Golfito is a district and port town of the Golfito canton, in the Puntarenas province of Costa Rica, located on the southern Pacific Coast, near the border of Panama. Toponymy Literally translated as 'little gulf'. Geography Golfito has an area of km² and an elevation of metres. From the northern section, which was the old United Fruit Company headquarters, trails go up to the Golfito Mixed Wildlife Refuge on the hill, which is part of the National System of Conservation Areas. Tall, high, evergreen rain forests surround the coastal lowlands around the town. The region receives an average of of rainfall annually. Golfito Bay is within the larger Golfo Dulce, and separated from the open Pacific Ocean by the Osa Peninsula. Ferry boats cross the Golfo Dulce from Golfito to Puerto Jimenez, which is an access point to the Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park. The town lies on a narrow strip of land between the eponymous bay and a hill and consists of two parts, the town proper and shopping area to the south, and a residential area near the port. Demographics For the 2011 census, Golfito had a population of inhabitants. Transportation Road transportation The district is covered by the following road routes: National Route 14 National Route 238 Airport Golfito Airport airstrip. Economy Agriculture In the mid 20th century, Golfito was a major banana growing region (also resulting in it being a major port of southern Costa Rica), but a combination of worker unrest, declining foreign markets, rising export taxes and banana disease led to the closing of the United Fruit Company in 1985. Palm oil plantations have replaced the old banana plantations and, due to their success, more and more land is devoted to growing this palm. A small flow of tourists began to arrive in the mid-1990s, and by mid-2006 sport fishing had become the most important tourist attraction. Duty free shopping centre The Golfito duty free shopping centre (), with forty nine retail stores, attracts shoppers from other regions of the country, with the caveats that it is limited to a sum of up to USD $1000 annually per person and that the individuals have to stay at least a night in the area, as there is a shopping permit that should be acquired the day before doing the shopping. Doing so promotes the local hospitality and tourism business in the area. This shopping