Puerto Viejo is a surfer’s party town. By day everyone hits the beaches, by night the reggae bars are the place to be.
Why go?
This ocean side town is only five hours and $8 from Costa Rica’s capital. Its multiple beaches, Caribbean cuisine and laidback attitude make it the ideal place to spend a whole week when travelling slowly.
My highlights
I spent a day cycling south to Punta Uva, taking in the beaches and a hike up the Red Cliff along the way, from where there’s a great view of Punta Arecife beach. I loved watching the birds before breakfast from the tranquility of my hostel’s garden. After a day at the beach, my favourite spot was Johnny’s Bar on the edge of Playa Negra – a great place to watch the sunset.
In Hindsight…
I wish I’d realised how expensive it is to eat and drink out in Puerto Viejo. The cheapest meals with a beer cost around $7 and more expensive restaurants charge much more. Searching for hostels that have a kitchen and include breakfast in their price is a great idea!
The Curious Traveller 
That beach looks so inviting. Did you swim?
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We did indeed! Apparently the black volcanic sand is also meant to have healing properties and be good for the skin so we also rolled around in that quite a bit too 🙂 The sea is so very warm here compared to the UK, that it only just about cools you off!
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Sounds like fun!
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Did you see any sloths?? We saw loads in the stretch of jungle between the beach and road down to Playa Cocles!
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We did! There was even a little baby just after Selina’s on that stretch of road 🙂 The wildlife (especially colourful birds) is definitely a lasting memory of Costa Rica for me.
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Nice post I went to liberia and was lucky enough to go to Nicaragua while I was there
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