Puerto Viejo: A Visitor's Guide

A week ago, my parents came to visit me and Jahsiah. We've had other visitors, a handful of friends who came down to see us in Puerto Viejo last summer, about 5 months after we had arrived at our paradise destination. But, the parental visit presented different opportunities.

We've been living in Puerto Viejo for just under a year now. In fact our one year anniversary of

No, this is not our parent's hotel. This is where we live!

moving to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica is coming up on January 29th, the day we first moved into our Jungle Mansion in Cocles. For this visit, we knew a bit more of the area, knew more people, and had the ability to take time off work to spend the week playing tour guides. When our other friends had come to visit, I wasn't able to take time off work for financial reasons, so my friends did a lot of exploring on their own. Also, they stayed with us in our Jungle Mansion located about 3 kilometers in the jungle, so not exactly right outside of town. But, since we live closer to town now, we had the use of my parents rental car, and I was gleefully on sabbatical for one week, we decided to make the most of it and show the folks everything Puerto Viejo has to offer.

Finding a balance in Puerto can be tricky; just ask anyone who lives here or has visited for a prolonged period of time. This small town has a lot to offer, but it's easy to get sucked into a routine, a small click, a pattern of eating at the same restaurants, swimming at the same beach, and drinking the same beer at the same bar night after night. Of course we wanted to show the folks the usual hang outs, Tasty Waves, Lazy Mon, Flip Flops, but we also wanted to give them a taste of the finer things that we usually don't partake in. This world is split into things locals can afford, and things tourists can afford. After one year, we are more like locals than we are tourists, and so we needed to branch out a bit, rack our brains with activities that don't normally make the weekly cut, and really try to give my parents a glimpse into the wonder and magic that is Puerto Viejo.

You see, one of things about this place is that everything moves slowly. And witnessing some of the magic that can happen here is a matter of moving just as slowly, and being in the right place at the right time. With only week to experience this town, it can be tricky to have those remarkable experiences that make it so special. Seeing a troop of Howler Monkeys play in the trees above you, or spotting a sloth making his way from tree to tree, or having a hummingbird fly up to you to say good morning, these are things that make me love this place, but you can't book a tour to ensure you have these moments. And even if you could, there's a good chance it would get rained out the day you booked it for, or that you would wake up, suffering a bout of the dreaded Cocles Cleanse (read Montezuma's Revenge for those of you who aren't familiar with this term). Capturing the beauty of this funky little spot is about as hard as taking a picture of a blue morpho butterfly in flight; the odds are not in your favor.

But, we did our best and I think the folks enjoyed their time here, despite the rain, despite the stomach bugs, despite the heat, the mosquitoes, the sometimes painfully slow pace of life, despite the secondhand weed smoke, the rarely maintained bathrooms, the ants than can inflict more pain in a single bite than you can ever imagine.

So, the next time you have visitors in town and you're wondering how you can try and show them all the great things this place has to offer, refer to this guide as a quick reference. One thing I was reminded of, playing both tour guide and tourist during my parent's stay, was just how much there is to do here. In one week we covered the main highlights, but in reality, there a lot of things we missed out on based on weather, time of year, and other factors out of our control. Guess that means they'll just have to come back for another trip.

Things to Do in Puerto Viejo When You Have Guests, or When you Are the Guest:

The view from the chocolate tasting lounge.

• Caribeans Chocolate Forest Tour: I've done this tour twice now and I loved it even more the second time around. This has got to be one of the best things to do while in Puerto Viejo. You learn so much about the history of cacao, the history of the area, and of course you get to eat a  lot of chocolate. And I really mean a lot! The tour takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at either 10am or 2pm and on Saturdays at 2pm. It's such a great experience for anyone, really something that the whole family can enjoy so it's a great thing to do with anyone who visits.

• The Jaguar Rescue Center: 5 years ago, when Jahsiah and I first came to Puerto Viejo on vacation with our two friends, we ended up at The Jaguar Rescue Center, but it wasn't what it is now. Back then, it was simply a house and the couple who lived there were working to educate people on the wildlife of the area, rehabilitate animals who had been hurt or suffered some injury or misfortune with the intention of releasing them back into the wild. A few volunteers helped out and you mainly made a donation to hang out in the yard for a few hours, play with monkeys, meet sloths, and see all the snakes that live in the Caribbean. Now, The Jaguar Rescue Center is a full blown operation, doing great work in the area, and acting as a wildlife vet and invaluable resource in the area. For $15 you can experience a guided tour of the facility, which takes about 2 hours. During this time you will see monkeys, sloths, a crocodile, a caiman, all of the snakes of the area, deer, anteaters, owls, toucans, and a variety of other animals that the center is currently caring for. Actually, I don't know what you'll see, because the residents of The Jaguar Rescue Center changes frequently as rehabilitated animals are released back into the wild and new critters arrive. Either way, this a great place to learn about the environment, the animals, the impacts of humans and tourism, and support a great cause. Tours take place daily at either 9:30 or 11:30am and are available in English or Spanish. 

 

One of the many sloths at The Jaguar Rescue Center

Meet Toucy Toucy, a noisy but endearing resident of The Jaguar Rescue Center

• Manzanillo Adventure Tours: If you don't have time to take a 5 hour taxi up to Tortuguero to

  

  Getting ready to explore the mangroves after a bit of ocean kayaking.

