PUNTARENAS

city, western Costa Rica. It is located on a long spit of land protruding into the Gulf of Nicoya and enclosing Estero Lagoon. First known as Bruselas, in colonial times it linked Costa Rican commerce with Panama and South America. A royal order of 1814 initiated improvement of the harbour facilities; and a cart road from San Jos, the national capital, was opened in the 1840s. Puntarenas was the shipping centre for most of the Costa Rican coffee that went to Europe around Cape Horn. Later connected with San Jos by the Pacific Railway, Puntarenas became an increasingly important port for export of bananas and coffee and for imports from the United States' West Coast. The nation's principal fishing port, Puntarenas has facilities for canning and freezing fish and for repairing ships; and it is the site of an international jet airport. Pop. (1988 est.) 35,166.