Golfito

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A view of Golfito bay from the hill behind Golfito town, with Playa Cacao to the right and the Golfo Dulce in the background (beyond the peninsula)

Another view of Golfito bay from the road between the southern and middle sections of town, with the same peninsula as in the above photograph in the center

The port town of Golfito (literally meaning 'little bay') is located in Puntarenas Province on the southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, near the border of Panama. The town lies on a narrow strip of land between the eponymous bay and a hill and consist of two parts, the town proper and shopping area to the south, and a residential areas near the port. Still further north are the duty free zone and an airstrip. From the northern section, which was the old United Fruit Company headquarters, trails go up to the Refugio Nacional de Fauna Silvestre Golfito (Golfito Wildlife Refuge) on the hill, which extends across to the other side of the bay and is part of the National Parks of Costa Rica. With some of the highest storied rainforests in Central America (100 - 140 feet), most of the coastal lowlands surrounding the town are characterized by tall evergreen forest. One of the wettest places in the world, the region receives an annual average of 150 - 200 inches of rainfall.

In the mid 20th century, Golfito was a major banana growing region (also resulting in it being the major port of southern Costa Rica), but a combination of worker unrest, declining foreign markets, rising export taxes and banana disease led to the closing of the United Fruit Company in 1985. There have been not too successful attempts to replace them with African palm oil plantations. A better boost to the economy was the rise of tourism in the 1980s, focusing on the town itself, resorts across the bay at Playa Cacao and the duty free (really 'lower tax') area, where one has to wait until the next day to collect purchased goods, forcing one to stay the night in town.

The southern section of town was the loction for the movie Chico Mendes.

Golfito Bay (an English misnomer because it literally means 'little bay bay') is within the larger Golfo Dulce, and separated from the open Pacific Coast by the famous Osa Peninsula. Frequent ferry boats cross the Golfo Dulce from Golfito to Puerto Jimenez, which is the primary access point for the Osa Peninsula and the splendid Corcovado National Park, one of the few remaining sizeable areas of lowland tropical rainforest in the world.

The beaches in the region are some of the most beautiful in the country. Calm water provides for many peaceful tourist activities, even during the tide fluctutation, which averages about 9 feet.

The town offers marinas, yachting and boating services, sportfishing, and a destination for cruise ships. Much of the tourism in the Golfito area focuses on the sportfishing industry. Many of the lodges and hotels have their own sportfishing fleets and experienced boat captains. Yachting, boating, water sports and beach activities are also popular pastimes. The beaches south of Golfito — Zancudo, Pilon and Pavones — offer excellent surfing.

The approval of permits for construction of the new 217-slip marina in Golfito, Bahia Escondida, has been a process that lasted over two years. The construction of the Marina is now underway.