Puerto Viejo

Puerto Viejo hotels & accommodation

Cabinas Casa Verde is located one block from the center of Puerto Viejo and has a pool and plentry of hammocks.

Banana Azul is the ín´hotel right now!

 

Puerto Viejo restaurants

Chile Rojo Great curries, burgers and smoothies on the main road.

El Loco Natural: First order your sauces: Thai peanut, Indonesian-Caribbean curry, Mexican chipotle, or Malaysian-guayaba curry. Then select your vegetables, chicken, shrimp, or fish (usually marlin or tuna). Bar stools on the balcony face the street. No credit cards. Closed Wed. Dec.-Apr. and June-Sept.; closed May and Oct.

La Pecora Nera Probably the best Italian restaurant in Costa Rica. 3km southeast of town toward Playa Cocles.

Puerto Viejo

Getting to Puerto Viejo

Puerto Viejo is approx 12km of Cahuita, the road forks just after Home Creek (also spelled Hone Creek).

DRIVING BY CAR: The main road then turns east toward Bribrí; a spur leads 3km to Playa Negra, a black-sand beach that curls east to Puerto Viejo, enclosing a small bay with a capsized barge in its center.

The small headland of Punta Pirikiki at its eastern end separates Puerto Viejo from the sweep of beaches—Playa Pirikiki, Playa Chiquita, and others—that run all the way to Manzanillo and Panamá.

PUBLIC BUS: The bus fare from San José to Puerto Viejo is aprox $7.

Return buses depart Puerto Viejo for San José at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 4 p.m.; and for Limón at 5:30 a.m., 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 1:45 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m., and 5:30 p.m.

The Puerto Limón–Puerto Viejo buses are usually crowded; get to the station early. You can buy tickets for Transport MEPE buses (tel. 506/750-0023), opposite the bus stop.

SHUTTLE BUS: Interbus offer a hotel to hotel shuttle bus service. Example cost from San Jose to Puerto Vieja is US$29

What to see & do in Puerto Viejo

Hiking and Nature Tours:
The local community association- ATEC- offers hiking and nature excursions in the area.

Mauricio Salazar at Beach Cottages Chimúri offers hikes to the Keköldi Indigenous Reserve, plus night walks (3 hours; $10).

Puerto Viejo Tours (tel. 506/750-0411, fax 506/755-0082, puertoviejo@yahoo.com), offers local jungle hikes ($20), hiking ($35) at Cahuita, and white-water rafting tours ($75–85), plus trips to Gandoca-Manzanillo, Tortuguero (from $55), KeköLdi ($60), and Boca del Toro in Panamá.

Terraventuras (tel. 506/750-0426, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. and 3:30–5:30 p.m. Mon.–Sat.) offers trips to Tortuguero ($50), the Indian reserves ($35), plus dolphin watching ($35), snorkeling ($35), and a rappeling canopy tour.

Rolf, of Bushmaster Expeditions (tel./fax 506/750-0283), offers nature tours to Gandoca ($40). ATV tours are offered by Quad Adven-Tours (tel. 506/750-0632).

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Surfing:
The 'Salsa Brava' break is legendary among the surfers in Costa Rica.

From November through April, the village is crowded with surfers, who come for a killer six-meter storm-generated wave called La Salsa Brava.

Beach Break, at Playa Cocles, about 3 km south of Puerto Viejo, is good for novices and intermediates. The safest beach for swimming is Playa Negra and the small beach near the bus stop in town.

Kurt, at Hotel Puerto Viejo, rents boards and gives lessons, as does Cabinas Grant (tel. 506/750-0013).Click HERE for a guide to surfing in Costa Rica.

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Other Water Sports:
Reef Runner Divers (tel./fax 506/750-0480, arrecifes55@hotmail.com), next to Pulpería Manuel León, offers guided dive tours ($40 one-tank, $60 two-tank, $50 night dive), PADI certification ($225), and dolphin and snorkeling tours. Puerto Viejo Tours also offers snorkeling. Ocean Adventures rents kayaks, boogies, and snorkeling and surfing gear, as does Juppy & Tino Adventures (tel. 506/750-0621), next door; the latter has kayak tours to Gandoca ($60). Also see Playa Cocles to Punta Uva, below.

The El Pizote Lodge offers fishing trips.

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Horseback Riding:
You can rent horses and take guided tours at Don Antonio’s (tel. 506/750-0342), 600 meters south of town ($5 per hour). Seahorse Stables (tel. 506/750-0468, edwinsalem@yahoo.es), near Punta Cocles (see Punta Cocles, below), has tours by reservation only.

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Shopping:
Color Caribe (9 a.m.–8 p.m.) stocks a great selection of clothing, jewelry, and souvenirs, including hand-painted and silk-screened clothing, plus hammocks and colorful wind chimes.

Cabinas Casa Verde has a small but upscale boutique selling batiks, Panama hats, Panamian molas, and more. Nearby, LuluBelu (tel. 506/750-0394, 1–9 p.m. Wed.–Mon.) is a colorful place selling an original range of ceramics, jewelry etc.

Hiking and Nature Tours:
The local community association- ATEC- offers hiking and nature excursions in the area.

Mauricio Salazar at Beach Cottages Chimúri offers hikes to the Keköldi Indigenous Reserve, plus night walks (3 hours; $10).

