What to do in Puerto Viejo - 9 fun activities

Puerto Viejo is a small laid back village in the southeast of Costa Rica. It is located on the Caribbean coast about 4.5 hours drive from San Jose. It is also only a 40 minute drive from the border with Panama. It's super chill, with a wonderfully relaxed vibe. The Caribbean and Jamaican influence can be clearly seen and tasted. There is no shortage of beautiful beaches and fun relaxing activities. There is a good chance that you will want to stay longer than planned. Discover the best things to do in Puerto Viejo here!

Rent a scooter

For only €20 a day you can easily rent a scooter in Puerto Viejo. This allows you to tour around the beautiful environment. You can also visit the beautiful beaches and nature parks in the area. Renting a bicycle is also possible, if you prefer. You can rent these for about €8 a day.

Jaguar rescue centre

The Jaguar rescue center is a shelter for animals that are injured or sick. This may be because they have been hit by a car, attacked by a pet, or have been kept as pets themselves. The goal is to make sure they get better and stronger so that they can eventually be released again. In the Jaguar centre you mainly see sloths, birds and monkeys. You can do a tour that costs €24 and has a duration of about 1.5 hours. More info about the shelter and tours or if you want to make a donation, you can do it here.

Cahuita national park

Want to see even more wildlife? Then you should pay a visit to cahuita national park. You can easily spot raccoons, sloths, howler monkeys and capuchin monkeys here. In addition to the animals, you can also admire the beautiful beaches. This way you have a nice variety between beautiful beaches on the one side and a green jungle with animals on the other. Want to know more? Read it in

Chocolate tour

Much of Central America, especially the Caribbean side, is known for chocolate making. So is Puerto Viejo. For $28 you can take a tour where you learn how they grow cocoa, dry it and then make it into chocolate. Of course you can help and taste!

Manzanillo park

Another nature park near Puerto Viejo is Manzanillo park. You can easily get here by scooter or bicycle. If you go by bike, we recommend that you leave as early as possible because of the heat. The park itself is free but a donation is requested. A donation of about 3000 colon per person is appreciated. The park mainly consists of beautiful beaches and scenic views. We recommend walking only the first 3 km of the trail and then turning back. Firstly, because there isn't much to see after that. And secondly, because the path has been getting worse and worse after that. The first part is the best part!

Kayaking at Punta Uva

Punta Uva is located at the mouth of the river near Puerto Viejo. You can rent a kayak at several places here. It will cost you €20 for 1.5 hours. You can choose to go out to sea by kayak and admire the beaches from a distance. You can also choose to go up the river where you imagine yourself in the middle of the jungle. The second is the most recommended.

Visit playa Negra

Playa Negra is located from Puerto Viejo up towards Cahuita. It is a tropical beach with palm trees and consists entirely of black sand. Make sure you go near the Banana Azul resort. It is very quiet there and you have the beach almost to yourself. You can choose to go a little closer to the village to rent a surfboard and enjoy surfing. But be aware that the waves here are quite rough, and therefore perhaps not great for a beginner to brave.

Trip to Bocas del Toro

As you read above, Puerto Viejo is only about 40 minutes from the border with Panama. This makes it easy to take a day trip to Bocas del Toro. You can do this easily by shuttle or local bus. Bocas del Toro is als een klein Costa Rica met heerlijke eilandvibes.

Our favorite addresses

For a delicious breakfast you can go to Bread and Chocolate. Here you can eat a delicious bagel, sandwich or granola with yogurt. 

If you like sushi we recommend you Wolaba fusion . The sushi is delicious and not terribly pricey!

If you really want to try Caribbean food, then you should definitely go to Cocomar comida caribeña Here you can order a delicious Caribbean dish for a nice price.

We also loved Chile Rojo we highly recommend. Here you can enjoy delicious Asian food. It is certainly one of the best Asian restaurants in all of Costa Rica.

Er zijn veel hotels en hostels in de buurt van Puerto Viejo te vinden. Deze kunnen enorm verschillen in prijs. Maar je vindt hier  vooral ook heel veel cabinas. Wil je goedkoop slapen, op een plek waar je ook zelf kunt koken? Slaap dan in Casitas Jungle of Cabinas KiaMimi. Het ligt wel iets meer afgelegen van het dorp, maar is prima te doen met tuc tuc, fiets of scooter.

Puerto Viejo is generally a cheap part of Costa Rica. Hotels and food are slightly less pricey than in the rest of Costa Rica. Read more about the the costs in the rest of Costa Rica. Or read our tips to save money easily.