Only two or three hours away from the Central Valley’s most important cities, the Pacific Ocean attracts tourists from across the globe to its amazing gray, black and whit sand beaches.
Punta Leona Beach
The comfortable geographic proximity of this region to the International Airport and main cities is one of the key elements to its popularity. The beach towns of Jacó, Esterillos, Punta Leona, and Herradura offer the best food, shopping and nightlife.
In recent years, Jacó area has turn from a small beach-side town to a larger city with luxurious condominiums, five star hotels, spas, specialized restaurants, shopping centers and an exciting night scene.
The same has happened in nearby Herradura where luxury and extravagance are part of everyday life on the beach. However, there are several activities for the entire family to enjoy such as canopy tours, boat rides, mountain hikes, biking trails, etc.
Instant biodiversity
This region has some of the most attractive tropical flora and fauna within it’s national parks. Carara National Park is known for its giant reptiles and Scarlett Macaws. Crocodile tours, a safe but really fun way of witnessing the power and force of these prehistoric reptiles, are also offered.
Manuel Antonio National Park
On the other hand, Manuel Antonio National Park is well known and highly visited because of it’s gorgeous beaches-of with restricted access to help protect local mammals (monkeys, raccoons, deer)- and reptiles that run around free through the park´spark’s paths. The area around the park offers an extensive list of dinning, lodging and entertainment.
The best surf
Expert surfers from across the world chose the waves of the Central Pacific region because of their water volume, speed, and constant rhythm. As a matter of fact, some local surfers now compete in prestigious international circuits professionally.
The waves in Jacó, Tivives, Hermosa, and Esterillos are perfect for those interested in learning how to surf. It is fairly easy to find all girl surfing schools or lessons just for kids.
Sailing, speed boating, kayaking, waterskiing and scuba diving are popular water activities that can easily be arranged in the area. Caldera, Puntarenas, the most important commercial port on the Costa Rica´s Pacific coast, serves as a preferred stop for cruise ships from all over America and Europe. This fact proves that Costa Rica is a must-have stop on any route going or coming from the Panama Canal.
