Explore Puntarenas

Puntarenas is Costa Rica’s largest province, stretching the full length of the Pacific coast from the Gulf of Nicoya in the north to the border with Panama in the south. It’s also the province with the greatest range of off-grid and eco-community experiences in the country — from surf-and-wellness retreats on the Nicoya Peninsula to solar-powered rainforest treehouse communities deep in the Southern Zone.

The province divides naturally into distinct zones, each with its own character. The Nicoya Peninsula, accessible by ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya or by the coastal road through Cobano, is home to Santa Teresa and Mal País — surf towns that have evolved into hubs for yoga, wellness, and intentional community living. The hills above Santa Teresa are where The ARK is found: a holistic retreat and intentional community rooted in sustainability, permaculture, and conscious living, welcoming guests into a rhythm of daily life shaped by the land.

Further south, the Southern Zone is where Puntarenas gets truly wild. This is home to the Osa Peninsula, Corcovado National Park — widely considered the most biologically intense place on Earth — and the Golfo Dulce, one of only a handful of tropical fjords in the world. It’s here that Finca Bellavista was established in 2006: the world’s first planned off-grid treehouse community. Built into nearly 600 acres of primary and secondary rainforest in the Piedras Blancas area, connected by suspension bridges, and powered entirely by solar energy, Finca Bellavista remains one of the most immersive off-grid experiences available anywhere in the tropics.

In between, the province offers extraordinary variety: the cloud forests of Monteverde (one of the most biodiverse reserves on the planet) in the north, Manuel Antonio’s wildlife-rich beaches on the central coast, whale watching in Marino Ballena National Marine Park, and the old fishing port of Puntarenas City on the Gulf — the provincial capital and main ferry hub. Coastal areas stay warm and tropical year-round, typically 24–32°C, while the mountain zones around Monteverde run cooler and mistier.

For OGD guests, Puntarenas is where some of the most remote and genuinely off-grid stays in Costa Rica are found. The tradeoff for that remoteness is the reward: primary rainforest, wildlife at close range, total quiet, and a connection to place that’s impossible to replicate anywhere near a city.

Getting there depends on where you’re headed. Santa Teresa is around 3–4 hours from San José — partly via ferry from Puntarenas City or by road through Cobano. Finca Bellavista in the Southern Zone is accessed by 4WD from the Interamericana Highway, approximately 30km northeast of Golfito. Sansa operates daily regional flights to Quepos/Manuel Antonio, Golfito, and Puerto Jiménez for guests travelling to the Southern Zone.