The Bay at Puntarenas

Our time in Costa Rica started with ocean and ended with ocean (as it should be). After our excursion to the mountains for some failed attempts at volcano sightings, we returned to the Pacific to let my mom say adios before her early flight home. We drove from the Casa down to the long, skinny peninsula town of Puntarenas.

In its heyday, Puntarenas was a magnificent, vivacious place. we heard stories of its former glory only after our visit. Given its unique layout, and the fact that trekking all the way out to the end rewarded one with a lighthouse and the ferry station to cross the bay, we expected more than we got.

The perimeter of the town is all beach, lined with street-side parking. We saw a group of police officers standing in the shade near the lighthouse and deemed it safe to park nearby, only to be accosted by a man wearing a self-anointed reflective safety vest and asking us to pay him to watch our car. Bethany refused, speaking only English. She then asked the police officers if we had to pay for parking and confirmed what we thought the man was doing. The area was desolate, though it was still early in the morning. A once glorious resort at the very end was now shut down and abandoned, its dry pool still conveying the impressiveness of its elaborate design and features.

We walked along the beach, which was the only thing to do, given that there are no shops or cafes at the end, and then we decided to move our car and drive further down the coast to a more populated area where we would feel safer being out of sight of our vehicle. Indeed, it did get a bit livelier, and we found a couple of small hotels with street-front restaurants, so we set up our beach towels and relaxed in the sand.

Unlike in beach towns further south, the water in the bay is a muddy grey, with sand clearly made of different material than elsewhere. It wasn’t remarkable, yet we still enjoyed frolicking in the waves for an hour before packing up and heading back to San Jose.

As we drove out of town we found a pocket of activity and stopped for some refreshing drinks and a chance to use a restroom (and hopefully rinse ocean muck from our legs). As I reviewed the menu, even here I had to order en español, and thankfully I was getting better at it by then. I enjoyed a pina fresca con aqua, and Bethany opted for a fresh coconut water, while Becky got a lemonade.

For being just half an hour from the casa we were staying at, it was a fun and worthwhile visit, but I would definitely opt for the prettier beach just slightly further south. The beaches at the nearby town of Caldera looked a bit nicer as we drove past. Water is water, and I was happy to admire it from near or far. We hope that Becky had a wonderful stay, and the multiple and varied experiences all added up to a richer picture of Costa Rica!