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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hi, Just thought I'd let a know: Your info on surfing in Puerto Viejo is not sooo correct. It could be more comprehensive as well, but I imagine you want brevity. Anyway, in our opinion, under normal conditions Cocles is not recommended for novices as you suggest (although it is certainly a better option then Salsa Brava for beginers). Kurt at Hotel Puerto Viejo does NOT give surf lessons as you suggest. I've lived and taught in PV for six years and have never seen him give lessons. I'm pretty sure he does not rent surf boards, either. However, Kurt has a wealth of knowledge about surf in the area if you can find him in a mood to share it with you. He might be considered the Mayor of Salsa Brava, if not at least the Foreign Ambassador. Kurt does own the building next door to his otel that houses a very sporadically open surf shop called Salsa Brava that started a couple years ago. Salsa Brava has rentals and surf lessons (when you can find them open). Kurt does not own the surf shop. The shop just pays rent to Kurt. My surf school/kayak tour business/tour agency/rental shop, called Aventuras Bravas, is right in front of Salsa Brava wave on the main road. We have been offering board rentals and surf lessons with some of the best local surfers (and the best paid) for five years. I mention this with only the purest of self-interest and greed, hoping that you might be altruistic and give us a mention. But whatever, thanks for providing info about our town, and good luck.
John Wheatley, Vacation Visionary :-)
Aventuras Bravas SA
Across the street from Restaurante Stanford
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limon
Costa Rica
Tel/fax: 011 (506) 2750-2000
Rocking J's office 011 (506) 2750-0626
Mobile: 011 (506) 8849-7600
www.BraveAdventure.net
www.AventurasBravas.com
Email: JungleJamJohn@Gmail.com
Skype: johnkwheatley
Posted by: John from Aventuras Bravas | 06/30/2008 at 11:47 PM
Horse Riding - Don Antonio was run out of town a couple years ago.
Posted by: John from Aventuras Bravas | 06/30/2008 at 11:55 PM