This article is about a Costa Rica town. For the ship see TSS Golfito

TSS Golfito

TSS Golfito was a passenger-carrying banana boat of the Fyffes Line. She was 8687 tons and long.-History:She was built in 1949 by Alexander Stephen & Sons, Glasgow and scrapped at Faslane in 1972.-Accommodation:...

.

The port town of Golfito (literally 'little bay

Headlands and bays

Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found on the same coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are characterized by high,...

') is located in Puntarenas Province

Puntarenas Province

Puntarenas is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the western part of the country, covering most of Costa Rica's Pacific Ocean coast, and it is the largest province in Costa Rica. Clockwise from the northwest it borders on the provinces Guanacaste, Alajuela, San José and Limón, and the...

 on the southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

, near the border of Panama

Panama

Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...

. 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 area 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

United Fruit Company

It had a deep and long-lasting impact on the economic and political development of several Latin American countries. Critics often accused it of exploitative neocolonialism and described it as the archetypal example of the influence of a multinational corporation on the internal politics of the...

 headquarters, trails go up to the Refugio Nacional de Vida 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

National Parks of Costa Rica

There are currently 26 National Parks of Costa Rica, which are managed under the umbrella of SINAC , a department of Costa Rica's Ministry of Environment and Energy ....

. With some of the highest storied rainforests in Central America (30–45 metres), 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 400–500 centimeters 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. African palm oil

Palm oil

Palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil are edible plant oils derived from the fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis; palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel of the oil palm and coconut oil is derived from the kernel of the...

 plantations replaced all the old banana plantations and, due to its success, more and more land is devoted to grow this palm. A small flow of tourists began to arrive in the mid 1990s, and by mid 2006 sport fishing has become the most important tourist attraction. The Duty Free Shopping Centre (Deposito Libre Comercial de Golfito) (really 'lower tax') has attracted shoppers from other regions of the country, helping the local hospitality business.

Golfito Bay (an English misnomer because it means 'little bay bay') is within the larger Golfo Dulce, and separated from the open Pacific Coast by the famous Osa Peninsula

Osa Peninsula

The Osa Peninsula is a peninsula located in southwestern Costa Rica, in the Puntarenas Province, on the Pacific Ocean, at . The peninsula was formed geologically by a faulting system that extends north into California....

. Frequent ferry boats cross the Golfo Dulce from Golfito to Puerto Jimenez

Puerto Jimenez

Puerto Jiménez is the largest town on the Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica with a population of 1,780. Located on the Golfo Dulce near Corcovado National Park, it is served by the Puerto Jiménez Airport. It is most famous for its gold mining and logging in the 1960s.-External...

, which is the primary access point for the Osa Peninsula and the splendid Corcovado National Park

Corcovado National Park

Corcovado National Park is a National Park on the Osa Peninsula in the South West of Costa Rica , which is part of the Osa Conservation Area. It was established on 24 October 1975, and encompasses an area of 425 km² . It is widely considered the crown jewel in the extensive system of national...

, 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 fluctuation, which averages about 9 feet.

Fishing and boating

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

Playa Zancudo

Playa Zancudo is a village in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica near the Golfo Dulce. It has a population of approximately 450.-Geography:It is located 9.5 kilometers south of Golfito. Zancudo is located on a long and narrow peninsula, sometime only 100 yards wide, at the mouth of the Rio Colorado...

, Pilon and Pavones — offer excellent surfing. Easy and safe water approach make it a relaxing place to stop and check in or out of Costa Rica when sailing.

The approval of permits for construction of a new big marina in Golfito has been a process that lasted over seven years, not without controversy. Environmentalists and local residents opposed this project because of environmental concerns. Among the many issues are, the lack of a scientific study that determines the actual environmental impact due to antifouling paint, coliforms, and oil spillage; and, the lack of space install a water treament plant. The Regulatory Office for Marinas in Costa Rica (CIMAT) ordered the Golfito Municipality, in early 2010, that all permits for this marina project must be withdrawn.

External links

• Golfito - Info and pictures about Golfito.
• Golfito Costa Rica City Guide