Last Updated: February 13, 2024
Set along the turquoise Caribbean Sea in southeastern Costa Rica, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a laid back beach town with a distinctly Caribbean feel. With residents of both Afro-Caribbean and indigenous descent, Puerto Viejo offers a unique culture that can be found only in this part of Costa Rica. Here, coconut rice, Reggaeton beats, colorful homes, and a laid back attitude dominate. And with some of the country’s most beautiful beaches, lush jungle, and an array of restaurants and nightlife, it is no surprise that Puerto Viejo has become a popular destination. Below are the essentials for planning your visit to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.
Orientation
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is located in southeastern Costa Rica, close to the Panama border. The small downtown, where many of the area restaurants, bars, and shops are concentrated, is conveniently situated next to the beach.
The road out of town following the coast leads to several smaller communities. These include Playa Cocles, Playa Chiquita, Playa Punta Uva, and Manzanillo. These each have their own restaurants, beaches, and other amenities but are more spread out and quiet.
Getting There
The drive from the capital city of San José to Puerto Viejo is about four hours. The nicely paved highway passes through mountains covered in thick greenery.
Once you reach the port city of Limon, the road follows the coast south, passing many banana plantations.
Though the drive is beautiful, it does involve crossing a mountain range on a curvy road that is frequented by tractor trailers. If you’re nervous to drive, consider taking a shuttle or the public bus.
For a quote on a private shuttle from San Jose to Puerto Viejo, please contact us through our Shuttle Booking page.
For the public bus, here’s a link to a website with a fairly reliable schedule that you can use to help you plan.
Getting Around
Once you arrive in Puerto Viejo, you have a few options for getting around.
One of the most popular is to rent a bicycle. The road that runs between Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo is often a bike superhighway, with more bicycles than cars.
If you’re staying outside Puerto Viejo, though, a rental car is nice to have. There’s also a public bus that runs regularly between Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo.
If you rent a car, be sure to check out our rental car discount to save 10% and get free extras.
Activities and Attractions in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca has something for everyone. Wildlife watching, surfing, horseback riding, night hikes, waterfalls, fishing, yoga, and Caribbean cooking or dance lessons are just a sample of the many area activities. Below are some of our favorites.
Beaches
The biggest draw in Puerto Viejo is its beautiful beaches.
Along the road that runs to Manzanillo are smaller dirt roads leading to secluded beaches, each with their own distinct feel.
Playa Negra in Puerto Viejo is a lovely black sand beach that is usually calm enough for swimming.
Playa Cocles to the south is a surfing beach that, while not the best for swimming due to rip currents, is a great place to relax on the sand and people watch.
Playa Punta Uva is by far our favorite. Its clean ivory sand, aquamarine water, and tall palms make this cove the perfect place to waste away the day.
Tip: When beach bumming, be careful not to leave your belongings unattended as petty theft does occur. It is also a good idea to leave your valuables (passport, money, cell phone) locked up in your hotel safe.
Surfing
Puerto Viejo has long attracted the surfer crowd with its famous swells.
Salsa Brava, Costa Rica’s most powerful wave, breaks off the shallow reef in Puerto Viejo. For beginner and intermediate surfers, check out the beach break at Playa Cocles for consistent swells.
Snorkeling/Diving
When conditions are right, some of the beaches south of Puerto Viejo can be spectacular for snorkeling.
At Punta Uva Arrecife (Grape Point Reef), you can snorkel right off the beach. We’ve seen lots of different kinds of colorful reef fish, including pufferfish.
Manzanillo farther south also has an impressive shallow reef for snorkeling and diving.
There are a couple of places in town that will rent snorkel equipment, but it’s easiest to bring your own.
Usually snorkel tours are done out of Cahuita, a small town just 15 minutes north of Puerto Viejo. Cahuita National Park has a large reef that you access by boat. 35 different coral species and over 120 types of fish can be seen along the reef. Since it’s part of the marine portion of the national park, you need a guide to visit.
