I was given many reasons not to travel to the Atlantic coast: no tourists, unsafe for solo women, wetter than the rest of the country. But the lack of tourists was the main appeal for me (even though it was low season everywhere anyway) and I decided I'd take my chances with the rest!

It was a really long day of travel. I decided I did not want to waste time overnight in San Jose in order to maximize my beach time. I took the 6am bus from Manuel Antonio to San Jose (3.5 hours), hopped in a cab to the Caribbean terminal, and took another bus to Puerto Viejo (4.5 hours), arriving around 2:30pm. But I knew I'd be happier waking up there than San Jose.

Puerto Viejo is a pretty sleepy town. The locals assured me it was because of low season, but it was hard to imagine it any other way. It was packed with hotels and bars and restaurants and souvenir shops...but there was such a relaxed air. I found myself walking slower than I've probably ever walked, almost in a daze. I sat and watched people. I layed on the beach and watched the surf. I slowly ate Caribbean-flavored Costa Rican cuisine. It was wonderfully pleasant.

I felt perfectly safe (although it doesn't hurt to be alert) walking around Puerto Viejo at 9-10pm. If people chose to, they could walk off the street into our hotel courtyard at any time, we needed no locks. People were incredibly friendly and happy.

Puerto Viejo

There were buses from Manzanillo to Limon four times per day. There were even more buses from Sixaola that did not pass Manzanillo but went through Cahuita.

I took a bus up to Cahuita (200c) the second day on the coast. Cahuita is an even sleepier town. The roads were full of people walking or riding bikes, very few cars. I was shocked to spot Will at a cafe in town, as we'd never made contact about meeting in Puerto Viejo as I'd hoped. He said he's heard that PV was more surfer-y, and since the bus stopped in Cahuita first, he got off and never regretted it. I wished he was sticking around longer so he could go to Punta Uva with me, but he was on his way back to England that very day...it was totally bizarre running into him.

There is a beautiful park bordering the town, protecting a large coral reef. Monkeys, lizards, land crabs and even snakes abound. Gorgeous beaches. The admission at Cahuita is donation, but at the Puerto Vargas entrance (6K away) it's $6.

I meant to walk much further but by the time I got to the Caribbean side, my hiking adventures seemed so long ago. . . I took everything at a more languid pace. I only spent a few hours in the park before getting out to wander the tiny town. I ate curried fish and bought a mango. There wasn't much more to that day.

Cahuita

The next morning I bused down to Punta Uva (220c). I had the most wonderful time there, and truly cannot wait to return. I described the beach and cabinas more fully in other entries, but suffice it to say it was magical.

The second morning in Punta Uva I took the bus all the way to Manzanillo (220c). The Manzanillo-Gandoco refuge is highly recommended by many (although there are also reports of danger deep into the refuge), but the lazy island air took over!

Manzanillo refuge

The entire town is part of the refuge. At a gringo dive shop I was instructed to simply walk with the water to my right and I'd hit the heart of the refuge eventually. I hiked for no more than an hour and a half before making my way back. It was just too beautiful a day and I wanted to return to "my" beach at Punta Uva. There was no admission fee, so I didn't feel obligated to stay. But what I saw was indeed lovely...coral reefs surrounded the area. When I return I will bring energy enough to explore deeper...I want to see dolphins, manatees, turtles, and crocodiles.

The Caribbean coast and its inhabitants are really lovely and an interesting change from the rest of the country. I definitely recommend including it in a trip to Costa Rica.


Dining on the Caribbean side

Costa Rica's cuisine leaves a great deal to be desired, but the best of the type is found on the Caribbean side. The ubiquitous gallo pinto is usually simmered with coconut milk here and fresh seafood is available at reasonable prices.

PUERTO VIEJO
Cafe Coral—only 650c for one egg with gallo pinto, 750c for two. The owner "Smoky" is very friendly.
Cafe Oro—recommended by Smoky! Reasonable—1700c for dorado (mahi-mahi), including mashed potatoes and rice and beans (of course).
Miss Sam's—recommended in every guidebook I checked out before getting to CR. Extremely popular with the locals, on one of my visits I had to squeeze in for a seat. I got the best breakfast deal there...775c for an egg sandwich on coconut bread, a fresh mango juice, and a big ginger cookie. For lunch, casados include spaghetti and are 1200-1600c. Miss Sam's delicious rice and beans are cooked in coconut milk. Located on the same road as Hotel Puerto Viejo, just walk away from the beach.

PUNTA UVA
Selvin's—Really the only place to eat in the area, as Punta Uva isn't a real town. During low season, he is only open Friday through Sunday (all meals). Luckily, I arrived on a Saturday, but had to return to Puerto Viejo on Monday night for dinner. Had filet of marlin (2200c) one night and whole snapper (2500c) the next. Dinners come with delicious coconut rice and beans, patacones, fries, and a small salad (lettuce! not cabbage!). Ranges up to 5000c for lobster. Worth the delectable food even if you don't stay there.

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