The city of Puntarenas is the capital of Costa Rica’s largest province with the same name and is like a six kilometer long tongue that stretches out into the gulf of Nicoya. The province of Puntarenas is small strip of territory that follows the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica from the tip of the Nicoya peninsula all the way south to the Panamanian border. The city of Puntarenas is located more or less in the middle of the North-South ax. Puntarenas was the only access to the Central Valley for centuries. Discovered in 1519 by Hernan Ponce de Leon, who took advantage of the easy entry the Bay of Nicoya, the city of Puntarenas did not start to develop until the 1800’s. Puntarenas became a port in 1814 and was used to export coffee beans to Chili, from where they would hit the global market. An important role in the history of Puntarenas and Costa Rica was played by an English sailor. William Le Lacheur from the English channel isle of Guernsey came to Puntarenas in 1843 looking for business. The coffee production in the Central Valley flourished and the coffee farmers were looking for ways to sell the surplus that was a result of a very good harvest. The only way to travel to the central valley was by ox cart, following a trail through the mountains. It took him two years to sail to England and come back to Costa Rica. Since the Panama Channel did not exist the only way to reach Europe was around Cape Horn. William La Lacheur built up a regular and direct trade route between Costa Rica and England and contributed by doing so to the economic development of the country. When Costa Rica took up arms to fight the troops of William Walker, he provided the ships to transport the volunteers. After the completion of the railway in 1910 the city of Puntarenas really boomed. From then on the city people of the Central Valley could travel to the coast easily and enjoy the beaches. Puntarenas developed to a mundane city with a boulevard, hotels and restaurants. With the growing popularity of other tourist destinations on the Pacific Coast, Puntarenas deteriorated. The shallow entrance of the port did not allow modern ships to dock, so a new port was constructed in Caldera, 20 kilometers south of Puntarenas. The port of Caldera receives the cruise ships on their way to and from the Panama Channel. Puntarenas still hosts a fishing fleet though that brings ashore fresh seafood that is served in many excellent restaurants. Ferries connect Puntarenas with the beaches of Montezuma, Playa Naranjo and Paquera on the Nicoya peninsula. Boats can take you to Isla Tortuga where you can enjoy pristine beaches, crystal clear water and the shadow of lush vegetation. With 90,000 inhabitants Puntarenas is a lively town and the boulevard is the perfect spot to observe its people, shore line and culture. During the entire year the city of Puntarenas is the stage of many activities and festivals, culminating in its famous Carnival in February.