Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Puerto Viejo is a collective name referring to two popular destinations of Costa Rica. These destinations are: Puerto Viejo de Talamanca town located in Limon province and Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui in the nearby province of Heredia. Puerto Viejo in general is a famous tourist destination raising Costa Rica to the top list of famous tourist destinations throughout the world. 

Puerto Viejo is a large place with wide varieties of attractions waiting to be seen. Puerto Viejo has glamorous white sand beaches facing the clear waters of the Caribbean Sea. Playa Chiquita, Punta Uva and Playa Negra are popular beaches in Puerto Viejo.


They are the best sites to enjoy all kinds of water sports like diving, sailing, power boat riding, surfing and water skiing. There are also snorkel and scuba diving sites that enable visitors to reach the marine environment within the Caribbean Sea and meet with the glorious aquatic environment of the sea. 

Puerto Viejo has a wide variety of many kinds of wild animals that it has preserved for long as the wildlife pride of Costa Rica. There are many bird species waiting to be seen in bird sanctuaries. 

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is popular for its significant powerful wave known as the Salsa Brava Wave that brings worldwide surfers to Puerto Viejo to enjoy surfing on this legendary wave. Kayaking is a common activity in Manzanillo where the great water bodies of the area create the best serene for the activity. 

Jaguar Rescue Center that is near Manzanillo center is an animal park that has been valued for saving the lives of many wild animals that have been tortured by people who used to share a habitat with them. This is the reason for the place being called a rescue center. Apart from rescuing the animals, the center provides a favorable habitat for the animals to live within the park. Some are common and others are the indigenous species that are waiting to be seen. It is something that makes Puerto Viejo a special place.

The people of Puerto Viejo are friendly and social people. They are known as the Ticos and Ticas natives related to the Jamaican family. The other percentage of the population is Europeans who have settled in the town. 

At the exterior area of the cities are mountain ranges where a native Indian community known as the Bribri Indians dwells. There are natural forests around the ranges. Tourists find this area suitable for hiking and mountain climbing. A particular indigenous species of the monkeys known as the howler monkey can be found in the vicinity of the dwelling area of the Bribri Indians. 

Along the Sarapiqui River is a station built for water rafting in the thrusting waters of the great river. Cruises are also provided along the navigable river to sight see wild animals that loiter around the banks of the river like the howler monkeys and crocodiles. 

Accommodation is available for very tourist that visits Puerto Viejo. Many hotels and resorts have online websites where tourists can book for rooms so that they are sure to have a place to spend their nights while touring Puerto Viejo. The cuisine is unique and is also offered alongside the international dishes offered in the restaurants and the exotic hotels. 

Puerto Viejo map