Golfito

This article is about a Costa Rica town. For the ship see TSS Golfito.

The port town of Golfito (literally 'little gulf') is located in Puntarenas Province on the southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, near the border of Panama. The town lies on a narrow strip of land between the eponymous bay and a hill and consist of two parts, the town proper and shopping area to the south, and a residential area near the port. Still further north are the duty-free zone and an airstrip.

Geography

From the northern section, which was the old United Fruit Company headquarters, trails go up to the Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Golfito (Golfito Wildlife Refuge) on the hill, which extends across to the other side of the bay and is part of the National Parks of Costa Rica. With some of the highest storied rainforests in Central America (30–45 metres), most of the coastal lowlands surrounding the town are characterized by tall evergreen forest. One of the wettest places in the world, the region receives an annual average of 400–500 centimeters of rainfall.

Golfito (canton)

Golfito is the seventh canton in the province of Puntarenas in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 1,753.96 km², and has a population of 42,012. Its capital city is also called Golfito.

Geography

The canton encompasses the southernmost Pacific coast of Costa Rica, north from Cerro Punta Gorda (Fat Point Hill) at the Panama border. It includes land on both sides of the Golfo Dulce (Sweet Gulf) and the entire southern portion of the Osa Peninsula.

The canton of Golfito is subdivided into 4 distritos (districts).

History

The canton was created by a decree of June 10, 1949.

References

Coordinates: 8°38′19″N 83°09′55″W / 8.638714°N 83.165321°W / 8.638714; -83.165321