January 14, 2026

Discovered by Columbus in 1502 and named “Rich Coast” on his fourth and final voyage to the New World, Costa Rica never lived up to the promise of gold or other riches like its neighboring Spanish colonies. Puntarenas remained a sleepy village until coffee production in the late 18th century transformed the Costa Rican economy. By the 1850’s, coffee had surpassed cacao, tobacco and sugar as the country’s number one export and Puntarenas’ port became a thriving business.

After gaining its independence from Spain in 1821, the country was plunged into a civil war. However, following the civil war, unlike many of its Latin American neighbors, Costa Rica has enjoyed almost six decades of peace. Puntarenas is the gateway to the coffee district as highlighted by the mountain ranges shown above. We are familiar with the area as our daughter, Shannon, spent time on a coffee plantation as part of an ecology class as an undergraduate. We have also taken some coffee plantation excursions so decided to spend a quiet day in Puntarenas.

As much of the coffee production has been automated, Puntarenas is now a poor community that is dependent on the few ships that dock here for income. In my travels, my eyes are always drawn to the children and how they make the best with what they have. They were a few individuals selling craft items along the pier. We met Janet, who shared that she was taking her driver’s test tomorrow as her family had finally saved enough money to buy a car and asked if we would pray for her that she pass the test. It has been my experience that people’s faith is always the strongest when they need it most.

Thanks for traveling with us…