Puntarenas is a port town on Costa Rica’s Gulf of Nicoya. Its Casa de la Cultura is a cultural center with a theater and art gallery. On the main boulevard, Paseo de los Turistas, Parque Marino del Pacífico includes an aquarium and rescue center with seahorses, turtles and crocodiles. The town beach, Playa Puntarenas, is backed by shops and cafes. Southeast of town.