Puerto Viejo, without the padding.
The everyday traveler's guide to Caribbean culture, beaches, wildlife, food, and getting there.
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What this guide actually covers
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is the other Costa Rica — the one that runs on Caribbean time, cooks in coconut milk, plays reggae from the open-air bars, and has built a cultural identity rooted in the Afro-Caribbean community whose ancestors came to build Costa Rica's railroad in the 19th century. The beach towns here don't look like the Pacific side; the food doesn't taste like it; and the attitude toward schedules and urgency is fundamentally different.
Section 1 — Best Time to VisitQuick answer
The Caribbean coast doesn't follow the Pacific dry season pattern. Puerto Viejo gets rain year-round, but the drier windows tend to fall in September and October and again in March and April. December and June are typically the wettest months.
From Section 2 — Luxury Accommodations.
"Request one of the furthest bungalows from the main building for the most complete forest immersion — the bird activity is best away from foot traffic."
Puerto Viejo, planned in one sitting.
Every named hotel, restaurant, and outfitter — no sponsored picks, no padding.