City: Province of Puntarenas
Top Things to do in Province of Puntarenas
Top Restaurants in Province of Puntarenas
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What to do and see in Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica: The Best Nature & Parks
Puntarenas (Spanish pronunciation: [puntaˈɾenas]) is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the western part of the country, covering most of Costa Rica's Pacific Ocean coast, and it is the largest province in Costa Rica. Clockwise from the northwest it borders on the provinces Guanacaste, Alajuela, San José and Limón, and the neighbouring country of Panama.
Restaurants in Province of Puntarenas
1. Rancho La Merced National Wildlife Refuge
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 339 reviews
Reviewed By U9599BWsilkes
wonderful ride along the ocean, horses are well kept and very sweet. it was a great experience even for a novice rider.
2. Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 900 reviews
Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-profit organization where we Rescue, Rehabilitate and Release Costa Rica's exotic wildlife back into the jungle! 100% of your donation goes to care for the animals. You will see a variety of species and hopefully walk away with an understand on the importance of conservation.
Reviewed By buckeyes08 - San Jose, Costa Rica
We enjoyed this tour. We were prepared or thinking this was going to be a long hike/walk however, this is just a short circle around their sanctuary. Our guide was great, shared the great work their team is doing, shared some sad stories and most importantly educated us on what to watch for and what to do should you see an injured animal or sloth. We got really lucky and seen the two sloths being active. Highly recommend.
3. Manuel Antonio Hot Springs
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 20 reviews
Reviewed By Jamesc10519 - Uvita, Costa Rica
We had an amazing time the location was great . Nice family , awesome food, we decided to take the shuttle el I wish I took the guided tour to learn more of this area , if you visit Manuel Antonio this is a place to visit , my family loved it , this company provided a cooler so can bring my own drinks , lunch can arrange if book in advance , if I only knew about this place sooner I am sure I was going to visited more that once , you will love this place
4. Birding Spots Manuel Antonio
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 33 reviews
Birding and Nature Tours, Central Pacific - Manuel Antonio
Reviewed By LundPetersen
We had a terrific early morning birding tour with Oscar Herrera near his village Villa Nueva and in the new birding spot Esquipulas. We saw around 50 different species and Oscar was an excellent guide in spotting and naming the birds. The Esquipulas spot was also terrific (with a lovely breakfast) and an enormous variety of birds very well displayed.
5. Royal Butterflies
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 110 reviews
Enjoy a relaxing experience whilst being surrounded by exotic butterflies with a lush backdrop of tropical plants. Learn about the amazing life cycle of the butterflies and walk along the river path whilst exploring the over 70 types of fruit trees being grown on the property. Cold drinks and souvenirs are available for purchase in the gift shop. Tour is $10 p/person. Free for kids under 6 years old.'
Reviewed By U3962DNjoell - Quebrada Amarilla, Costa Rica
I recently moved to Quebrada Amarilla. I am delighted to live close to the Royal Butterflies attraction. I just visited today for the first of what I expect to be many times and a place where I bring all visitors.. Dan and Donna showed me around. The setting is beyond beautiful. The attraction is on the same property as the most spectacular tree house I have ever seen. I have been recommending the tree house to all my friends. The tree house has beautiful views and is amazing from an architecture prospective even including a hidden room as well as all the amenities you would expect from a hotel room. The Royal Butterflies attraction is also surrounded by many other tall trees and close to a gentle river but well off the road and quietly away from the modest traffic. But back to the butterflies. The exhibit features extremely colorful and beautiful assortments of butterflies in a quiet and beautiful location. The setting was tranquil and I simply wanted to rest and absorb the fluttering creatures. I came out of the exhibit as if I had been in a deep relaxing meditation.
