Puntarenas vs. San Jose

This last weekend I had the opportunity to spend time in the small fishing hub Puntarenas on the Pacific Ocean. Many people refer to this town as the ¨butt of Costa Rica¨ or simply know it as the place you have to stop for the ferry, but I did not care, I was there to give it a fair shot.

The town is nestled on a point that is completely surrounded by water, so it is not very wide. In fact I think my friend told me it was 3 blocks wide and around 20 blocks long. Compared to where I live it is not very big and it because of its size it gives off the quaint town feeling where everyone knows everyone. The small town vibe is very welcoming and there are few people there who are anti-gringo especially because every season around 70 US students roll into town. The citizens are very friendly, always waving and saying hello.

I was told by the local lawyer and well-known city man, that if San Jose is 15 years behind the US, then Puntarenas is 25. He mentioned that this included most things but the one that stuck out in my mind was chivalry. He said that Ticos there will treat ladies at the bar to drinks not because he wants to be sleazy but because it is tradition that women don’t have to or so I was told. It still is smart to keep up your guard but I saw this happen when my friends host family’s nephew refused to let us buy our own drinks.

Another difference is the prices. Everything was very inexpensive compared to San Jose. For example, I ate a calzone for dinner and it was only 1700 colones. Then at the bars, there was no drink that was more than 400 colones. In San Jose, drinks are never less than 1000 colones and a good cheap dinner is still around 3000 colones.

Of course every town has its charm and its dirt and both of these cities have each. They just contain different aspects that appeal to some and repel others.

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