Pueto Viejo, the only town of note in the San Carlos region. The town long ago relinquished its former importance as the county’s main shipping port for coffee brought down from the Meseta Central by mule.

Pueto Viejo makes its living serving banana plantations, which unfurl eastward mile after mile. It also caters to ecotourism. Several lodges take advantage of the superb nature viewing.

The stupendous variety of wildlife can also be seen on boat rides that put out form the dock at the eastern end of town. Nearby, the Centro Neotropico Sarapiquis draws visitors for its medley of fascinating attractions. Among them is the state-of-the-art Museo de Culture Indigena, celebrating the still extant indigenous cultures of Costa Rica and featuring an impressive collection of artefacts, masks, decorations, and shamanic objects.