Puerto Viejo Tours (tel. 506/750-0411, fax 506/755-0082, puertoviejo@yahoo.com), offers local jungle hikes ($20), hiking ($35) at Cahuita, and white-water rafting tours ($75–85), plus trips to Gandoca-Manzanillo, Tortuguero (from $55), KeköLdi ($60), and Boca del Toro in Panamá.

Terraventuras (tel. 506/750-0426, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. and 3:30–5:30 p.m. Mon.–Sat.) offers trips to Tortuguero ($50), the Indian reserves ($35), plus dolphin watching ($35), snorkeling ($35), and a rappeling canopy tour.

Rolf, of Bushmaster Expeditions (tel./fax 506/750-0283), offers nature tours to Gandoca ($40). ATV tours are offered by Quad Adven-Tours (tel. 506/750-0632).

back to top

Surfing:
The 'Salsa Brava' break is legendary among the surfers in Costa Rica.

From November through April, the village is crowded with surfers, who come for a killer six-meter storm-generated wave called La Salsa Brava.

Beach Break, at Playa Cocles, about 3 km south of Puerto Viejo, is good for novices and intermediates. The safest beach for swimming is Playa Negra and the small beach near the bus stop in town.

Kurt, at Hotel Puerto Viejo, rents boards and gives lessons, as does Cabinas Grant (tel. 506/750-0013).Click HERE for a guide to surfing in Costa Rica.

back to top

Other Water Sports:
Reef Runner Divers (tel./fax 506/750-0480, arrecifes55@hotmail.com), next to Pulpería Manuel León, offers guided dive tours ($40 one-tank, $60 two-tank, $50 night dive), PADI certification ($225), and dolphin and snorkeling tours. Puerto Viejo Tours also offers snorkeling. Ocean Adventures rents kayaks, boogies, and snorkeling and surfing gear, as does Juppy & Tino Adventures (tel. 506/750-0621), next door; the latter has kayak tours to Gandoca ($60). Also see Playa Cocles to Punta Uva, below.

The El Pizote Lodge offers fishing trips.

back to top

Horseback Riding:
You can rent horses and take guided tours at Don Antonio’s (tel. 506/750-0342), 600 meters south of town ($5 per hour). Seahorse Stables (tel. 506/750-0468, edwinsalem@yahoo.es), near Punta Cocles (see Punta Cocles, below), has tours by reservation only.

back to top

Shopping:
Color Caribe (9 a.m.–8 p.m.) stocks a great selection of clothing, jewelry, and souvenirs, including hand-painted and silk-screened clothing, plus hammocks and colorful wind chimes.

Cabinas Casa Verde has a small but upscale boutique selling batiks, Panama hats, Panamian molas, and more. Nearby, LuluBelu (tel. 506/750-0394, 1–9 p.m. Wed.–Mon.) is a colorful place selling an original range of ceramics, jewelry etc.

Information & Services

ATEC acts as a tourist information bureau in Puerto Viejo. Soda Tamara, opposite ATEC, has a bulletin board with tourist information.

There’s a medical clinic (tel. 506/750-0758 or cellular 506/841-9171; open 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon.–Fri. and weekends for emergencies) and a dental clinic (tel. 506/750-0303, or 506/750-0389 for emergencies) 50 meters inland from the bus stop. Internet Ipromer also has 24-hour medical services.

The police station (tel. 506/750-0230) is next to Johnny’s Place on the beach.

Puerto Viejo has a Banco de Costa Rica ATM machine.

The post office 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Mon.–Fri.), in Centro Comercial Mane.

There are public telephones at Pulpería Manuel León (tel. 506/750-0452, 7 a.m.–7 p.m.); and outside the ATEC office (tel. 506/750-0188), which also has a fax service.

ATEC offers Internet access at 15 colones per minute ($2.25 per hour). The a/c Video Mundo (tel. 506/750-0651, 8 a.m.–10 p.m.), nearby, charges $1.15 per 30 minutes for Internet access.

Click HERE or a local residents blog

ATEC acts as a tourist information bureau in Puerto Viejo. Soda Tamara, opposite ATEC, has a bulletin board with tourist information.

There’s a medical clinic (tel. 506/750-0758 or cellular 506/841-9171; open 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon.–Fri. and weekends for emergencies) and a dental clinic (tel. 506/750-0303, or 506/750-0389 for emergencies) 50 meters inland from the bus stop. Internet Ipromer also has 24-hour medical services.

The police station (tel. 506/750-0230) is next to Johnny’s Place on the beach.

Puerto Viejo has a Banco de Costa Rica ATM machine.

The post office 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Mon.–Fri.), in Centro Comercial Mane.

There are public telephones at Pulpería Manuel León (tel. 506/750-0452, 7 a.m.–7 p.m.); and outside the ATEC office (tel. 506/750-0188), which also has a fax service.

ATEC offers Internet access at 15 colones per minute ($2.25 per hour). The a/c Video Mundo (tel. 506/750-0651, 8 a.m.–10 p.m.), nearby, charges $1.15 per 30 minutes for Internet access.

Click HERE or a local residents blog

Puerto Viejo

Puerto Viejo is a little over 12 km south of Cahuita, on the caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

Puerto Viejo is the most popular beach resort on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, particularly for surfing.

The clubs and bars in Puerto Viejo play Bob Marley and reggae til the early hours, restaurants serve caribbean specialities and a version of 'patois English' is widely spoken.

The surfer, backpacker, and 'international travellers'  crowds (mostly Europeans and young North Americans) are the main group and some are long term residents here.

Search and Book Hotels HERE