Puntarenas Beaches and Water Sports

(Puntarenas, Costa Rica)

Although pollution from the city's industries was a problem for many years, the sea off Puntarenas is now safe for swimmers, although some of the outlying Pacific beaches may still be in need of a little clean-up.

The Playa Dona Anna is a particularly fine beach, being located just a few kilometres from Puntarenas and easy to reach. As well as good water and gently sloping sands, the Playa Dona Anna has plenty of picnic tables, convenient changing rooms and two small eateries serving up refreshments with beachfront views.

General Information

Many water sports enthusiasts use the city as a base for travelling to surrounding surfing beaches. The Tivives and Barranca river mouths and nearby beaches are all favourites, as they have good breaks.

Surfers are advised to take care though, as crocodiles inhabit the areas close to the estuaries and there may be a risk from pollution. Jaco is also within reach of Puntarenas and is another great spot for surfers, with its waves generally appealing to the newbie surfer.

Notable beaches around the Puntarenas area include the following, all of which lend themselves to day trips:

• Playa Herradura - famously used as the location for the epic 1992 movie '1492: Conquest of Paradise', featuring a number of condos, luxury beach hotels and a marina
• Playa Hermosa - a famous Costa Rican surfing beach with consistently strong waves, the Hermosa is the host of a yearly surf competition, which attracts crowds of keen international surfers
• Playa Esterillos - located to the south of Jaco and often very quiet, with exposed stretches being suitable for surfing. Puntarenas day trippers who prefer more seclusion should head to the beachfront around the Pelican Hotel