costa rica travel guides
Puntarenas is the most important fishing port on the Pacific Coast of costa rica and one of the most important tourist destinations as well. Aside from being a beautiful port city, it hosts many festivals during the year. There are festivals to celebrate the Arts, Regional Dishes, Music and Masquerades but come February, the celebrations step up for one of the largest annual fiestas in the region.
Every year Costa Ricans and tourists head for this costal town for a 10, yes 10, day festival called the Puntarenas Carnival. Known as the Queen of the Costa Rican carnivals, hundreds of thousands flock to it, making it one of the largest fiestas in the region. With its perfect dry weather season making it the perfect time for this celebration, many can enjoy the beach events and remove limits to having fun during this carnival. The shoreline will be transformed as they set up new structures to accommodate the celebrations. There will be unlimited food, drinks, performances, stage concerts well into the night and early mornings. It’s a party that never seems to end, for these 10 days at least.
On the first day of the carnival, the choosing and crowning of the Carnival Queen takes place in the center of the Plaza PacÃfico, and is followed by a coronation dance and fireworks to mark the start of the festival.
You will find open air nightclubs with deejay setting the mood right with his mixes. The streets and beaches are crowded with merry makers (sometimes also known as drunks) while the music which seem to effuse from every wall keeps you mesmerized.
The real party though begins with a carnival procession on the first day of the final weekend, starting at the Balneario Municipal and heading through the Paseo de los Turistas. This massive carnival procession is filled with the parading of comparsas (many groups of organized dancers) and vivid mascaradas (think big painted smiley heads) throughout the whole week.
In no time, you will succumb to the fiesta and find yourself wanting more. For sure, you will not notice police helicopters hovering, gently reminding all revelers *they’re not alone.
The last night of the festival is most definitely exhilarating. Whether it’s the marching bands, floats, samba routines or whatever dance routines that suit your taste, Puntarenas will not disappoint. Enjoy and soak in the festal atmosphere and thank your lucky stars you were present to witness another of life’s many celebrations.
Orson Johnson writes for Holiday Velvet, a website providing Costa Rica holiday apartments & Holiday rentals worldwide
Bill Delano’s Travel Channel Reel