Puerto Viejo
Puerto Viejo is the complete package. If you’re ready for some excitement you can partake in a variety of water sports, hike up some intense trails, or research Puerto Viejo’s bumping night life. However, if you’d rather leave the adventure seeking up to other visitors, you’ll be just as welcomed by museums, galleries, and other forms of subdued entertainment. The lifestyle here is truly laid back, and you are bound to find a hammock with your name on it around just about every corner.
As the most popular town in the southeast, you’re bound to find yourself foot tapping to the reggae and calypso beats-absorbing that laid-back feeling and spicy rice and beans that the Caribbean is famous for. Puerto Viejo’s Caribbean shore is a great alternative to the more built up and faster-paced Pacific Coast. Not only is the water that idyllic turquoise blue, the surf here is renowned as it’s said to have the heaviest wave in Costa Rica called Salsa Brava (brave sauce), for reasons only true surfers know. Only these surfers can navigate Puerto Viejo’s jagged reefs and powerful waves, so unless you’re nickname is “hang ten” you should keep a distance.
Things to Do:
1. Surf the Salsa Brava!!!
The Salsa Brava break is the biggest and best break on the Caribbean coast. With waves as big as 20 feet and sharp hidden reefs, this area is definitely for those more experienced surfers.
2. Immerse yourself in nature!
Cahuita National Park is a stretch of beautiful beaches along the Caribbean coast. There is plenty of wildlife in the jungle lining the beach. The coral reefs have been damaged by the banana plantations so the snorkeling is a bit cloudy, but you’ll definitely see some good fish or beware - even a small shark! The price to enter is set at $7, but you are likely just to see “optional donation” boxes at the entrance.
Manzanillo-Gandoca Wildlife Refuge extends all the way to Panama and is the home of manatees, crocodiles, 350 species of birds, 4 species of sea turtles and 3 species of dolphins. This is a spectacular spot for scuba diving and snorkeling, and a picture perfect ‘tropical getaway’ as postcards have taught us to crave.
3. Sleep in a Tree!
At the Tree House Lodge, you can lounge around like the monkeys do, in a tree! Their one-of-a-kind lodging will have you suspended in the branches of a century-old tree, with all the comforts of a luxury hotel. If you prefer to keep your feet on the ground, the luxurious beach suite sits ocean front in the middle of the tropical Gandoca-Manzanillo wildlife refuge. With a Gaudi-inspired bathroom and enchanting design, it’s like stepping into a fairytale! This is definitely something you will be crossing off your list of things to do before you die.
4. Try some rundown soup!!!
While Puerto Viejo is home to some of the best fine dining spots in Costa Rica, it’s local flavors cannot be topped, and are available at a fraction of the price. Miss Sam, Miss Edith, Miss Dolly or Miss Isma all have ’sodas’ in which they offer affordable Caribbean meals such as banana pancakes or chicken in coconut sauce.
5. Listen to some Reggae!
There are a plethora of live music venues in Puerto Viejo. We recomment Jhonny’s Place, with its loud music and dancing inside and tables outside with plenty of candles for those who prefer to have a drink and relax. It’s located in Puerto Viejo near the guard stand. Stanford’s is a shore side stop with a small dance floor playing lots of reggae-It’s near Salsa Brava on the way to Manzanilla. And finally, El Loco Natural serves tasty foods with Caribbean flare and has live music every night in downtown Puerto Viejo.
6. Get to know the local culture!
ATEC (Asociacion Talamanquena de Ecoturismo y Conservacion) offers tours that focus on nature, local Afro-Caribbean culture, as well as indigenous Bribri culture. This informative tour reveals history, culture, Indian mythology, as well as the hiding toucans, iguanas, and monkeys.
