Fiber Internet Service in Golfito,
Costa Rica with Itellum

From the arrival of Ponce de León in 1519 until today spans over 500 years of history. and now The preservation of Golfitos past has been made possible using superior internet as a major tool. Prior to this the area was inhabited by the indigenous people from the Bruncas.

Fast forward to 1874, when Costa Ricans began colonizing the area. Its development is linked to the opening of the South Inter-American Highway and mainly to the cultivation of bananas and the arrival of the Compañía Bananera, (United Fruit Company). The 1930s saw a shift from the Caribbean coast to the South Pacific region due to depletion of soil, blight, and labor problems and Golfito was a “natural” port.

The Compañía Bananera developed separate neighborhoods in Golfito, where some lived with a high lifestyle, trying to imitate American styles, while other barrios were more humble, maintaining the tastes of Costa Ricans, and they were full of grocery stores and a variety of shops.

Large farms set the prices for the produce and governed the train and ship schedules to their advantage which the smaller producers were obligated to adhere to. The “Banana Era” met with the same destruction that it did on the Atlantic coast and production decreases leaving the population out of work.

Golfito is a bayside town surrounded by lush green mountains, the remote beaches of the Golfo Dulce, and numerous estuaries plentiful with a stunning array of wildlife. Boutique-style marinas with their quaint wooden architecture line the coast and are a colorful contrast to the forested mountain backdrop. It’s almost like a scene from Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville!

Much of the region is under the jurisdiction of MINAE, the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications. The Golfito Wildlife Refuge protects forested and beach areas surrounding Golfito which has some of the most plentiful rain in the world at 150 - 200 inches annually. The park does not have any public facilities, although it does have a system hiking trails which allow you to reach vantage points to view the scenic landscape below. The abundant sea and land wildlife make it a perfect destination for naturalists and eco-travelers. Piedras Blancas National Park borders the refuge. As an eco-destination, it has some unique accommodations nearby; Playa Cativa Lodge, La Gamboa Rainforest Lodge Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, Treetop Camping, and Forrest Lodge and even some only accessible by boat such as Saladero Lodge.

By 1986 the Free Zone “Deposito” was created and provided more jobs and commercial efforts in the area. The Golfito Duty-Free Zone is still operating today. Its creation serves two main purposes; to give Costa Ricans and visitors a tax break and to bring tourism to the area. The plan has worked quite well since the rules to buy at the Deposito meant you had to stay overnight. This brought commerce to the area and although they have upgraded the system so you no longer have to stay overnight, it did put the area on the map. Hotels cropped up close to the Duty-Free Zone for the shoppers convenience. Hotel Sierra, Cabinas Cristy, and Hotel San Martin are close by and provide accommodations for visitors. Several restaurants also provide comfortable venues to enjoy traditional dishes of the area and fresh and seafood are excellent choices. Thanks to the fastest, most reliable #Internet in Costa Rica, you can find out information about the approximately 50 duty-free outlets online. Before one had to buy an entrance ticket which would not be valid until the following day. Now your entrance card is digital and can be used immediately. Many of the stores have websites that you can access to see their offerings so you don’t spend so much time wandering around.

Judesur is a government organization that has used the commercial-grade Internet in the area to their advantage, not only for the duty-free zone but for various projects in the area. Although the Golfito airport is not particularly busy it does serve domestic traffic for those visiting the free zone, the port and to bring sports fishermen and water sports enthusiasts to the area. Since the area has become the destination for those that love to be away from the “beaten path”, Internet for hotels and medium-sized businesses is increasingly important. Tourists from North and South America and Europe gravitate to this area for the fishing and the environmental awareness of the hotels and lodges here. Casa Roland Marina & Resort, Golfito Marina Village & Resort, Hotel & Restaurant Mar y Luna, Fish Hook Marina & Lodge, Hotel Las Gaviotas, and Hotel El Gran Ceibo are just some of the establishments in the area. And there is a large selection of fishing charter and supply companies at your doorstep like Hooked-Up Sportfishing and Banana Bay Marina. Part of the reason for the popularity of sport fishing here is that there are few areas in the world that have a similar geographic configuration that has the incredible offshore/inshore saltwater species combination found here. Sailfish, Blue, Black and Striped Marlin, and more than a dozen Red Snapper species can be found in the area.

Anglers can expect to catch big Roosterfish; Snapper family species such as Cubera, Colorado, Red, Mullet and Spotted Rosy; Grouper; Pompano; Jack; Mackerel; Shark and small Barracuda. Many of the hotels and lodges in the area offer the experience of being able to fish in world-class waters and still maintain a “working” presence online with Fiber Optic Internet Connectivity and that makes for a productive but enjoyable vacation.

The Golfito Hospital, originally built by the United Fruit Company to accommodate the management and workers is now part of the CCSS or national health system of Costa Rica. About 5 years ago it underwent some much-needed remodeling; mainly replacing 70-year-old screened windows with glass, replacing wooden structures that are susceptible to fire and installing an air exchange system. It services 35,000 people in the area that can now be treated locally rather than having to travel to Pérez Zeledón or San José for more sophisticated treatment. Very close to the hospital is a branch campus of the University of Costa Rica where students mostly from the southern zone attend. It is a public university that offers scholarships and housing to approximately 90% of its students and has a student union, a library, laboratories, and art and recreational facilities. Golfito has 5 major schools covering (1st–6th year) and one secondary school (7th–12th year) that also offers a separate night schooling. Both the hospital and university benefit from the redundant quality of the Internet and the best service and support delivered by Itellum.

Although the port does not attract the type of cruise line traffic that the ports of Limon and Puntarenas do, it does attract the smaller more exclusive ships such as Windstar with limited frequency. In fact, the Windstar Cruise Line is one of the few cruise lines that pull into Golfito. These ships are shallow draft and some are under sail with 300 passengers or less and therefore have less impact on the “peacefulness” of this port town. Cruise passengers can opt to go on tours close by including snorkeling, hiking, zip-lining, rappelling waterfalls, or a visit to the quaint Playa Cacao for some excellent seafood in one the old-style restaurants. Many cruise passengers like to just relax at one of the establishments on the shore and catch up on emails via internet via 1:1 international fiber optics. The Golfito Marina Village was completed in 2017 and was to be built in several phases. The final plan was to accommodate up to six super-yachts measuring 107 meters in length and has 132 slips for yachts measuring from 10 to 106 meters. The first phase opened with approximately 50 slips with foreign investment from the United States of about USD 50 million. The plan was to include hotels, restaurants, and generate at least 400 much-needed new jobs for the residents. The original investors abandoned the project in 2019, however they did so with documents in place to allow future investors to take it over. The property is susceptible to deterioration until interested investors rejuvenate the project once again.

Larger ships anchor out at sea and tender into the port facilities but seldom carry more than 600 passengers and 500 crew although increased popularity is attracting larger ships and in turn, more tourist dollars. One can notice some sizable private yachts in the harbor that often come to visit and enjoy the natural beauty of Golfito and its surroundings. Golfito does accommodate cargo ships also and larger ships are piloted in from about two miles out from the port entrance. The pier is 317 meters (1040 ft) long and can accommodate two 150-meter (492 ft) long ships or one 300-meter (984 ft) long ship. Most of the cargo traffic is made up of tanker ships discharging petroleum products.

Golfito is still a little wild and remote, but that’s just part of its intrigue and charm and yet another place to enjoy the best internet Costa Rica has to offer on a road less traveled.