Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a coastal town in Talamanca in Limón Province in southeastern Costa Rica. Known for it’s laidback attitude and famous for it’s surfing, Puerto Viejo was once known als Old Harbour. The town’s cultural influences are an interesting mix of Afro-Caribbean, Bribri Indian, tico (Costa Rican) and lots of colorful characters from Europe, North America and the rest of the world. At the last count some 50 nationalities were represented in this tiny community and it is one of the most attractive spots for the backpacker crowd in Central America too. It is also known in the surfing community for the biggest and most powerful wave in Costa Rica – the “Salsa Brava” (“angry sauce”).
This burgeoning, small town with a great variety of small hotels, cabinas and restaurants in every price range is still a fun place to visit. Along the beach street vendors ply Rasta trinkets and Bob Marley T-shirts, tourists and locals are partying in the tropical climate or enjoy savory, caribbean food and global fusion cuisine. Tourists from Costa Rica and all over the world love Puerto Viejo due to it’s cultural allure, stunning beaches, tropical vegetation and it’s proximity to national parks. A few of Costa Rica’s most spectacular beaches such as Playa Chiquita, Playa Negra, Playa Cocles and Punta Uva can be found on the 12 km stretch along the coast between Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo.
Puerto Viejo manages to hold on to an easy charm and you won’t find any big hotels or resorts there. You can buy organic local produce and rainforest fruit at the public market, visit a cocoa farm or botanical garden, do a variety of sports like surfing, snorkeling, diving, canopy tours, hiking etc. or just ride a bike along the beaches. Then there’s the “South Caribbean Music and Arts Festival” held every year for the four weekends leading up to Easter, and featuring Costa Rican musicians playing a variety of music. You could also visit a Bribri settlement and learn more about the indigenous culture in the area. Or you could do a short trip to the famous island group of “Bocas del Toro” in nearby Panama.