Puntarenas, Costa Rica cruise port guide
The Pearl of the Pacific Ocean On a fine sandy peninsula, 8 km long and an average width of 400 meters, Puntarenas, the "Pearl of the Pacific" can be found. During your MSC World Cruise, you will have the opportunity to visit this city, formerly the largest port in the country and now a busy place full of life, characterized by beautiful beaches and lush nature. One of the best excursions during your holiday in this land will be the Rainforest Skywalk, a combination of suspension bridges and trails through the rain forest to get you acquainted with one of the most complex ecosystems in the world made up of numerous native plant and animal species that can be observed directly in their natural habitat. Puntarenas is also famous for another treasure: its coffee, known as "Grano de Oro". It is not only among the best and most appreciated across the planet, but it has played a key role in the development of Costa Rica, affecting social institutions, culture and politics in the country. Thanks to your MSC Cruise, you will have the chance to taste exceptional coffee in its land of origin, where its roots can be found in the late 1700s in this fertile land with a cool climate, and which even today is one of the main agricultural exports of the country . Our cruise ship will also lead you on the discovery of San José, the capital city which is 115 km from Puntarenas. It is a must-see for its natural beauty, museums, historical sites and its characteristic streets markets. On its streets, you will find a cosmopolitan culture but one that is at the same time very close to roots. Surrounded by mountains and full of rivers and streams, San José is the icing on the cake of your vacation with MSC Cruises.
About Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Puntarenas and nearby Puerto Caldera together serve as Costa Rica's primary Pacific cruise ports, located in the Gulf of Nicoya approximately 85 km west of San José. The port is the main Pacific gateway for cruise passengers seeking Costa Rica's famous biodiversity, rainforests, and adventure activities.
The most distinctive shore excursion from Puntarenas is a boat tour to Isla San Lucas, a former prison island (housing Costa Rica's most dangerous criminals from 1873 to 1991) now designated as a national park since 2020, with colonial-era buildings, wildlife, and beaches. San José bus tours give passengers access to the capital's Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, National Theater, and Central Market. Manuel Antonio National Park, roughly 2.5 hours south, combines white-sand beaches with primary rainforest teeming with sloths, capuchin and squirrel monkeys, and scarlet macaws. Carara National Park, closer to port, is famous for its macaw roosts.
Cruises visiting Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Prices per person · incl. taxes & fees.
Sailing soonest
Vancouver to New York City
Crystal Symphony · North America · 39 nights
from $17,213
$441 / night
San Diego to Guayaquil
Crystal Symphony · North America · 12 nights
from $4,701
$391 / night
Panama Canal - Ocean to Ocean
Island Princess · Caribbean · 16 nights
from $2,092
$130 / night
26 nights Alaska from Seattle
MSC Poesia · Alaska · 26 nights
from $1,627
$62 / night
Panama Canal & Pacific Coast
Coral Princess · Caribbean · 22 nights
from $2,652
$120 / night
Panama Canal from Seattle, WA
Carnival Miracle · Panama Canal · 16 nights
from $815
$50 / night
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