Puerto Viejo is on Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast and is a paradise for beach lovers and surfers. But aside from laying of the beach and surfing there are a lot of other exciting things to do in this beach town.
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1. Take surf lessons in Puerto Viejo
On every beach in and around Puerto Viejo you can take 2-hour surf lessons with an experienced instructor, whatever your level is. My first surf lesson was in Puerto Viejo, and I loved it. The beaches are not crowded with people and there an enough waves to try out your balance on a surf board.
You can find an instructor on every beach, and you can start right away. On the beach they will charge your around 50 USD for 2 hours. Want to take your lessons to the next level? There are surf camps like Surf the Jungle and Puerto Viejo Surf and Tours that offer packages that will get you to a decent surf level.
2. Visit the Jaguar Rescue center
The non-profit Jaguar Rescue center provides a refuge for animals rescued from the roadside or that are abandoned by their owners. The rescue center is a temporary home for the animals to be restored to health and rehabilitated so that they can be released in the wild again.
During your visit you will see different reptiles, cheetahs, sloths, monkeys, deer’s, toucans, wild cats and many more beautiful animals.
You can easily visit the rescue center by yourself. You can bike in the direction of Manzanillo. You can’t miss the entrance on your right side. Or you can take a bus that will drop you off near the entrance.
The rescue center offers guided tours. These are available from Monday to Saturday from 9.30 AM and 11:30 AM. The tour lasts 90 minutes and are around 18 USD. I recommend showing up 15 minutes early. The guided tours are always in high demand and quickly sold out. If you want to prebook a tour, you can book it online. You can also combine a visit to the rescue center with a visit to Playa Punta Uva and a jungle hike.
3. Visit Cahuita national park
For those who came to Costa Rica to see all of the wildlife, visiting Cahuita National Park is a must! Cahuita is 20 kilometers from Puerto Viejo and has a 8 kilometer hiking trail that will take you through of the most beautiful rainforests you have ever seen.
The park is open from 8 AM to 4 PM and the entrance is free. However, there is a compulsory donation for preserving the park.
There are a few things you can do inside Cahuita like hiking, snorkeling and chill on the beach (Puerto Vargas and Playa Blanca). You can easily visit Cahuita as a daytrip from Puerto Viejo. You only have to get a public bus, get a taxi or rent a car. If you are with 4 people, getting a taxi or renting a car wouldn’t be that expensive.
However, if you prefer to book a tour and learn more about the National Park and the wildlife, there are a few different tours you can do. You can combine the National Park with a visit to the waterfalls or do a full day tour.
If you don’t feel like prebooking a tour, there are always guides at the entrance of the park that offer to be your guide. They will ask you no more than 20 USD.
4. Go beach hopping
Puerto Viejo has a lot of dreamy beaches with white sand, turquoise water and beautiful palm trees. The best way to visit all of these beaches is to rent a bike and start biking the 30 kilometers total. You can spend every day on a different beach, which makes Puerto Viejo also the perfect place to do fun activities on a budget.
Save these beaches and try to visit as many as you can:
- Playa Punta Uva
- Playa Chiquita
- Playa Cocles
- Playa Arrecife
- Playa Negra
- Playa Grande
5. Visit an indigenous village
If you are in Puerto Viejo, I recommend making your way to the Caribbean Coast where you can experience the Bribri indigenous culture.
The Bribri people are the largest group of indigenous people in Costa Rica. They were isolated for many years; this is why they speak their own language. They live in the mountains along the Caribbean Coast in the Talamanca region of Costa Rica. They mostly live of their land and grow banana, yuca, plantain corn and cacao.
Most people visit the village to do a chocolate tour in Bribri. Here you can see and taste the chocolate making process from start to finish. The Bribri people also offer other aspects to get to know their traditions and culture like, meeting with a local shaman or visiting an iguana farm.
6. Visit the local’s farmer’s and flea market
Set between the main and the coastal road you can find the Puerto Viejo farmer’s and flea market. The flea market is open every day and has a good mix of recycled clothing, housewares, and handmade jewelry.
The local farmer’s market is every Saturday. Here you can buy organic, seasonal, and dried fruits, vegetables and little snacks like cookies, empanadas and chocolate wrapped palm leaves. The palm leaves are sold by the indigenous people from Bribri.
Make sure you arrive early at the farmer’s market to have first dibs on the freshest products.
Puerto Viejo is the perfect place in Costa Rica to catch a break and enjoy the calmness that the Caribbean Coast brings. You can find more Central America blogs on my website to help you with your itinerary.
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