Puntarenas is the biggest city in the region. It is located on a narrow piece of land that looks toward the Gulf of Nicoya. This was the most important port in Costa Rica during most of the XIX century. The flat dark sand beaches of Puntarenas extend up to 17 km and present suitable conditions for such sports as artisan fishing, windsurfing and boogie boarding. It is also the best place in Costa Rica for international triathlons.
Caldera is located on the low part of the coast.
It is a visiting point for several international cruise lines and port for ships that import and export products to Central America and the world. Yellow fin tuna, grains and other products are sent to foreigners, while the passengers of the best cruise lines reach the mainland. Many of the people from Puntarenas earn a living fishing tuna, wahoo, shrimp, and of course, lobster. It is not strange that most of the restaurants in the area offer shellfish as their main dish when you decide to eat lunch after a morning visit to some place of interest. There are also a great variety of hotels, banks and supermarkets.