Golfito & Golfo Dulce

Golfito is located on the Golfo Dulce, or the Sweet Gulf, a remote inlet just opposite of Costa Rica’s stunning Osa Peninsula. This former banana town is a hot destination for its close proximity to unique cities like Puerto Jimenez and Pavones, as well as to three national parks all teeming with flora and fauna.

Protected Resources
Golfito Wildlife Refuge is known for its verdant plant life, varied bird species and inspiring hiking trails. Along the way you can hope to spot agoutis, bats, anteaters and four species of monkeys. The adjacent Piedras Blancas National park is even more impressive, providing a habitat for rare cats like jaguars and margays. On the coast, Piedras Blancas’ coral reef also hosts a slew of marine life.

Across the gulf you’ll find Costa Rica’s most biologically intense region: Corcovado National Park. This area exudes nothing but color and life – toucans, monkeys and other critters can be found everywhere you look. A bit closer to Puerto Jimenez lies the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, with similar terrain and three surfing beaches.

Living in Eco-luxury
The Golfo Dulce is home to several eco-friendly resorts that focus on sustainability and environmentally responsible practices. Here, most hotels do their part for mother nature by utilizing things like compost piles, solar panels and generators powered by recycled vegetable oil. Because of these hotels’ inherent tranquility and light impact on the environment, animals tend to stick around rather than retreat deep into the woods. It is not uncommon to open your cabin door to find squawking scarlet macaws, curious spider monkeys or grazing white-tailed deer.

Shop Till You Drop
Despite the immense biodiversity surrounding Golfito, the town is best known today for its tax-free shopping mall. Twenty five years ago Costa Rica was a banana republic, and Golfito was headquarters for the United Fruit Company – making it one of the most financially important cities in the country. When the banana boom ended in 1985, the United Fruit Company pulled out overnight, leaving Golfito in ruins. In an effort to revitalize the local economy, the Costa Rican government implemented an enormous duty-free shopping mall with imported goods at bargain prices.

Surf’s Up!
Golfito is just an hour and a half drive away from Pavones, home to the longest left hand break in the world. This is the epitome of a laid back surf town – only the most dedicated surfers come to enjoy Pavones’ isolation and incredibly consistent waves.