Community and Lifestyle

Community and Lifestyle in Puriscal, Costa Rica.

The colonization of Puriscal began around 1815.  Before this, Puriscal was believed to be part of a commercial route with Panama, and archeological findings suggest that there was a major Indian community, known as the Huetar Indians, thriving in this area.

Puriscal is a desired location for many due to the comfortable weather and near distance to both the capital and the pacific coast.  For those who enjoy living near the most beautiful beaches in the world, but also want to be near big-city conveniences, Puriscal is the perfect compromise that allows you to move quickly to the city and within minutes to the beaches.  Beaches located near Puriscal include Playa Ventanas, Playa Bandera, Playa Esterillos, Playa Quepos, and Playa Dominical.

Even though downtown Puriscal is a small town, you will find all major services including doctors, banks, drugstores, restaurants, and grocery stores.

Places of Interest

Pursical’s large mountains provide several points with great views of the Central Valley.  And, with good weather conditions, there are points in Puriscal with views of the Pacific Ocean.

There are also various historically and architecturally important buildings in Puriscal.  In El Templo de Barbacoas (The Barbacoas Temple), one can enjoy the lovely stain glassed windows and experience great peace and relaxation among the silence provided by the temple.  The Antiguo Templo Catolico de Puriscal (Ancient Catholic Temple) was the first concrete building in Puriscal and, in 2012, it was declared a national patrimony of Costa Rica.  The Templo de Pedernal was built in 1936, represents religious-based architecture of the first half of the 20th century, and was declared historical patrimony of Costa Rica in 2004.

For nature enthusiasts, Parque Nacional La Cangreja (the Cangreja National Park) is located 45 kilometers south of Puriscal.  The park is a shelter for migratory birds, and the park reports even more fauna than Corcovado National Park, one of Costa Rica’s largest and most well known national parks.  To get here, a 4x4 vehicle is recommended.