Fishing
The warm Caribbean Sea is the perfect place to toss a line. Small-boat charters leave from the calm cove in Puerto Viejo to explore reefs and river outlets to the south. A popular combo tour allows you to troll for sport fish like wahoo or tuna but also fits in some dolphin-watching and snorkeling.
Horseback Riding
Horseback riding tours are popular in Puerto Viejo. From atop a horse, you can explore the surrounding rainforest and find hidden beaches. A good guide will point out wildlife along the way and teach you about the forest.
Tours vary in length from a short two-hour ride to a full day adventure.
Chocolate Tour
A chocolate tour will surely get your mouth watering. Here, you can walk the cacao forest and learn how artisan chocolatiers make bean-to-bar chocolate using locally sourced, fair-trade cacao. Tours typically include a tasting component that will let you sample the many different flavors.
An excellent tour that we have done ourselves is Caribeans in Playa Cocles.
Visit an Indigenous Community
Dig deeper into the southern Caribbean’s culture with a visit to one of the several BriBri indigenous communities. Learn about their local customs, language, traditions, and methods of farming. Some tours have a chocolate-making component where you might get to try some of their sacred cacao drink, while others take you to hidden waterfalls.
Jaguar Rescue Center
Visit the Jaguar Rescue Center, a well-known wildlife rehabilitation center in Playa Chiquita doing amazing work for injured animals.
Guides who work directly with the animals will teach you all about the animals living in their sanctuary. One our visits, we have seen monkeys, sloths, margay (pictured below), parrots, toucans, and owls. On a tour ($25 per person), you’ll learn how the animals ended up in the Center, while getting up close and personal.
Cahuita National Park
The village of Cahuita just north of Puerto Viejo is worth visiting on a day trip. In addition to soaking up the small town feel, the national park in Cahuita is one of our favorites.
This stunning 2,711 acres (1,097 hectares) of jungle is set along the sea. On the flat, sandy trail, you can spot eyelash pit viper snakes, sloths, howler monkeys, white-faced monkeys, coatis, and many types of birds. The park also hosts several all-but-deserted beaches.
Cahuita National Park can be visited on your own, but a knowledgeable guide can add a lot of value and point out birds and animals that you may have missed.
For more information on visiting, check out our post, Cahuita National Park: Wildlife Just a Step Away.
Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
Another awesome wildlife refuge is the Gandoca-Manzanillo reserve at the end of the road in Manzanillo.
This reserve isn’t as popular as Cahuita National Park, but has just as much to offer. When we have visited, we’ve hardly seen anyone along the trails. But it’s a great place for wildlife viewing. We have spotted a ton of birds and animals, including sloths, howler monkeys, snakes, frogs, various lizards, and toucans.
The coastal trail not far from the entrance also provides some amazing ocean views.
We highly recommend visiting the Gondoca-Manzanillo Reserve only with a guide for safety reasons.
Read out post, Hiking the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, for more details.
Ara Manzanillo
Ara Manzanillo is a small organization in Costa Rica working to reestablish the population of Great Green Macaw parrots. These birds were once in abundance in the southern Caribbean, but due to habitat loss and a lack of food, they have nearly become extinct.
On a short tour of their rustic facility, you will be able to get close to these amazing birds. Tours help to support this important organization and can be arranged by contacting Ara Manzanillo through their website.
Bocas del Toro, Panama
If you have an extra few nights in your itinerary and want to see another country, we recommend Panama’s Bocas del Toro islands.
The Bocas have an even more laid back Caribbean feel than Puerto Viejo. They offer many white sand beaches with clear water that is great for snorkeling and swimming. Those looking for a party scene will find it in Bocas Town. Shuttles run daily from the Puerto Viejo area.
Restaurants in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Puerto Viejo has a huge restaurant scene with over 100 establishments to choose from. Because people come to live here from all around the world, you will find a range of international cuisine.
La Pecora Nera
One of our best meals in Puerto Viejo ever was at La Pecora Nera.