6. Tortuga Island
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 988 reviews
Reviewed By MBMVWA - Seattle, United States
We booked a snorkeling tour to the island. Great snorkeling. Once you finish snorkeling, they took us to the island lunch was ready for us. Great food! There is also a gift shop & beach bar
7. Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,616 reviews
Reviewed By Travels-with-Claire
Without doubt the most popular of the Nature Reserves in the Monteverde area, this park boasts a variety of user friendly trails that can be hiked within 4 or 5 hours at best. Of course you can hike fewer trails for a shorter visit. Unlike the Santa Elena park, I found the trails here to be much easier. They tend to fall into three general categories (photos attached for all three): the popular Sendero Camino trail is wide, almost as though it were designed for an all terrain vehicle, and easy to negotiate with only minor elevation gain, albeit somewhat rocky and muddy in areas. The trails that traverse the interior of the park all tend to be laid out with concrete stones. They are undoubtedly placed for purposes of traction, although I found them to be more annoying than helpful. The third type is very sanitized and well maintained paths. There is some elevation to contend with in the interior trails but for the most part, all of the trails in this park are easily negotiated by people of any age or fitness level. Most of the trails cut through the beautiful cloud forest. Off to the right and accessible via both the Sendero Camino and Sendero Nuboso trails is a cut off about 340 meters away, the La Ventana, leading to a gorgeous view and vista over both sides of the Continental Divide. Reputedly gorgeous that is, if you can actually see it! The Monteverde Cloud Forest is called a Cloud Forest for a reason. When we reached the viewpoint, is was totally and completely enshrouded in cloud and we could see absolutely nothing except for the cloud. We spend another couple of hours hiking the other trails in the park, during which time my optimistic side observed that the weather had cleared and there was even some blue sky emerging. As such, we decided to hike it back to the viewpoint, hoping to finally be able to see the view. No such luck. As we approached the lookout, that corner of the park seemed to be similarly encased in cloud. Strike two. Hard to say what percentage of the time the viewpoint is clear but the views are supposed to be incredible and based on our experience, do consider yourselves lucky if you catch it on a clear day! Other features of the park include a lovely hanging bridge and a path to a waterfall. The waterfall is pretty but not exactly spectacular compared to others we’ve seen elsewhere. We did manage to spot the rare and elusive Resplendant Quetzel, albeit unfortunately quite far off in the distance. No question that the park is crowded but less so than we had expected it to be. Apparently some locals are starting to refer to the park as the ‘Monteverde Crowd Forest.’ Certainly there is some thinning out of people once you start out on the trails. As you approach the park, the official parking lot is actually about three kilometres away from the entrance. The attendant will guide you in and give you a ticket. A shuttle will then ferry you up to the park entrance itself. Be sure to keep the parking ticket as you will pay for it at the ticket booth and the parking attendant will ask for its when you return to your car.
8. Monteverde Butterfly Garden (Jardin de Mariposas)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 845 reviews
The Monteverde Butterfly Gardens has been teaching people about the marvels of insects and arachnids for over 20 years. Our mission has always been to change the way people view these small but fantastically diverse animals. It is not hard either- with 4 different butterfly habitats housing up to 30 species of butterfly, a leaf cutter ant colony and over 20 species of live Costa Rican insects and arachnids in our nature centre we have something that will melt the heart of even the most devout bug crusher! A dedicated and passionate group of staff and volunteers will guide you on a tour through our three acre facility where you will see just some of the amazing insects and arachnids Costa Rica has to offer! The property is lush and full of other Costa Rican favourites such as capuchin monkeys and agoutis! Birders will not be disappointed with wrens galore and common visits from Keel Billed toucan, blue crowned motmot and the occasional appearance of the famed bell bird. We are open 365 days a year, so drop by whenever you can!
Reviewed By Kate2000 - Wales, United Kingdom
Informative tour which is really useful before you go to the cloud forest so you can spot the butterflies.Went back a few times as you pay for the tour and you can re-enter several times. The gift shop is lovely and they donate profits to the local library.
9. Reserva Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 705 reviews
It is a community non profit project, located near Monteverde, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. The Reserve has an extension of 310 hectares, covered by a majestic Cloud Forest, in which you can observe a great variety of plants, Orchids, trees, ferns, heliconias and others. Also hundreds of residents and migratory birds, as the Quetzal and the Bell bird. This Reserve is managed by the Santa Elena Technical High School .
Reviewed By 289normanr
While we have been to the Monteverde area many times, the Santa Elena Reserve is always special. This trip was no exception. It is truly an enchanted place filled with magic at every turn. Under the leadership of Johnny (who’s surname we haven’t ever known despite visits over nearly two decades) the Reserve is a true “gift” from the people of Santa Elena and the high school. The staff are (I think) all graduates of the local school who continue to grow with their beloved cloud forest. This year, we were privileged to be on a guided hike with Guillermo who’s knowledge and interests were on evidence over a wide range of subjects and a full three hours. The pride of each of the staff and for Johnny’s leadership and support is well earned and fully justified. Our thanks for another splendid time.
10. Playa Manuel Antonio
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11,923 reviews
One of Costa Rica's most popular beaches, Playa Manuel Antonio frequently hosts parties and festivals, and it is an ideal destination for avid surfers.
Reviewed By jimt903 - Middletown, United States
Along the trail through the M A national park, observe the flora and fauna, listen t o the call of exotic (for North Americans anyway) birds and at trail's end rejoice in the awesome views of Playa Manuel Antonio. Take your swimsuits. Monkey's galore and sloths high in the trees but the beach on the cove is the gem. Spend the afternoon if you take a light meal or snacks. And take water. There are adequate bath facilities.
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