Life today seems to be going by faster than ever, days seem shorter, we are always working and there’s always something to do; and that’s precisely why we need to make time for ourselves and our family, and even when we might not have time to enjoy a long vacation, stepping away from the everyday life can do wonders for our energy, mood and spirit.

The “Paseo de los Turistas” in Puntarenas, is a boulevard that stretches along the beach in Puntarenas, cruise ships make a stop here for tourists to stroll beside the beach and enjoy some typical Costa Rican food and buy souvenirs.

Many Costa Ricans make day trips to this area because it is a quick and nice drive away from San José and to simply have a nice meal overlooking the ocean, this in itself is therapeutic.

One of the attractions here is the Marino del Pacífico Park, just 500 meters East from the cruise pier. The park offers a sample of around 50 marine species where the main attraction is the aquarium, but there is also an exhibition of crocodiles, sea turtles and sharks as well as some pelicans that have been rescued. The park also offers picnic areas, kids’ pool and a small restaurant.

The Marino del Pacifico Park is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. including holidays.

Watching the sunset at Paseo de los Turistas while having a “churchill” is relaxing, a churchill is a big snow cone served in a glass with ice cream, condensed milk, powder milk, sugary syrup, of course, and fruit salad, you can make your own combination of ingredients, but either way under the hot Puntarenas sun, any combination is nice. (If you are wondering where the name churchill came from, it is said to have originated in the 1940’s because a local that used to request the most unusual ingredients for his snow cone had a big resemblance to Winston Churchill, local restaurants then named the “new versions” of the snow cones as “churchill”)

Puntarenas is just a little over an hour drive away, so don’t give it too much thought, grab your family or friends and make the drive to this nice port town.