This candlelit Italian restaurant outside town is the perfect spot for a nice dinner out. The dinner menu offers classics like homemade ravioli and spaghetti carbonara as well as innovative dishes like starfruit and shrimp carpaccio. We love the linguine with chipirones (baby squid) and bruschetta with prosciutto.
Stashu’s Con Fusion
Stashu’s Con Fusion is one of Puerto Viejo’s best known restaurants. As the name implies, they offer fusion cuisine. Dishes come with delicious sauces (a lot of curries but they have other things too). This is a particularly good place for vegetarians and vegans, though meat and seafood choices are also plentiful.
La Nena
No visit to Puerto Viejo is complete without some authentic Caribbean cuisine. La Nena is a simple restaurant on the main road in Playa Cocles that serves up Costa Rican classics with Caribbean flare. Passion fruit salad dressing, rice and beans with coconut milk, and spicy tomato sauces make for an authentic taste. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Restaurante Amimodo
If you find yourself craving pizza, we highly recommend Restaurante Amimodo. This staple in Puerto Viejo has been around since 1994. We were attracted by its location right on the beach, but the food was solid as well. We loved our thin crust pizza, but they also have many other dishes with pasta, organic chicken, and local fish.
If you are traveling with kids, be sure to grab one of the tables out back on the sand.
KOKi Beach Restaurant
This hip restaurant and lounge is in a great location, directly across from the beach in downtown Puerto Viejo.
KOKi Beach is usually one of the busiest places in town. The artsy décor and cool vibe draw a diverse crowd looking for a fun spot to kick back. Grab a cocktail in one of the comfy rocking chairs, or enjoy a full meal in the dining room.
The menu here is big, with steaks, burgers, pastas, fish dishes, and more. Prices are on the higher end.
Tasty Waves Cantina
If you’re checking out Playa Cocles, Tasty Waves is a fun spot to grab a beer and casual food. This chill bar is run by a group of guys from the US and tends to draw a younger crowd. They do happy hour specials daily and have events like trivia night, karaoke night, and movie night. Tuesdays are big with 2-for-1 tacos, and they often have live music.
Pura Gula Restaurante
Pura Gula Restaurante in Playa Chiquita has great food and a lovely, relaxed atmosphere. The menu has a lot Mediterranean options, and each dish is carefully crafted with fresh, local ingredients. We love the Pad Thai, gnocchi, and tuna steak. Open for dinner only. Closed Tuesday.
Bread and Chocolate
Bread and Chocolate is a well-known café with awesome breakfasts and lunches. We always make a stop here when we’re in town.
They do breakfast all day or you can get one of their delicious sandwiches made with fresh-baked bread. The roast beef and jerk chicken BBQ sandwiches are memorable.
Be sure to save room for dessert. The locals running this place make their own chocolate truffles and cakes with locally grown cacao.
Hotels in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
With more and more hotels opening in Puerto Viejo, it can be difficult to decide where to stay. Here is some guidance and recommendations.
Hotels in Puerto Viejo tend to be smaller, many with four rooms or less. There are no chains and most accommodations are tucked neatly away in the jungle.
Many options are typical Caribbean-style bungalows made of wood. These often have window shutters and are open air (no A/C). Those prone to insect bites should make sure that their room is sealed or has mosquito nets over the beds.
If you want to be close to amenities, stay in Puerto Viejo center, where everything is within walking distance. If you like a quieter setting, you will probably prefer the peaceful jungle of Cocles, Chiquita, Punta Uva, or Manzanillo.
Security Tip: While open-air accommodations are a great way to enjoy the tropics, they are not always secure. Be sure that your hotel room or vacation rental can be locked up and has a safe to protect your belongings for when you leave. Break-ins do sometimes happen in the Puerto Viejo area, unfortunately. For more information on how to stay safe, read our post Safety Tips for Your Next Trip to Costa Rica.
If you’re renting an Airbnb, check out our tips in Vacation Rentals in Costa Rica: Safety Tips and What to Look for.
