Puerto Carrillo Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Puerto Carrillo
District
Aerial view of Carrillo
Puerto Carrillo Location in Costa Rica
Country	Costa Rica
Province	Guanacaste
Canton	Hojancha
Creation	23 July 1999
Area
• Total	76.75 km² (29.63 sq mi)
Elevation	40 m (130 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	1,574
• Density	20.508/km² (53.116/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−06:00
Postal code	51103

Puerto Carrillo is a lovely district located in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica. It's part of the Hojancha area and is known for its beautiful Pacific Coast beaches.

History of Puerto Carrillo
Geography and Location
What to Do in Puerto Carrillo
- Fun Activities and Beaches
Population in Puerto Carrillo
Getting Around Puerto Carrillo
- Roads and Travel
Villages in the District
Gallery
See also

History of Puerto Carrillo

Puerto Carrillo was officially created as a district on July 23, 1999. Before that, it was part of the Hojancha area.

Geography and Location

Puerto Carrillo covers an area of about 76.75 square kilometers (around 29.6 square miles). It sits at an elevation of 40 meters (about 131 feet) above sea level.

This district is found along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. The main town of Puerto Carrillo is quite small, with fewer than 500 people living there full-time. It's mostly a quiet village, famous for sport fishing. You'll find a few nice hotels, restaurants, small food shops, and tour companies here.

If you're looking for more options, the town of Sámara is only 4 kilometers (about 2.5 miles) away. The people who live in Carrillo are mostly local residents, which helps the area keep its true Costa Rican feel. The entire district has a population of around 1,800 people.

What to Do in Puerto Carrillo

Fun Activities and Beaches

Puerto Carrillo is a calm and welcoming community. For over 15 years, it has been a popular spot for sport fishing, especially for catching large fish like billfish. The small harbor keeps the boats safe.

The main beach, Playa Carrillo, has beautiful white sand and usually small waves. It's a great place for swimming and for families with kids. Playa Carrillo is rarely crowded, and it has nice picnic areas right on the beach. You can easily park your car close by, making it simple to enjoy your day in the sand.

There are also other pretty and quiet beaches nearby:

El Roble is a rocky beach with its own waterfall and cool tide pools to explore.
Playa El Sur is a beautiful medium-sized beach surrounded by palm trees. You can only reach this beach by boat.
Playa Samara, located 4 kilometers (about 2.5 miles) north, is a much bigger beach. The waves here are usually knee to waist high, making it a popular spot for beginner surfers and families.

Population in Puerto Carrillo

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
2000	1,287	—
2011	1,574	22.3%
Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos Centro Centroamericano de Población

According to the 2011 census, Puerto Carrillo had a population of 1,574 people.

Getting Around Puerto Carrillo

Roads and Travel

The district of Puerto Carrillo is connected by several main roads:

National Route 158
National Route 160
National Route 901

Carrillo is about 41 kilometers (25 miles) from Nicoya. Nicoya is a bigger town and an important center for the region.

The roads leading to Carrillo are paved, which makes travel much easier. The paving of "Road 150," which goes from Nicoya through Sámara to Carrillo, was finished in early 2006. This made it much faster and simpler to get to the area.

Now, it takes about 4 hours to drive from San Jose's Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) to Carrillo. From Liberia's Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR), it takes less than 2 hours. Public buses run between nearby Sámara and Nicoya several times a day. There are also express buses that connect Sámara with San José usually twice a day, except on weekends.

There used to be an airport nearby called Carrillo Airport, which had air service from Sansa Airlines, but it is no longer in use.