Travelling to Puerto Viejo in Costa Rica? Here are some activities to do in the great outdoors.
Explore the town
The coastal community of Puerto Viejo is a great area with beaches, savoury restaurants, and tourist shops. The locals are very friendly and you’ll find many tourists taking advantage of all that the Caribbean side of Costa Rica has to offer.
Rent a bike
There are bike rentals available from local shops in town. Go cycling and explore where you can travel along the coast or more inland on some trails.
Black Sand Beach
Have you ever been on a beach with black sand? If not, you’ve got the perfect opportunity to put your feet in the black sands of Black Sand Beach. It’s a great place for relaxing and to take a swim in the warm waters of the Caribbean.
Surf lesson
If you’d like to have a proper surf lesson, you can hire a certified instructor to teach you the basics and help you to catch your first waves. The cost is about 40-50 USD. If you don’t require an instructor, you can rent a surfboard about 20 USD.
Cahuita National Park
If you like to do a little hiking, wildlife viewing and swimming, Cahuita is a great place to mix all of these activities. During our hike, our nature guide pointed out some wildlife we would never have been able to find on our own. We saw iguanas, snakes, monkeys, raccoons, turtles, birds and about 10 sloths. I recommend bringing a pair of binoculars to see the sloths as they are high up in the trees. At the end of the park, there’s a stunning beach to take a dip and cool off after your walk. The park is approximately 20 minutes from the town of Puerto Viejo.
Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge
Along the border of Costa Rica and Panama is a wildlife refuge that hosts various species of mammals such as sloths, raccoons and different kinds of monkeys. Learn about these animals native to Costa Rica and don’t forget to take your camera, good walking shoes, and some insect repellent.
Snorkelling
If you’d like to do some snorkelling, you can find in Manzanillo coral, fish, sea turtles, nurse sharks, and octopus. Don’t miss out on exploring the areas of Monkey Point and Grape Point.
Chocolate making tour
Some of the famous chocolate that is made in Belgium and Switzerland, the cocoa comes from Costa Rica. Learn about how it is roasted and processed and try to make it yourself and taste your creation. Chocolate without sugar is a little bidder so you can add some sugar to it if you’d like or taste the real raw ingredient.
La Isla Botanical Gardens
On the outskirts of Puerto Viejo is a tropical farm that was originally a cacao plantation. Nowadays it’s a botanical garden with different species of colourful plants, frogs, birds, and reptiles. You can try some homemade fruit beverages and chocolate.
Fire show
There are some very talented locals who will do some fire shows at local restaurants or bars. Ask the staff at your accommodation on how to contact them to do a private show for you. You might be able to request for the performers to do a performance at your hotel.
