We went to re-discover "El Puerto", as we call it with love... a city rich in culture, history, nature, and food that is crazy good.

How to get there? Take route 27 towards Caldera and then exit on Puntarenas for another 15 minutes until you arrive.

Waze: Seafood Port: https://waze.com/ul/hd1g8v8u5p Kayak tour departure: https://waze.com/ul/hd1g8v0q5t Minisuper la Playa: https://waze.com/ul/hd1g8trce4 Exit City tour: https://waze.com/ul/hd1g8v853h

Distance:2km one way (Kayak) Difficulty:

• Kayak: Moderate
• City tour: Easy Accessibility: yes

What to bring? Fresh clothes, tennis shoes, flip flops, towel, sunglasses, insect repellent, sunblock, change of clothes, something to drink and snacks.

Vehicle: Automobile Parking:Yes Pets:Yes Camping:No

Contact: Kavela Tours Tel. 8992-3034 [email protected] www.kavelastours.weebly.com Súper La Playa Tel. 2661-0100 Facebook: Mini Super y Licorera La Playa Marisquería el Puerto Tel. 8817-5711 Facebook: Marisquería El Puerto City Tour: 2661-2980 [email protected] www.catupcr.com

Cost: The cost of the Kayak tour varies according to the season.

We got on Route 27 and went straight to Puerto (Puntarenas), the first thing we did was buy snacks and drinks at La Playa minimarket to kill our hunger and prepare for full paddling mode, so once we were ready we went to the pier by the lighthouse to do the first activity of the day which was a kayak tour.

The kayak ride was with Kavela Tours, it was very funny, we didn’t know what to expect or where we were going but as usual we had a good attitude about it and were up for anything, it was a bit hard because it was against the current and it was 2 km which seems far, so after about an hour of paddling we arrived La Islita town... a typical fishing village, we came across humble huts built on stilts and little school for less than 20 children who live here. The people, despite having few resources, are well educated and engage in artisanal fishing.

The school teacher and our guide gave us a tour of the island on foot, and at all times we were accompanied by children who did keep on playing and accompanies us during this visit. It was impressive to see the agility of these little ones for climbing trees, walking on "4 legs", somersaults, etc. You can tell they enjoy outdoor games. The visit is very interesting since it is a humble town with many needs but with a very beautiful vibe.

Then we got back in the kayaks to continue the tour through the mangrove channels of the port. It is incredible that so close to Puntarenas there are such exotic places, we never expected so much nature so nearby.

When we came back, we got back on the boat because it was late and hunger had struck, so we went to eat at one of the recommendations they have given us, next to the market Central of Puntarenas, called Mariscos El Puerto CC. They greeted us with a marvelous fish, incredibly yummy and meanwhile they prepared a ceviche which was really filling. The best ceviche of all time! accompanied by patacones from the an-other world! GO THERE!

Once full and satisfied, we continued with the City Tour: Tales from Puntarenas, we were surprised by the amount of history and culture of the city ... we learned from buildings like the church (which is made of stone!) and sculptures that are along the tourists' avenue, the parks around the city and a lot of things that we didn’t know, nor did we know existed, we saw a side of the port that we had never noticed before.

To end this trip, we obviously had to try a delicious classic Churchill icy from Puntarenas...

The thing is that "El Puerto" is full of secrets that are really worth discovering, you also get there in 2 secs, you eat well and can do all kinds of activities: Adventure, cultural and gastronomic ones.

Date of the trip: December 2018