A little something about Puerto Viejo...

 

The Caribbean atmosphere makes Puerto Viejo a favourite among travellers, with clear waters, coconut palms, great surf and a laid-back attitude Puerto Viejo is located on the South Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica, about an hour south of Limon and 4 hours from San Jose, the capital of the country.

Formerly known as a small fishing village, Puerto Viejo has grown rapidly in recent years. The town now boasts many restaurants, bars, hotels and tour companies as well as souvenir and surf shops. Puerto Viejo offers many facilities to ensure an enjoyable visit, be sure you will find all you need in this paradise.

You will also have the opportunity to see and feel where the ocean meets the rainforest! This makes Puerto Viejo a great place to see the wildlife, monkeys, sloths, an amazing variety of birdwatching, not to mention the great snorkel you can do when the water is calm. Travellers can glimpse spectacular wildlife in Cahuita National Park or the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge, which border the town to its north and south, respectively.

Throughout the coast, the Afro-Caribbean presence is strong here and with the influence of foreigners, Puerto Viejo charms visitors with a unique mix of people and cultures. Making Puerto Viejos a fantastic fusion cuisine, incorporating influences from all over the globe.

Just south of Puerto Viejo, visitors will discover the sublime beaches of Playa Cocles, Playa Chiquita and Punta Uva. Cocles is great for moderate to strong surf, for enjoying activities such as sunbathing, swimming, hiking, horseback riding, beach volleyball and soccer. Playa Chiquita, is the perfect golden-sand beach, here the coastline forms a bend surrounded by calm, clear water, this lovely stretch of coast is good for relaxation and enjoying nature unchanged, whether on foot, horseback or simply lying on the beach. Punta Uva, this point is a coral reef where diving is possible, Punta Uvas unique shape makes it ideal for walking all the way to Chiquita and Manzanillo beaches, its a great place for families and kids!

Puerto Viejos climate is unpredictable, this is the rain forest, here can rain at anytime. Typically, the best times to visit Puerto Viejo are during February, March and April or August, September and October.

Deciding what to do and where to go is not always easy, we recommend you to check the tours and activities we offer around Puerto Viejo.

 

Costa Rica Highlights

Costa Rica is a small but very rich country, holding almost 6% of the world´s biodiversity.  Land of beaches, volcanoes, rain forests, waterfalls and rivers, our country occupies a privileged spot in the heart of Central America. We have both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, with 19,652 square miles of territory you can travel from one coast to the other on the same day! The country borders with Nicaragua on the North and Panama on the South.
Costa Rica’s territorial division includes 7 provinces, which are: San José, Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, Guanacaste, Puntarenas, and Limón. San José is the capital of the country. The official language is Spanish, but you will be surprised with the large number of citizens that are bilingual. English is the most common second language in Costa Rica and in most of the areas frequented by tourists you will find signs in English and employees who speak it fluently. In some rural spots however, you will have to communicate with a combination of dictionary words and lively charades. Be prepared to have fun!
Costa Rica is home to around 4 000 000 million people, and is proud of having more than 50 years of democratic life. This tradition has contributed in making our country a welcoming place to visit. Right now we are receiving around 2 000 000 million tourists per year. The national currency is the colon, but dollars can be easily exchanged at banks or stores. Please notice that credit cards are widely accepted in touristic spots, but you can't use them in some of the rural areas, so yes, you will need to have some cash with you.
This beautiful country is considered one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world, it covers only 0.03 % of the surface of the globe but proudly shelters a 6% of the existing biodiversity in the entire world, including more than 800 species of ferns, 1,000 species of orchids, 2,000 kinds of trees, and 200 species of mammals. More than 25.58 % of the country is composed of conservation and natural protected territory.
Located between 8° and 11° north of the equator, Costa Rica enjoys two seasons: the rainy and the dry season. The rainy season generally runs from May to early December and the dry season runs from mid-December through April.

Travel Documents
* Passports
If you are planning to come to Costa Rica, make sure you have a valid passport and that it is not going to expire during the following 6 months from the entry date to the country.
* Visas
Tourist with American, Canadian, and Europeans passports may enter Costa Rica without a visa. Please verify the requirements with the costarican consulate in your country.
* Entry and exit ticket
Please note that all visitors must have an entry and exit ticket as a requirement to enter the country.
* Departure Tax
As you live the country you will have to pay a Departure tax of US$26.00, which can be paid in in cash (US Dollars or Colones) or with credit cards.
Vaccinations
There are no mandatory vaccination requirements to enter Costa Rica. For prevention we recommend travellers be up-to-date on routine vaccines (MMR, DPT, etc.). Note that travellers coming from some African countries as well as Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Guyana must have a yellow fever vaccination certificate to enter the country.
Useful info
* Weather

* Exchange rates

* Maps

* Emergencies
For emergencies dial 911, an operator will take your report and support you while the competent entity communicates with you.
If a traffic accident occurs, vehicles must be left where they are, do not move them. This is because both, the traffic police and the insurance agency must make accident reports before the vehicles are removed, these reports are a requirement by the insurance companies.

Useful phone numbers
Emergency: 911
Directory Assistance: 1113
International Operator: 1116
Transit Police Department: 1117
Fire Deparment: 1118

International Airports
Costa Rica has two international airports:
Juan Santamaria International Airport -main international airport located in Alajuela. Recommended airport.
Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport  -secondary international airport located in Liberia, Guanacaste. Recommended when travelling to the north pacific coast of the country.

Trevor had dreams of becoming an actor turned designer, turned web developer. Two out of three is not bad, but if we ever decide to produce a web advert we know we already have it cast.

Kim loves to make things, from pixel-perfect web graphics to screen printed posters. She has a soft spot for arts & crafts, and Italian wine. In her spare time, she likes to do yoga and take photographs of her dog Cheeta.

LET'S MEET

James Johnson, Principal James Consulting