Cóbano, North Puntarenas

The tiny town of Cobano is located in the southern part of the beautiful Nicoya Peninsula in the northern Puntarenas province. Formerly a small sleepy village in the middle of nowhere, Cobano has now grown to become a bustling place from where tourists can visit the many gorgeous beaches found nearby on Costa Rica’s south Pacific coast. All roads leading to the beaches of Mal Pais, Playa Santa Teresa, Playa Tambor and Montezuma, pass through this town. Cobano is also the perfect stopover if you wish to visit the wonderful Cabo Blanco National Park.

Getting to Cobano

To reach Cobano, it is best to fly in from the capital San Jose to the town of Tambor, which is a 20 - 25 minute flight. From here, you can catch a bus or rent a car and drive out to Cobano, enjoying some picturesque landscapes along the way. However, if you are traveling on a budget, drive to Puntarenas city from San Jose, and take a car ferry to Paquera. Then drive out to Cobano via Tambor.

Local Hub

A local hub for the many neighboring areas, Cobano is now a central town in the south of the Nicoya Peninsula. Though not very large, Cobano has the only pharmacy, legal services, bank and medical assistance in the area. Therefore, if you happen to visit this town during the week, you will always find it full with Ticos or travelers. There is a private and a public health clinic in town, as well as a small hospital. A kilometer out of Cobano is a gasoline station, which many locals and tourists use to refuel before heading further south. A few supermarkets and hardware stores are found around town as well.

Map of the Area

Click to enlarge map - Map of the Area

Activities

At night, the best place to hang out is at a rancho bar in the center of Cobano. Here, many Ticos and tourists gather after sundown to grab a bite to eat along with a beer. If you happen to be in Cobano at night, visit this bar and try out a delicious local Costa Rican snack known as ‘boca’ and have some ‘Guaro’, a hard local alcohol.

A major attraction of this town is also its annual rodeo held for three days in either February or March, which kicks off with a horse parade. There is also a big fair held with bull riding, food stalls and plenty of dancing.