Budget to Mid-range Hotels
Kalunai Hostel
One of the best hostels in town is Kalunai. Located in downtown Puerto Viejo, it offers a few affordable private rooms and some dorms. The spaces are clean and have comfortable beds. There’s also an outdoor kitchen and hammocks. Travelers love its friendly owner. Private rooms with a shared bathroom, around $35/night (double occupancy). Dorm rooms, around $17/night per person. Check Rates and Availability Here.
Hotel Boutique Indalo
Hotel Boutique Indalo is located right in the downtown, but far enough out so that noise isn’t a problem. This hotel is a good value for the area, especially if you prefer air conditioning. It has modern, comfortable rooms. Adults only (ages 16 and up). $100-125/night (double occupancy). Check Rates and Availability Here.
Villa Finca Chica
The cute wooden cabins at Finca Chica will give you a taste of Caribbean living. The villas are nicely spread out around the rainforest-covered property. Although they are located outside town in Playa Cocles, Puerto Viejo is only a quick taxi or bike ride away. Each has its own kitchen for cooking in. $100-185/night (double occupancy). Check Rates and Availability Here.
Mid-range to High-end Hotels
Caribe Town
We loved our stay at Caribe Town in Playa Cocles. This small hotel has a handful of charming palm-thatched bungalows surrounded by gardens as well as a few larger houses nearby. The hosts were very friendly and served one of the best breakfasts we have ever had. Options varied daily and included pancakes with house-made syrup, omelets with fresh sausage, and even homemade cinnamon rolls. $115-135/night (double occupancy). Check Rates and Availability Here.
La Kukula Lodge
La Kukula Lodge is a small eco-lodge set in the rainforest in quiet Playa Chiquita. It offers modern, industrial-style rooms as well as a whole house for larger groups. Because the property is situated off the main road and is thickly vegetated, wildlife is often seen. $150-260/night (double occupancy). Check Rates and Availability Here.
Alloro Jungle Villas
If you’re looking for the conveniences of a vacation rental at a hotel, Alloro Jungle Villas is a great option. Our family stayed in one of their villas and it was perfect. Each villa has a kitchenette and two bedrooms, making it a great option if you’re traveling with kids. The four villas share a pool. The staff at Alloro Jungle Villas is very friendly and will do everything they can to ensure you have a nice stay. $150-225/night (double occupancy). Check Rates and Availability Here.
Hotel Banana Azul
Banana Azul is one of the nicer hotels in Puerto Viejo, but stays true to the area with a laid back feel. Accommodations vary widely, from wooden ocean-view rooms to separate bungalows and villas with plunge pools. Some rooms don’t have A/C, but the ocean breeze is enough for most people. Banana Azul is located north of town and is adults only (ages 16+). $125-220/night (double occupancy). Check Rates and Availability Here.
Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel
One of the only high-end options in the area is Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel. This 23 room hotel in Playa Cocles offers spacious rooms with minimalist décor. The white-washed rooms surround a gorgeous pool with tall palm trees. A major draw is the beach club across the street, where you can have food and drinks delivered to your chair. $300-1,000/night (double occupancy). Check Rates and Availability Here.
Conclusion
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is unlike any other destination in Costa Rica. It combines beauty and culture in a way that no other place has for us. From the pristine beaches, lush rainforest, and plentiful wildlife, to the vibrant, laid back culture, Puerto Viejo always leaves us wanting more.
Last Updated: February 13, 2024
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Have a question about visiting Puerto Viejo de Talamanca? Ask us in the comments below.
Looking for more information to plan your trip to Costa Rica? Check out these posts.
Tortuguero Off the Resort – This remote village on Costa Rica’s northern Caribbean coast is famous for its nesting sea turtles and abundant wildlife. Pair a visit here with your time in Puerto Viejo.
Cahuita: Culture and Calm on the Caribbean – If you’d prefer a smaller town on the southern Caribbean, check out Cahuita. Cahuita has a quieter feel but still has vibrant culture and plenty of restaurants and things to do.
La Fortuna: What to Expect from Costa Rica’s Most Popular Destination – La Fortuna will show you one of Costa Rica’s most famous volcanoes and let you experience thermal hot springs and a myriad of adventure tours.
