Puerto Caldera and Puntarenas are located in a beautiful, green, unspoiled region that contains many tourist attractions. Para-sailers and surfers love to travel here, and climbers enjoy the steep cliffs that give amazing views of the Pacific Coast. The region is home to breathtaking mountain ranges with rivers, waterfalls, and many parks and wildlife preserves.

Cruise ships stop at Puerto Caldera and Puntarenas. One of the best tours is near Puerto Caldera where visitors go to Carara National Park, home to the near-extinct Ara Macaw. Other popular tours based at the Turu Ba-ri adventure center include the Canopy Tour, the Aerial Tram, Horseback Riding, or the “Sensational Cable.” Turu Ba-ri is an ecological tour and adventure theme park covering 583 acres, including 247 acres of tropical gardens.

The Canopy Tour takes you through the Turu Ba-Ri canopy, a 4,910 foot-long adventure over cables, platforms, and towers. For more adventurous travelers, the Pure Adrenaline Canopy is a 7,490 foot-long adventure that adds a 65-foot rappel to the mix. Both tours include walks along hanging bridges and mountain trails. The Turu Ba-Ri Aerial Tram, with eight gondolas, affords visitors breathtaking panoramic views of the Rio Grande de Tarcoles watershed with its huge population of crocodiles and lush vegetation. The Tropical Garden Horseback ride covers over eight thousand feet where an expert explains the scenery as you ride.

Twenty-five miles from the pier is the Tarcoles River. Travelers can take the Jungle River Tour, riding in flat-bottom river boats while a tour guide explains everything on the river, including the crocodiles, boat-billed heron, frigate birds, brown pelicans, and a wide range of rare tropical wildlife.

Poas Volcano is two hours from Puerto Caldera. The volcano’s caldera is a mile wide and has active fumaroles. The last eruption was in 1967, and Poas has erupted three times over its history.

Sports fishers will find Puerto Caldera a virtual paradise. Its catch-and-release tour gives the thrill of catching marlin, sailfish, tuna, snappers, roosterfish, and snook. The fully-quipped 44-foot yacht follows the fish in the waters of Nicoya Gulf.

Travelers interested in visiting Puntarenas and Puerto Caldera by sea can find a list of cruises on the Cruise Compete website.

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