A day in Puntarenas - an online photo trip report

I have completed my photo "trip report" of our Puntarenas stop during our Sept 24th Panama Canal Celebrity Infinity cruise.

http://picasaweb.google.com/ebslcc

To see a full screen slide show with caption click on slideshow. To see individual pictures click on a picture in the album index page. Some of the captions have live links to other web sites for extra information.

I hope the photos and caption information will be useful for others CCer's to prepare for their trips.

I will be posting more pictures from our cruise on the web site soon. Currently I only have Puntarenas and Huatulco finished. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Laurence

Laurence,

Thanks for sharing your pictures. I am also doing a similar trip leaving out on Oct 29 and I also selected Charlie for Puntarenas. I am still undecided if I will zipline where you went or if I go to turuburi to zipline as they have more activities.

Laurence,

Thanks for sharing your pictures. I am also doing a similar trip leaving out on Oct 29 and I also selected Charlie for Puntarenas. I am still undecided if I will zipline where you went or if I go to turuburi to zipline as they have more activities.

I saw on an old CC post that Turubari is a pretty nice place. I can't find the post using search for some reason. If you don't know already here is link to their web site. http://www.turubari.com/.

From their web site you are right that there appears to be more see and do in turubari. From the few pictures on their web site, my guess is you may walk through more paved trails vs. in Villa Lapas you will be walking in unpaved, i.e. potentially muddy trails in the rain forest. At Villa Lapas there were 7 zipline platforms to go through after a short rain forest walk, I am not sure how many platforms you will go through in turubari.

Either one I am sure you will have a great time! I hope we will be back again soon and experience more of Costa Rica. When you are back please share your experiences.

With more to do at turubari you will likely spend more than 2 hours there. If you go to turubari vs. Villa Lapas, will your day with Charlie still include lunch at the beach restauarant? We really liked the resturant stop and the Costa Rica seafood. It was a nice departure from the cruise food that we have been getting.

Very nice photos.

Is the supermarket close to the pier?

If you don't want to zip line can you recommend other things to do there?

Very nice photos.

Is the supermarket close to the pier?

 

If you don't want to zip line can you recommend other things to do there?

Charlie was driving however it was no more than a few minutes by car through heavy port traffic. I think it's walkable distance. You may want to ask at the communication center across the street from the port where the Pali market is (see the photo for full name). Good luck and please report back! If you like coffee buy plenty - it's great especially for the price.

re: zipline vs. other activities. People on our tour went to the Crocodile Man tour. They had a good time. Besides crocdiles and 'crocodile man' the boat goes to an area where there's lots of wildlife up close. I also wouldn't mind spending a couple of hours doing nature walking with a guide at Villa Lapas. If you get a good guide, you will learn a lot about the rain forest. We were lucky to have a pair of great guides for the zipline.

Charlie was driving however it was no more than a few minutes by car through heavy port traffic. I think it's walkable distance. You may want to ask at the communication center across the street from the port where the Pali market is (see the photo for full name). Good luck and please report back! If you like coffee buy plenty - it's great especially for the price.

 

Thank you for the info.

Is the coffee, whole beans or ground?

We leave in January so will leave room in the suitcase for coffee:D!!

Thank you for the info.

Is the coffee, whole beans or ground?

 

We leave in January so will leave room in the suitcase for coffee:D!!

Unfortuately only ground coffee at the Pali. We bought 8 packs and now wished we had purchased more. If you want whole beans they had them at the flee market next to the pier for ~$5/pack. You may want to consider bringing an empty suitcase:)!!

Unfortuately only ground coffee at the Pali. We bought 8 packs and now wished we had purchased more. If you want whole beans they had them at the flee market next to the pier for ~$5/pack. You may want to consider bringing an empty suitcase:)!!

I always carry a small folding backpack !:D

Ground is ok with us.

What is the name on your coffee?

I always carry a small folding backpack !:D

Ground is ok with us.

What is the name on your coffee?

1820 and ORO. Both are good. Pictures of the coffee is the last picture in the album.

1820 and ORO. Both are good. Pictures of the coffee is the last picture in the album.

Thanks again

I have added more pictures from our Panama Canal cruise, cleaned up some captions. See my signature for links. Our day with Charlie Soto in Costa Rica is still one of the best day we ever had on a cruise excursion.

Very nice photographic travel report. Wish I'd be one one os thothat cruise right now!