The first cruise ship to anchor at Playas del Coco will arrive Feb. 1 to begin a twice weekly visit. The Instituto Costarricense de Turismo said that the arrival will be the first time that a cruise ship has docked at Playas del Coco, Guanacaste. 

The sailing ship, the Wind Star, will arrive from San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. 

The luxury ship has a capacity of 250 persons and will anchor every Tuesday in February and March, said tourism officials. There is no large dock in Playas del Coco so passengers will be taken ashore by small boats. Previously the ship had docked at Flamingo. But the marina there has closed down.

The Wind Star is well-known on the Pacific coast, and it sails with computer controlled sails.

Rodrigo Castro Fonseca, the tourism minister said that this cruise is of great importance to Costa Rica, especially for the Province of Guanacaste. Castro said that the cruises to Costa Rica have increased every year. 

Maritza Barrera, a representative of businesses in the Coco area said, " This is going to be without doubt a great benefit for everyone." Barrera said that businesses in the tourism industry have been working hard to make sure that the arrival of the cruise ships in Playas del Coco is not just for one year. 

When the ship leaves Coco, it goes to Quepos.