Puntarenas lives off the sea in two different ways: the port, with fishing and the cruise ships that dock, and the tourist coast running from the central Pacific south. That double nature defines the content market: local businesses all year and sharp peaks when the visitors arrive. For a creator it is an accessible market with less competition than the Central Valley.

Port, fishing and beach

The port still shapes city life, with fishing, trade and cruise arrivals that unload thousands of people for a few hours. Restaurants, souvenir shops, transport and tours live off that short window.

The second leg is the coast: Jaco, Herradura and the route towards Quepos and Manuel Antonio, with hotels, holiday rentals, surf schools and a foreign community living here all year. The third, quieter, is the real city: retail, clinics, schools and services for the people who live here.

The sectors that hire in Puntarenas

  • Hotels and holiday rentals: beach hotels, cabinas and rental houses that sell the stay through imagery.
  • Restaurants and seafood: restaurants, seafood places, sodas and sea product brands.
  • Surf and active tourism: schools, board rental, sport fishing and nature tours.
  • Local retail: shops, hardware stores, gyms and services for residents.
  • Health and aesthetics: dental clinics and aesthetic centres, with the care health advertising requires.
  • Coastal real estate: rental and sales to foreigners, a high ticket client that consumes video.

Working the peak without depending on it

High season runs December to April and businesses close their communication before that: between September and November. Anyone pitching in January is late for almost everything.

The rest of the year rests on two things. Clients who do not depend on tourists, who exist and pay less but steadily. And the client from abroad: a northern brand that needs beach and sun in January has nobody there if you are not visible. That is the argument for keeping a UGC marketplace profile with clear languages and location.

Filming on the coast without ruining your gear

Three concrete enemies: salt, sand and wind. Salt kills phones and microphones, so clean your gear after every beach shoot. Sand gets into everything, and a cheap sealed bag avoids grief. Wind ruins audio, and a cover for the lapel microphone pays for itself in a single job.

Add the heat: between ten and three the light burns colour and the gear overheats. You shoot early or late in the afternoon, which is also when the light is good.

What creators charge

As a reference: a single video for a local business starts around forty to eighty dollars. With a strong portfolio, a hundred to two hundred and fifty dollars per video. Packages of three to five videos sell between three hundred and seven hundred dollars. Hotels, real estate and international clients pay above that and usually invoice in dollars, while local retail pays in colones by SINPE Movil. In high season it pays to take a deposit to hold dates.

Where to go next

Puntarenas offers beach, port and international clients within reach, with less competition than the centre of the country. To turn that into paid work, our guide on how to become a UGC creator covers building the portfolio, setting prices and closing the first collaborations.