Golfito Costa Rica
Costa Rica

86 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Emerald Waterways (10 Cruises)

Lindblad Expeditions (17 Cruises)

Ponant (7 Cruises)

Regent Seven Seas Cruises (2 Cruises)

Star Clippers (16 Cruises)

Windstar Cruises (34 Cruises)

Port of Golfito, Costa Rica | Cruise Port Guide

Golfito owes its existence to bananas. In the 1930s, the United Fruit Company built a trading post city there from scratch to house its employees, after relocating operations from the Caribbean coast to the Pacific to escape the diseases ravaging plantations. For more than 40 years, cargo ships laden with green bunches left this small haven in southern Costa Rica. Then, in 1985, the company packed up. What remains today is a town stretched along the water, wooden houses on stilts inherited from the banana era and, all around, a tropical forest among the country's most imposing.

A Setting That Envelops Everything

The ship first penetrates Golfo Dulce, then the small inner bay that serves as natural shelter for Golfito. From the water, the sight is striking: hillsides covered in trees 30 to 45 metres tall drop almost directly into the sea, and the town amounts to a ribbon of roofs wedged between slopes and shore. This massif is part of the Golfito National Wildlife Refuge, explaining its density: toucans and macaws are sometimes spotted from the main street, and monkeys think nothing of crossing electrical wires above passers-by.

Tracing the Banana Company

A stroll through the former "American Zone" forms the port call's historic heart. This airy neighbourhood, where United Fruit managers lodged, lines grand wooden houses with verandas beneath mango and royal palm trees. The whole preserves a singular character, somewhere between Louisiana and the tropics, and tells better than any museum what the banana boom era was. Further on, the commercial quarter, denser and livelier, lines sodas, shops and hardware stores in the atmosphere of a small port town living at its own pace.

The Forest Within Reach by Boat

The surroundings offer the day's finest hours. Boat outings on Golfo Dulce depart directly from the waterfront: resident dolphins, turtles and, in season, humpback whales frequent these sheltered waters. Some excursions head to beaches accessible only by sea or to botanical gardens perched on the opposite shore. On land, the La Gamba biological station, at the edge of Piedras Blancas National Park, offers guided walks in primary forest where guides know how to flush colourful frogs, hummingbirds and traces of felines. Sport-fishing enthusiasts are not left behind: the place ranks among Costa Rica's high spots for the sport, and local captains know every current of the gulf. Many willingly tell, between manoeuvres, of the era when the docks vibrated with cargo ships being loaded.

Tips for the Day

The region receives between four and five metres of rain yearly: suffice it to say that a downpour is part of the odds, often in the afternoon. Pack a light raincoat, shoes that accept mud and a waterproof bag for the camera. Showers pass quickly and heat returns at once: dress light, you will dry while walking. Shops accept colones and, very often, US dollars; keep some coins for sodas. Humid warmth invites starting activities early and keeping midday hours for fresh fish meals facing the bay.

When the ship returns to open sea and Golfito shrinks between its hills, a realization settles: this port born of an export fruit has become, without really seeking it, one of the most endearing gateways to wild Costa Rica. The company departed, the forest remained, and it has the final word.

Frequently Asked Questions

In the small inner bay that gives the town its natural shelter, after entering the Golfo Dulce. The view from the water is striking: slopes covered in trees thirty to forty-five metres tall drop almost straight into the sea.
Because of bananas. In the 1930s the United Fruit Company built a company town here from scratch to house its employees. For more than forty years, freighters loaded with green stems left this little harbour, until the company pulled out in 1985.
The former American zone, an airy district where United Fruit managers lived, lines up its large timber houses with verandas under mango trees and royal palms. The whole area tells the story of the banana boom better than any museum.
Yes, and it is one of the surprises of the call. The forested ridge above town is part of the Golfito national wildlife refuge: toucans and macaws can sometimes be watched from the main street, and monkeys think nothing of crossing the power lines above passers-by.
They leave straight from the waterfront into the Golfo Dulce: resident dolphins, turtles and, in season, humpback whales frequent these sheltered waters. Some head for beaches reachable only by sea or for botanical gardens tucked on the far shore.
At the La Gamba biological station on the edge of Piedras Blancas national park, which offers guided walks in primary forest. The guides know how to find brightly coloured frogs, hummingbirds and cat tracks that a hurried eye would never catch.
Yes, the place ranks among Costa Rica's leading spots for it, and the local skippers know every current in the gulf. Many will happily recall, between manoeuvres, the days when the docks shook under loading freighters.
A small port town living at its own pace: the commercial quarter, denser than the American zone, is lined with sodas, shops and hardware stores. Do not expect a historic centre or developed tourist infrastructure.
The colón, with the US dollar widely accepted. Spanish is spoken; English is used in tourism and sport fishing, less so in ordinary shops.
December to April, the driest stretch. Costa Rica's southern Pacific remains one of the wettest regions in the country: even in the dry season, an afternoon shower is no surprise.