Golfito is Costa Rica’s  most southern port town. The name  Golfito means little or small Gulf. It is located across from the Osa Peninsula on the Golfo Dulce. The town is  a narrow strip along Golfito Bay backed against steep green hills covered in  beautiful rainforest.

It is about 340km (211  miles) from San José. You can drive here  (8 hours) or take a short flight from San José into the Golfito Domestic Airport  that is 4km (2.5 miles) from downtown and receives regular flights from Sans  and Natura Air.

Golfito used to be  thriving banana port for many years (from about 1938-1985). The port became less important in the 1980´s  due to rising export taxes and labor disputes. United Fruit Company moved south to Ecuador and left Golfito in a state  of poverty and lifelessness. Shortly  after United Fruit’s departure the Costa Rican government opened Golfito up as  a Duty Free Zone in an effort to bring the city back to life. Today Golfito is a popular destination for  Tico's (Costa Rican’s) who are looking for a bargain on large appliances and  electronics.

The city has a variety  of hotels and restaurants. There are all the modern services available, such as  a hospital, banks and of course the docks. There are also many Eco Lodges around the  area. Eco Lodges are small hotels or  lodges that blends into its environment while offering its visitors an opportunity  to view its natural surroundings with the least amount of impact to the  environment.

Temperatures remain the  same nearly year round with average highs in the upper 80´s to low 90´s and  night time low´s in the upper 70´s. December through April are the driest months.

There is great sport fishing available at Golfito all year long. The fish of choice is always the Pacific  Sailfish.  Although the fishing season is  year round the best months to sport fish is from November to May.
This is also the first protected bay  for boaters coming down through the Panama Canal and heading back up the  Pacific coast.   A major marina project  called Bahia Escondida is being built on the old Chiquita banana site  for 217 boats slips, and will accommodate boats up to 200 feet long. In addition to the marina, this development  includes a waterfront condo and retail complex.

Surfing is amazing at  the beach just two hours to the south, Pavones, and across the gulf at Cabo Matapalo. Pavones is said to have the longest left point break in the world. On a good south swell, you can ride a wave  for over 3 minutes. The best time to  surf here is between April and October when the surf is at its biggest due to  rainy season. Another nearby beach is  Zancudo that has gentle surf and a peaceful atmosphere. It is a great place to just sit back and  relax.

Just to the northwest of Golfito is the Piedras  Blancas National Park (Parque Nacional Piedras Blancas). This 34,595 acre (14,000 ha) national park is  composed of mainly evergreen primary forest and is also the only lowland  tropical rainforest on the Dulce Gulf.  The park was created in the early 90’s and funded by the Austrian  government. The park encompasses a wide variety of flora and fauna and is one  of the best places in the country for bird-watching.

There are many trails of different lengths in th Golfito National Wildlife  Refuge, making it an excellent place for hiking and seeing a variety of birds  and other animals.  The Radio Tower  trail, which takes approximately five hours to hike, and the Playa Cacao trail  both lead out into spectacular views of the Golfo Dulce. The Playa Cacao trail takes about two miles  to hike.

The bird species that can be spotted during the hikes include the toucans and  tanagers. Some of the mammals you can  find are all four Costa Rican monkey specie, anteaters, pacas and agoutis.

The Golfito National Wildlife Refuge has a wide  variety of tree species, including silk cotton, butternut, manwood and copal  trees. One of the most interesting plant  species found at the refuge is the cyad, which resembles a palm tree and is  proven to have existed during the dinosaur age.

Golfito is a quaint  little port town that is great for visitors to see some amazing wildlife or for  the locals to get a great deal on electronics.