Thread: Puntarenas, Costa Rica

What are the best (fun, exciting, interesting) shore excursions you have enjoyed in Puntarenas, Costa Rica ?

Sorry GFL - just saw this thread!

Puntarenas, is a great starting off point for most Costa Rican adventures! AllieMan and I had a very hard time deciding on whether to do a rain forest canoe/kayak thing or go with the volcano. We ended up seeing the Poas Volcano beucase it was just, soooo different from anything else that we could have seen.

It ended up being one of the most memorable excursions! A 40 degree temperature drop and cool misty mountains....ahhhhh. It was a welcome relief from the heat at sea level. The volcano was steaming and the most brilliant color blue from the sulphur. Yes - there were alarms set to warn us if the wind shifted because I understand the fumes can be quite lethal.

But , wow.....I would recommend seeing the volcano and the coffee fields. So beautiful.

OMG, Terilynn to the rescue AGAIN!!!! This is the one port on our upcoming cruise that I was having the most problems with. Most of the people on our cruise want to go ziplining, but I am not convinced that this is how I want to spend time in the country that is doing so much to promote ecotourism. I'm also not convinced that the harnesses will be able to handle my tall Texan husband.

I really like your idea, because it includes both nature and the product that out Coata Rica on the map, coffee. Did you go with the cruiseline, or did you have a private guide?

And thank you GFL for posting the question.

We totally (how SoCal is THAT?) went with the cruise line on this one. It was a long ride but an incredibly educational bus tour up the mountain. Costa Ricans really are an amazing people. They just "get it."

In CR, education is a right, and everybody uses that right - all the way through post graduate work! They have something like a 97% literacy rate. Our tour guide had TWO PhDs! One in ornithology and the other in something like archaeology. He worked as a tour guide for the cruise industry during the dry season and then works with National Geographic Society and Audubon Society as a field guide for research the other half of the year.

The tour for us included a stop after the volcano for lunch at a local restaurant called Jaulares, which specialized in family-style grilled meats. The other stop was in the town of Sarchi which was pleasant enough. I got A LOT of shopping done there!

But nothing will beat the view of that volcano or the gorgeous "cloud forest". There were sooo many butterflies that day..just incredible!

Careful....Costa Rica is the one country I seriously thought about "being stuck in"

When AllieMan gets home tonight, I plan on creating a few "Cruise Galleries" of that trip. (He currently has all the pictures discs to show his fmaily in Idaho.) I'll get them posted ASAP!!!

Muchas gracias TL!!!!

Can't wait to see those pics! I'm sure they'll be a wonderful addition to the CLF Cruise Gallery.

Originally Posted by TerilynnS

Sorry GFL - just saw this thread!

But , wow.....I would recommend seeing the volcano and the coffee fields. So beautiful.

Thanks very much Terilynn, that sounds like a good excursion I'm just three weeks from leaving on what promises to be a great trip from Vancouver to Ft Lauderdale by way of the Panama Canal and I am beginning to get excited.

Terilynn

Thanks for posting this...........we are in this port in October of 06 for our Panama Canal cruise..............we have been to Puerto Limon but weren't impressed........the Pacific side sounds very nice..........I may have further questions as we get closer to our cruise.

Jim

GFL,
We did the 'Skywalk in the forest', a walk in the rain forest led by a professional guide. Only small groups. Spectacular are the long suspension bridges (narrow, only for pedestrians) hanging in the middle of the forest, giving you great views. Enjoy the wonderful nature of Costa Rica. See for photos my website of this year's cruise with Puntarenas as one of the ports of call. See my signature for the address.
Have a wonderful cruise!

That sounds exciting............and your pics are great..........I can tell you spent a lot of time on that..........frubals to you.

Your info is appreciated

Jim