Today I would like to invite you for a small photo report from Costa Rica. Although this is a small country, I did not visit it all, but only its Caribbean part, which borders with Panama. The purpose of my trip was mainly Panama, but I still wanted to see at least a piece of Costa Rica. I will go back there again someday!
From Panama to Costa Rica you can get by bus. Many private companies offer such services. In practice, it looks like one bus will take us to the border, and after crossing the border, on the territory of Costa Rica there will be another one waiting for us. They are usually small buses, so most of them will also take us directly to our hostel in Puerto Viejo. The border crossing itself takes place on foot over the bridge and it is very Caribbean, which you can see in these photos;)
To start with, a snapshot of photos from Puerto Viejo, where I stayed for 4 days and it was my base to see other parts of the region. Puerto Viejo is a small coastal town surrounded by beautiful beaches where you can surf or relax lying in a hammock at amazing sunset. You can feel the Caribbean climate, reggae and surfing here. In Puerto Viejo, life goes on in its own rhythm. Relax, no rush, surrounded by nature and beaches. It is the beaches that surround Puerto Viejo are the most popular in this part of Costa Rica. You can quickly notice the diversity of nationalities that visit Puerto Viejo, giving it a very cosmopolitan character for such a small town.
The most often repeated greeting is “Pura Vida“. The people of Costa Rica commonly called Ticos use it as a good morning greeting, goodbye, and also to say that it is good that everything is ok. This expression can be found here practically at every step. No surprise that even strangers passing us on the street will greet us in this way. In direct translation ” Pura Vida ” means a clean and simple life. This has a lot to do with the culture and attitude of the local Ticos. The people of Costa Rica are more relaxed and carefree than many other countries and nations.
The main street of Puerto Viejo has most shops, a supermarket, restaurants and clubs, many of them with live music every day. It is here that you will find what you need during your stay in this place. The most popular means of transport here is a bicycle that can be rented for around $ 6.
PUERTO VIEJO BEACHES
Playa Cocles is best known for surfing, here there are usually constant and good waves for practicing this sport. Playa Negra is more peaceful and suitable for swimming and lying on the sand.
Another difference between these two beaches is the color of the sand. Playa Cocles has white sand, Playa Negra, as the name implies, is dark, with very fine sand.
Other interesting places to visit are Punta Uva, and the farthest from Puerto Viejo, Manzanillo. Very calm beach, which usually doesn’t have many people.
ACCOMMODATION IN PUERTO VIEJO
In Puerto Viejo you will not find large hotels or all-inclusive resorts. Hostels are the most popular accommodation, almost always visited by young people, encouraged by the surf, but also by the very laid-back atmosphere that the town can offer. Most of the hostels provide all the services you need, such as laundry and their own kitchen, for those who prefer to prepare their food.
WHAT TO DO IN PUERTO VIEJO?
The main thing to enjoy in this part of Costa Rica is nature itself. Puerto Viejo is located between two important natural areas of Costa Rica, such as the Gandoca National Shelter – Manzanillo and Cahuita National Park. For lovers of surfing it is a real paradise, although it is not the only activity that can be practiced here. There are companies that organize trips, kayaking, rafting on the Pacuare River and horse riding on the beaches. They also organize trips to other parts of Costa Rica, such as Tortuguero or even to Bocas del Toro in Panama. On the main street of Puerto Viejo you will find many travel agencies offering their services. It is worth checking and comparing prices from several places.
CAHUITA NATIONAL PARK
It is not only ‘must see’ around Puerto Viejo, but also one of the most important national parks of Costa Rica. It combines various terrestrial and marine ecosystems and is full of parrots, toucans, sloths and monkeys living in their natural environment. Although sloths can be found even on the main road in Puerto Viejo.
To get from the center of Puerto Viejo to the park you need to catch a bus that goes through Puerto Viejo to the city of Cahuita. The journey will take us about 45 minutes.
At the entrance to the park you do not pay for the entrance itself, but you should leave any amount to maintain the park. In the park itself there is an 8.5 kilometer trail that stretches along the entire coast. On the park’s beaches you can also sunbathe or simply relax after a large dose of beautiful views with a huge variety of nature. The path is straightforward, passes between sandy roads, the beach and wooden footbridges. Being on the beach, watch out for monkeys, which may be very willing to check what you have in your backpack 😉
Long, sandy beaches, blue water and lonely palm trees are typical of the park. Perfect views for taking photos.