Costa Rica Guide
Limón Province and the Caribbean coast
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
The twelve-kilometre coastal stretch between the languorous hamlet of PUERTO VIEJO DE TALAMANCA, 18km southeast of Cahuita, and Manzanillo village is among the loveliest in Costa Rica. Though not great for swimming, the beaches – Playa Chiquita, Punta Uva and Manzanillo – are the most picturesque on the Caribbean coast. You'll also find plenty of accommodation – plus a lively social scene. The entire place sells out on weekends, so prepare accordingly. Puerto Viejo is clearly one of the most popular backpacker towns in all of Central America. It's surfing that really pulls in the crowds; the stretch south of Stanford's restaurant at the southern end of Puerto Viejo offers some of the most challenging waves in the country and certainly the best on the Caribbean coast.