Golfito facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Golfito
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District
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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)
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 Golfito
Location in Costa Rica
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| Country |  Costa Rica |
| Province | Puntarenas |
| Canton | Golfito |
| Area | |
| • Total | 357.32 km2 (137.96 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Population
(2011)
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| • Total | 11,284 |
| • Density | 31.5795/km2 (81.791/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 |
| Postal code |
60701
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Golfito is a cool port town and district in Costa Rica. It's located in the Puntarenas province, right on the southern Pacific Coast. It's also pretty close to the border with Panama.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name Golfito means 'little gulf' in Spanish. It's a perfect name because the town sits right on a small bay!
Discover Golfito's Geography
Golfito covers an area of about 357 square kilometers (138 square miles). It's very close to sea level, only about 5 meters (16 feet) high.
Exploring the Natural Surroundings
If you head north from the town, you'll find trails leading up a hill to the Golfito Mixed Wildlife Refuge. This refuge is a protected area, part of Costa Rica's National System of Conservation Areas. The land around Golfito is covered in tall, evergreen rain forests. These forests have trees that can grow up to 45 meters (148 feet) high! It rains a lot here, with about 400 to 500 centimeters (157 to 197 inches) of rain each year.
Golfito Bay and Golfo Dulce
Golfito Bay is part of a bigger body of water called the Golfo Dulce. The Osa Peninsula separates this gulf from the open Pacific Ocean. You can take a ferry boat across the Golfo Dulce from Golfito to Puerto Jimenez. Puerto Jimenez is a gateway to the amazing Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park.
Town Layout
The town of Golfito is built on a narrow strip of land. On one side is the bay, and on the other is a hill. The town has two main parts: the main town and shopping area to the south, and a living area closer to the port.
Who Lives in Golfito?
According to the 2011 census, about 11,284 people live in Golfito.
Getting Around Golfito
Roads for Travel
You can reach Golfito by road using these routes:
National Route 14
National Route 238
Flying In
Golfito also has its own small airport, the Golfito Airport airstrip.
Golfito's Economy
From Bananas to Palm Oil
In the middle of the 1900s, Golfito was a huge area for growing bananas. This made it a very important port in southern Costa Rica. However, things changed, and the United Fruit Company closed down its banana operations in 1985. Now, Palm oil plantations have taken over where the banana farms used to be. These palm oil farms are doing well, so more and more land is used for growing palm trees.
A Boost from Tourism
In the mid-1990s, tourists started to discover Golfito. By 2006, sport fishing became the biggest reason people visited.
Duty-Free Shopping
Golfito has a special duty free shopping center called the Depósito Libre Comercial de Golfito. It has many stores and attracts shoppers from all over Costa Rica. There are some rules, though: you can only spend up to $1000 per year, and you need to stay in the area for at least one night. This helps support the local hotels and businesses. This shopping center was created in 1986 after the banana industry left the area.
Fun for Tourists
The beaches around Golfito are great for tourist activities, even with the changing tides.
Fishing and Boating Adventures
Golfito has small marinas where you can find yachting and boating services. Sport fishing is very popular here, and many hotels have their own fishing boats and captains. You can also enjoy yachting, other water sports, and beach activities. The beaches south of Golfito, like Playa Zancudo, Pilon, and Pavones, are famous for excellent surfing.
There was a plan to build a new big marina in Golfito. However, many people, including environmental groups and local residents, were concerned about its impact on the environment. They worried about pollution from boat paints, sewage, and oil spills. Because of these concerns, the project was stopped.
Exciting Tours
There are many fun things to do in Golfito! You can go on boat tours to see dolphins and whales. You can also try horseback riding or go hiking in the Golfito Wildlife Refuge or the Piedras Blancas National Park. Golfito is also a famous place for bird watching tours and, of course, sport fishing.
Learning in Golfito
Golfito has five primary schools and one secondary school. The secondary school also offers night classes. The University of Costa Rica has a campus in Golfito. Most students there are from the local region. Since it's a public university, about 90% of its students get scholarships and housing help. The UCR-Golfito campus has student housing, a library, laboratories, and a student union called Club Centro, where students can enjoy art and other fun activities.
See also
In Spanish: Golfito para niños
