The Marine History Museum of the City of Puntarenas
This Museum highlights the natural beauty of the port, the richness of its history and the charm of its inhabitants. The way of life, which has evolved in this pretty city of thousands of years, it’s illustrated in the various sections on archeology, history and natural history of this museum.
The archaeological information its presents, enables to learn about the first settlements of Indian groups in the region, how they obtained their food by taking advantage of the various resources of the region, their burial customs and the exchange and trade relations they established. It's presents history turning around the Gulf of Nicoya as a main center of social and economic relations.
Tortuga Island
Take a cruise to this little island in the Nicoya Gulf. Try the best tropical fruits and enjoy live music on the boas. Seagulls will accompany you on this trip. The guide's service is excellent and you'll find out to be pampered all the way back from your trip. On the island you will be able to play beach volleyball, swim in the clear water of the Pacific in the beautiful white sand beaches surrounding the island, take a canoe trip, sing along with the locals or just sunbathe in the white sand beach.
Marine Park
Costa Rica's Marine Park is the largest park of its kind south of Mexico City. There are 28 aquariums containing some 50 different species from the pacific and legendary, mysterious Coco's Island - a good chance to see neon-colored prehistoric-looking sea creatures that inhabit Costa Rica's world patrimony. Additionally, there are interactive displays in English and Spanish, an Internet area, a sea-themed playground, and research area specializing in mollusks, fish, and crustaceans.
One aim of the park is to create local jobs and to keep tourists in Puntarenas, which has seen a dramatic drop in tourism in the last 25 years. In the 1970s, y man wealthy Costa Ricans built large beach houses along the point. The park cost 4.9 million dollars for the first phase, and with two other phases in the works the total cost could top $10 million, which may be the most ambitious project in ecotourism in the country's history.
Curú Wild life Refuge
A former ranch north of Tambor, despite its 84 hectares small sine, protects a wealth of wild life. A rocky coastline marks the border of a rich marine environment and spots of tropical dry forest are home for armadillos, parrots, capuchin monkeys, white-tailed deer, raccoons, opossums and coyotes.
Aquatic life includes nocturnal hermit crabs, which are very numerous on the beach and on land, lobsters, chitons, mouthless crabs and an almost extinct species of oyster (Ocypode occidentales). Its a quiet place good for snorkeling and bird watching. Camping is permitted at Curú.
Guayabo, negritos & pájaros island biological reserve
In the Gulf of Nicoya are located these four islands (Negritos are two). They were set aside as biological reserves to preserve the large population of sea birds and for the local flora and fauna.
Guayabo is a 50-meter high island, mostly composed of sedimentary rock between 60 and 80 million years old. Its vegetation is mostly small plants, shrubs and thorn bushes. The wildlife is almost exclusively made up of birds, except for some small insects and crustaceans. Some of the birds the island is home for are the brown pelican, frigate birds, laughing gulls and boobies.
Pájaros Island is composed the same as Guayabo Island and it is dome-shaped. The vegetation consists of a low-growing forest and patches of second-growth grass. The predominant species are guava, crown fig and stinking toe. Resident animals include rock oysters, crustaceans like barnacles, and birds outcasted from other groups. In Negritos the kind of wildlife that inhabits it are raccoons, parrots, doves, Kermit crabs, brown pelicans and oysters. There are some populations of dolphin tuna and mackerel around the island as well. A medical creeper is found in abundance here, called Monkey's ladder. Some of the forests predominant species are frangipani, spiny cedar and gumbo-limbo.
Tambor
Tambor has a few small hotels as well as some of the country's best accommodations. Here the visitors have the option of taking excursions to nearby Tortuga Island or Curú Wildlife Refuge; or they may as well stay and enjoy the beach and surrounding forest. Mal País is a less developed beach around the point from Montezuma; it faces the open ocean and tends to have a rougher sea. The southern part of the Nicoya Peninsula has two small but beautiful protected areas: Curú and Cabo Blanco; this in addition to the many beaches and nearby islands. Between these refuges the visitors can enjoy a wide range of habitats, from mangrove to rain forest to lagoons and it isn't difficult to spot many mammals and reptiles.
Montezuma beach
You can get there by plane from a local airline or driving to Puntarenas and taking the ferry (1 1/2 hour trip) to Paquera, taking the main road that takes you to this beautiful beach. A paradise of several cultures that blend in complete harmony in the southern Nicoya peninsula. A small town that gives you the natural beauty of nature and incredible beach nestled with the exuberating magic that surrounds the place. Small stores and restaurants to serve all your needs, and all kind of small and luxurious hotels where you can rest. A small jewel that you will appreciate!
Jacó beach
Just 117 km from San José, Jacó has become one of the most popular beach destinations in the country, that because is one of the nearest to the capital and it counts with a tourist infrastructure for enjoyment. Situated on a natural environment of extraordinary beauty is a place you must visit if surf is your thing; big waves and rough tides made Jacó a place for water sports. On the same taken; a place to be very careful. It has numerous restaurants and very good food , a lot of shopping places; an incredible array of souvenirs, been here a place where you can find good quality and big variety of gifts to take back home.
But if you like action; your day can stars with water sports, go shopping, rafting, horseback riding, canopy, enjoy a beautiful sunset, great dinning and staying up to late hours in a discotheque of your choice or visiting a local bar or trying your luck at the casino. From Jacó you can organize tours to nearby National Parks, authentic biodiversity labs or take a look to a big crocodile population at Guacalillo, areas of protection and interest. As you can see, Jacó brings the visitors a world of surf, beach and adventure. Aboye all, a lot of fun! Jacó is a busy place, come to visit, you won't be disappointed
Hermosa Beach
About 2 miles south of Jacó is an idyllic surf community. This is just a layback place where you can enjoy long days at the beach waiting for the perfect wave or watch the waves roll onto the long black sand beach. Between July and December, this is a good chance to see thousands of turtles emerge from the water and lay their eggs.
Tours on horseback are available to a waterfall and you will find snorkeling and of course surf lessons. Surfers flock there, boards in hand, since Hermosa regularly enjoys big waves, said to be among the best in the country. These waves also create rip tides, which is why swimmers shouldn't enter the water deeper than their waist when the sea is rough.
Geographical Division 
