the Central Pacific. Some 120 kilometers west of the capital San Jose, Puntarenas means ‘sandy point’ in Spanish, and used to be one of the country’s principal seaports. Situated in the Gulf of Nicoya, Puntarenas has played a huge role in the history of Costa Rica. For years this city was a major sea port. However, now it is mostly used as a stopover port for many cruise ships that sail the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Still used as an important commercial fishing port, Puntarenas offers visitors and locals alike, a variety of tantalizing fresh sea foods such as shrimp, lobsters, fish, etc. A lively and attractive city, perhaps one of Puntarenas’s most interesting features is the Paseo de los Turistas. This is a tree-lined promenade adjacent to the beach. This area turns into a colorful street on weekends, as people from all over flock the popular restaurants, discos, cafes, bars and hotels that are found here. While the beach here is not safe for swimming because the water tends to be pretty murky, it is still a great place to hang out and relax with the local Ticos. It is definitely worth exploring this city, as there are many beautiful old unusual buildings found all over the place, as well as several fabulous restaurants and hotels. Puntarenas also has a lovely old church, which is a must see as well.