.......that's the road to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limon Province, Costa Rica.
Many flock to the popular sunny beaches of the NW side of the country for their travels, of course, we were not those people.
Due to the various settlers you will get a fantastic, laid back, Spanish-Carribean vibe surrounded by locals and surfers. You won't find it overrun by tourists but what you will find is fresh seafood, beautiful natural beaches, amazing surfing and peaceful sunny days.
Ways to Arrive:
Puerto Viejo is about an hour South of Limon, on the Caribbean coast. It is only a few kilometers from the Panamanian border. It's a quick puddle jumper flight on Nature Air from San Jose to Limon, and a cheap bus ride or transport down. That's not how we got there (that is a tale for another day)
Where to Stay:
There are basically two sides and three different areas to stay in: Jungle or Beach! We opted for the undeniably amazing (and air conditioned) Banana Azul in the Villas of Bananas Verde. There are plenty of hostel options and more luxurious options South of town. Our other choice would have been The Tree House Lodge. The tree house comes with a price tag but looks like a fun adventure.
Where to eat:
Puerto Viejo is a cozy area. You will enjoy the scenery and outdoor areas to grab local cuisine. Stock up on Colones beforehand, not every place takes cards and their personal "exchange rate" won't be quite as generous as the actual exchange. Word of advise from an avid hot sauce consumer.... the local peppers here are hooooootttt!!!
This was the location we discovered our very favorite sauce for everything we currently eat. Warm up leftover pizza and top with Lazano OHhhhhhh what a treat.
*Costa Rican Salsa (we are an amazon affiliate and get a small amount when link is used)
Hot Rocks: The center of town with a beach view, fun atmosphere and live music. We frequented this place for snacks and a quick beverage.
Tamara: Lobster.. So much Caribbean Lobster. We also had the octopus and have not had better anywhere in the world.
Lazlo's: Some of the best seafood. Check out some of the catch of the day posted on Trip Advisor!
What to Do:
Puerto Viejo is a known area among surfers. For those more seasoned try to catch the famous Salsa Brava Break.
Nightlife - Just follow the kettle drum sound. Live reggae and entertainment is fun in town. We advise not staying out when the cabs start to leave the area at night, not wearing a backpack at night and locals advised not to walk back to hotels after dark in the beach areas. Mostly petty thievery but may as well be safe.
Fishing - Well this was certainly a new experience. Handling in the beautiful Caribbean. There was no shortage of fish... perhaps because Jules fed them plenty of chum (don't forget the motion sickness meds for this fishing excursion) We were very happy with Wahoo Fishing and Tours and loved our Captain Pino. They cooked up an amazing meal and were helpful, fun and friendly. A big thank YOU for that once in a lifetime experience.
BEACHES!!! Punta Una has been ranked one of the top 5 beaches in the world and can be accessed easily by a bike or quick taxi ride. Playa Negra, Playa Cocles, Playa Chiquita, and Punta Uva are all natural beauties as well.
Jaguar Rescue Center is worth the donation to see and support the local conservation efforts. What is cuter than a baby monkey or a basket of sloths. We also chose to follow up and "adopt" a monkey and help support their work. We always encourage everyone to leave each place better than you found it.
Meet our adopted Baby Rolo!!!
Where to Next?
You can go back to Limon and head north to Tortuguero National Park, back to San Jose via small plane, or boat to northern Panama on calm waters. You can hike 8 hours into Panama or arrange transportation to the Panamanian border. After making a series of interesting transactions we found ourselves hiking south and onto our next adventure.......
