Beautiful beaches around Puerto Viejo: Caribbean Costa Rica

For the two of us, Puerto Viejo is like a tonic that infuses in us enthusiasm and calm at the same time. Costa Rica as a country is known for its beaches, jungles and wildlife. Puerto Viejo de Talamanca in the Limon province has all of that but a little more raw and a little less structured. That is what keeps drawing us back to Puerto Viejo. Add to that, a fantastic food scene with dishes that are specialties of Caribbean Costa Rica. Before I start getting hungry thinking about Caribbean Rice and Beans with Chicken, let me get to the subject for today.

Beaches! One of the best things to do in Puerto Viejo is to laze on the beach. Sun or rain (which is more common in this part of the country). Surf or sunbath. Just choose your pick from the many beautiful beaches around Puerto Viejo, and get started with your Caribbean fun.

It is difficult to rank the beaches as each of them has an appeal of its own. Hence I decided to list them in order of north to south.

Puerto Vargas

Since we are talking about beaches around Puerto Viejo, let us not skip any that lie just outside the town limit. Cahuita National Park, about 17 km before you enter the town, is a marine and terrestrial national park protecting amazing wildlife and secluded beaches. Our pick is Puerto Vargas. This beach is like a postcard with its white sand and clear blue waters, framed by swaying trees and distant hills. A word of caution though – the seabed here is filled with shells and pebbles. So, if you wish to take a swim in these extremely inviting waters, put on your water shoes.

Playa Negra

This one may not be the prettiest of all the beaches around Puerto Viejo, but it is still unique with its black sand beach. Hence the name Playa Negra, literal translation for Black Beach. As you are about to enter the town of Puerto Viejo, this is the first beach you will encounter.

Puerto Viejo

The town of Puerto Viejo is where all the action is. Lots of restaurants, souvenir shops, bike rentals, street food, live music and parties that will take you into the early hours of A.M. So if want to stay where the party is, book a hotel or a hostel in the middle of the town. And in the morning, when you are hung over with all the spirits from the night before and need some fresh air to soothe you, the Caribbean Sea will still be waiting for you, right by the town of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.

Playa Cocles

We said Puerto Viejo is a little more raw, and that is what actually lures us. But if you prefer an organized travel infrastructure, Playa Cocles is a better bet for you. It is the only beach around Puerto Viejo that has lifeguards. It is also the only beach around Puerto Viejo that has resorts and boutique hotels right across the street from the beach. The beach itself is a beautiful long stretch of soft golden sand lining the waves of the Caribbean Sea.

Playa Chiquita

Oh I still get excited about this one – Playa Chiquita. Simply because you cannot really find it if you do not know about its existence. During our first visit, we took a while to figure out how to access Playa Chiquita. A few kilometers down the road from Cocles, there is a small opening in the fenced jungle by the road. It does not at all look like a public pathway. But it is. Park your car on the main road and dare to enter that small opening. Even if it feels like trespassing. Your clue is to identify other cars parked near that opening. Then walk through the thick forests on a narrow unpaved road for a few meters.

And there you arrive to a charming beach with vast views of the Caribbean sea. Wondering about how this beach appears hidden from the world, we slipped into a siesta by the sea, until a fresh afternoon shower started pouring on us.

Punta Uva

You can access the Punta Uva beach from multiple entrances. Depending on the entrance you choose, you will visit either the north end or the south end. Many people consider Punta Uva as the best beach around Puerto Viejo. While we definitely love this beach, we are not sure if we would call this the best. We are just too spoiled for choice to rank the beaches here. From the north side, you can also do a short hike to the tip of Punta Uva for a view of both sides of the beach.

Gandoca-Manzanillo

Manzanillo Gandoca Wildlife Refuge, close to the Panama border, is a protected zone housing many endangered wildlife species and stretches of pretty beaches. At the end of Manzanillo town, lies the entrance of Gandoca-Manzanillo National Mixed Wildlife Refuge. The most popular point in the region in the Manzanillo point. This is a good vantage point to get a view of the Caribbean Sea spread on either side. Facing the sea, observe the Caribbean Sea lining the towns on your left and the jungle on your right. But the Manzanillo point, jungle trails and wildlife are not all that you get here. You can find yourself pieces of beaches that may make you feel that you are catching paradise on earth.

So, which beach is your pick?

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