One of our favorite parts of a recent trip to Costa Rica was exploring the Caribbean coast. The beaches go for miles and there was wildlife like monkeys, sloths, and tropical birds everywhere! But our first taste of the area, Puerto Limon, wasn’t a great start.
Puerto Limon
Puerto Limon is the hub of Costa Rica’s banana industry and serves as the country’s major commercial shipping port.
Despite the importance of this area to the country’s economy, Costa Rica’s central government has long ignored the Caribbean coast, and infrastructure, education, and health services have been slow to come.
We had heard that Puerto Limon is one of the poorest areas of the country and that it wasn’t a very desirable city to visit. Unfortunately, this proved to be true. Although it abuts the beautiful, green Caribbean Sea, trash on the streets was rampant, and we felt uneasy about walking around at night.
Although the area has a lot of potential and many of the people were very kind and hospitable in typical Tico style, our advice is to skip this city and head to points north like Tortuguero National Park or south to towns like Cahuita, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, or Manzanillo (more below).
We made the best of our short stay at the Park Hotel overlooking the Caribbean and had a great dinner with the locals at Restaurante La Lechuza.
Note: This post was originally written after one of our many visits to Costa Rica, well before we move here. It has been updated with more information based on later travels. We’ve been living in Costa Rica since 2013. For more on that story, see our about us page.
Cahuita
Heading south from Limon, you’ll find Cahuita, a charming little local’s village. It’s a great place to check out if you want a taste of the Caribbean’s laid back vibe and wild jungle. With beautiful beaches, lots of choices for accommodations, and great restaurants serving up local Afro-Caribbean specialties (try the spicy coconut curry sauces), you could easily spend a week here.
Although the village of Cahuita hosts an impressive number of lodges, it still hasn’t lost its small town feel.
The nearby Cahuita National Park offers great hiking, snorkeling, and seems to be a Mecca for sloths and monkeys in Costa Rica. During our few days in Cahuita, we were woken everyday by the bellowing roars of howler monkeys!
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Still farther south along the Caribbean coast is Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, a surfer’s dream. It attracts a younger crowd, interested in checking out the famed Salsa Brava, the most powerful wave in Costa Rica.
The surfing isn’t just for experts, though, as Playa Cocles farther south offers a beach break for intermediate surfers as well. There are also some good family friendly activities like a visit to the Jaguar Rescue Center.
Puerto Viejo is more developed than Cahuita—a small mall has even opened up off the main strip—but the chilled out Rastafarian vibe still dominates.
If you’re into snorkeling or just want a beautiful view of the Caribbean, the beach at the point has a shallow reef that you can see through the glimmering, crystal clear water. We recommend taking in this view from the patio of the Salsa Brava Caribbean Bistro over some Imperial beer, guacamole, grilled squid, and beef Carpaccio. Yum!
Manzanillo
For more wildlife viewing, you can keep heading south from Puerto Viejo to the tiny village of Manzanillo. This is literally the end of the road in these parts.
You can watch gorgeous Great Green Macaw parrots fly around at the Ara Manzanillo Project, or hike through the wild Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge (a guide is recommended for safety reasons).
Tortuguero
If you instead head north from Limon, you can visit Tortuguero. This remote town is only accessible by boat. You can get there from Limon or from a place called La Pavona, further inland. Either route goes along rivers and canals.
In Tortuguero, you mostly travel around on foot or by small boat. The boat taxis are one of the best parts of the experience. You can even take a canal tour to see some cool wildlife like exotic birds, spider monkeys, and river turtles. It’s popular to do a sea turtle tour too, as turtle conservation is a big part of the town’s economy.
But our favorite thing to do in Tortuguero was the hike up to Cerro Tortuguero. The view up there was just amazing!
Conclusion
If you are visiting the Caribbean coast, don’t be put off by the port city of Limon. Just outside the hustle and bustle are amazing beaches, friendly locals, and some of the best wildlife viewing in all of Costa Rica.
Looking for more posts to help you plan? Check out these!
Coast-to-Coast Itinerary – This itinerary visits both the Caribbean coast and the Pacific, with a stop at the famous Arenal Volcano in between.
Destinations – Visit our destinations page to browse all the places we have written about in Costa Rica.
First Time Visit to Costa Rica – Start here if you are in the beginning stages of your planning. It will save you time later.