  
  

  kayak in the mangroves, don't worry. In Manzanillo, literally the town at the end of the road, just 13 kilometers south of Puerto Viejo, you can experience a real life Jungle Cruise (you know, the Disney ride, right?). Our friend Ferguson, who we meet on that trip 5 years ago, is the owner and operator of Manzanillo Adventure Tours, a small company taking visitors on kayaking, snorkeling, and hiking excursions through The Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge, a truly wild area with 10 kilometer beach strip, a 740 acre forest, a coral reef and 2 swamps. We weren't able to snorkel as the water was too murky from all the rain we've been experiencing, but we did ocean kayak, which was so much fun, down to a the river mouth. From there we went up through the mangrove as far as we could, until we reached a fallen tree that blocked our way. The water was so still and glassy that the reflection on the water looked an exact mirror image of the jungle, with the only disturbance coming from our paddles. I really felt like I was on the Jungle Cruise, but for real. The Jungle Cruise is one of my top 5 favorite rides of all time, so I was super happy, as you can imagine. Afterwards, we hiked out to the point in Manzanillo, a great look out spot, where you can look up mile after mile of dense jungle. The Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge is just that, a Refuge, not a National Park, so there isn't the same kind of infrastructure here as in Cahuita. No visitor center, no park officials, no maintained path, so exploring this area is either a DYI affair, or you can go with Ferguson, a local guide who can help make the day that much more memorable. I can't wait to go back and play with the kayaks more. Ferguson is great as making sure everyone has fun, and pushes their limits, doing things they might not think they can. He really does make it an adventure tour. Check him out on Facebook to set up a tour. Or just roll through town and ask around, Manzanillo is only about 3 blocks by 3 blocks, so it's not hard to find people. 

  

  Sergio Ferguson, our first friend in the Caribe Sur. Our connection with this guy is what spawned this whole adventure! Thank you Ferguson!!!!!

• A Day At The Beach: This seems self explanatory, but let me elaborate. Depending on what time of year you visit Puerto Viejo, the beaches can have different personalities. If you come down in the fall, Playa Cocles is just perfect for swimming. If you come in the winter, watch out! You're not getting in the water at Playa Cocles unless your a semi-pro or pro surfer, or the lifeguards are on duty. The undertow is strong and the current is fierce. So, you have to know which beach to visit when. A good standard year round is Punta Uva, just south of Puerto Viejo, but north of Manzanillo. Punta Uva is gorgeous, the water is great for swimming year round, and if the water is clear you can snorkel right off the beach, no tour necessary. The beach in Manzanillo is other great place to lounge about, relaxing and playing in the small, gentle waves. Cocles can be a fun place to watch surfers, and the beaches in town are a great place to hang out with small kids, as the reef system off shore stops any waves from reaching the shore. When you have limited time in town, you might have to rearrange your plans when a sunny day pops up. If it's the rainy season, take advantage of sunny days to hit the beach. We only had one true beach day, since the weather was off and on, and we had so many other activities planned. 

  

  Punta Uva, straight off a postcard.

•  Cahuita National Park: Make the effort to take a day trip to Cahuita and visit the National Park. It's just a 30 minute drive or bus ride north of Puerto Viejo, and yes it's another sleepy little Caribbean town with great beaches, friendly locals, and good food. But, don't count it as redundant just yet. Every time I have walked in this park, which is now about 6 or 7 times, I have seen monkeys, sloths, birds, and other animals in the wild. Sure, you just saw them at The Jaguar Rescue Center, but now you get to see them in the wild, which really is a lot cooler. During our 2 hours in the park, which was interrupted with sprinkles on and off, we saw a troop of Howler monkeys, a troop of white-faced Capuchin monkeys, two sloths, an iguana, a raccoon, butterflies, and birds. The entrance to the park is donation based, and the bus only costs a couple of bucks, so it's a cost effective way to experience life in the rainforest. Take a day, sober up, and get your hike on!

  

  Mom drinking a CocoLoco before exploring Cahuita

   National Park.

And then there's eating. I won't bore you with the details of where to eat in town. There are so many great restaurants to try out, its unbelievable. For such a small town, you really can experience a wide range of culinary treats. Do yourself a favor, pull up the list of places to eat on TripAdvisor, and make your way down. My top picks? Malbecs, Koki Beach, Tasty Waves, Lazlo's Catch of the Day, and of course Bread and Chocolate. 

I won't go into the details on the nightlife in Puerto Viejo just yet, we'll save that for another day. But, feel free to use this as a guide for what to do with friends or family come to town. It's a strange little place, filled with odd people who have decided that this is where we want to live. I know it's not for everyone, I know a lot of people think we're crazy for trading in good roads, movie theaters, Starbucks coffee, and consistent trash pick up in exchange for spotty internet, sporadic down pours, 4am wake up calls from Howler monkeys, the chance of dengue, and seemingly random inventory at all restaurants, bars, and grocery stores, but what can I say, I love this town, and I want people who visit to love it too. Or at the very least, glimpse a bit of the magic that we are fortunate enough to experience daily.