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A First Person Account of a Recent Volunteer Trip to the Caribbean of Costa Rica.
Before going to Costa Rica, I was searching for a new life experience. I thought that maybe volunteering for people in need would help me to reach this objective. I couldn’t make up my mind right away and spent a lot of time thinking about the destination and what kind of volunteering I wanted to do. This is an important point to consider. You cannot decide any random volunteer abroad program online without having a specific goal. Choosing Costa Rica met my goals of wanting to discover a new culture, a new language and the natural beauty of the country.

Once I made up my mind on the destination, I had to find an organized program that met my expectations. I chose a non-profit organization rather than a ‘voluncation’ travel agency because I thought they would be closer to the local people
Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast was one of the last regions to become connected to the rest of the country. It was only in 1987 that the first paved road linked the regional capital of Limon to San Jose meaning that for most of the country’s history, the Afro-Caribbean east coast communities developed in almost complete isolation from the rest of Hispanic Costa Rica.


Sea bird near Cahuita National Park, Costa Rica. Photograph: Matthew Barker 2008
Talking with Mrs. Rose, the elderly owner of a small guesthouse in the sleepy coastal town of Cahuita, the Costa Rica of her childhood sounded a universe apart from the country I was traveling through.
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca (not to be confused with Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí in the northern lowlands) is a decidedly Caribbean concoction of perfect beaches, spectacular surfing and laid-back attitude, spiced up with the most happening music, nightlife and restaurant scene on the coast. It’s touristy – and more and more expats are moving here every year. But if you can let go of getting in touch with ‘the real Costa Rica’ for a moment, you’ll have a blast.

As throughout the southern Caribbean coast, the Afro-Caribbean presence is strong here: locals sometimes refer to the town by its patois name ‘Walaba,’ and coconut-scented odors and reggae music emanate from the doorways. With the influx of foreigners, however, you might hear German or French on the streets sooner than patois. Puerto Viejo’s kitchens are now turning out fantastic fusion cuisine, incorporating influences
We were planning a trip to the Pacific side of Costa Rica in September or October however, I have noticed some resorts are closed during these months. I assume do to rain. Is this a bad time to visit? Should I stick with the Guanacaste area or Carribean side?

September and October are absolutely great on the Caribbean side, the ocean is calm and clear and generally no rain.There are however no big resorts on this side of the country, no high rise or golf courts either. But we do have beautiful beaches, rainforest, nice places to stay and good restaurants...
The food here is so fresh and flavorful...I haven't had a meal, smoothie or other drink that I haven't liked! The breakfasts here are very good - nothing like fresh eggs and fruit from this verdant place. Gallo Pinto is what they call a typical Costa Rican breakfast - eggs, rice and beans, fresh fruit. There are variations at different restaurants and "Soda's" - a Soda is a small outdoor local eating place with a simple menu.

And the coffee.....they say here that Juan Valdez of Columbia drinks Costa Rican coffee! I have had a Mojito - the best ever, and a Pina Colada that was superb. Okay well maybe two. Most of the time, I receive the plate of food and forget to photograph the delectable delights. But fortunately, I remembered to get the camera out a few times. (photos)
Jungle lodges, beach towns and wildlife-watching can all be found on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast, and Caribbean Travel + Life magazine took a look at the area in its April issue.
The magazine says that while the Pacific side of Costa Rica gets most of the visitors to the country, the Caribbean side has rich rainforests and exotic creatures like howler monkeys, bull sharks and crocodiles. Tortuguero National Park is known for its turtles. The wild beaches, with rainforests often reaching right to the shoreline, include Playa Negra, named for its black volcanic sand. Puerto Viejo is known for surfing..
Costa Rica's southern Caribbean coast was one of the last regions to become connected to the rest of the country. It was only in 1987 that the first paved road linked the regional capital of Limon to San Jose meaning that for most of the country's history, the Afro-Caribbean east coast communities developed in almost complete isolation from the rest of Hispanic Costa Rica. Despite recent investments in roads and transport services, Costa Rica's Caribbean coast still feels separate and distant, almost like having two countries rolled into one.But there's a lot more to Puerto Viejo than music, partying and surfing. A slight detour to Punto Uva brought me out onto an almost deserted beach where white sands met turquoise blue water: a beach scene that was almost too cliched to believe.
On the eastern most Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, the small surfing and hippy town of Puerto Viejo exists. I found it to be not too touristy here, but that was probably because it was low season. As opposed to the drunken centre of Bocas de Toro, the vibe we got here was very chilled out and easy going. We were told by another traveler that about a month earlier during Easter, the streets were crowded with people from San Jose, resulting in late night stabbings and drunken brawls. Lucky for us, we didn't find this out until we were somewhere else. Anyways, the beaches here are extremely beautiful, not to mention they had some pretty big surf. The only problem with the surf was, like pretty much everywhere else we surfed on this trip, the breaks were mainly shories. Jason had a few good sessions on the many palm fringed beaches along the south coast of town, while I sat on the beach in
It is called the Gandaco Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge. Gandaco Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge has been the popular choice for most Costa Rica vacation...When traveling or touring another country, you should get the best out of your time especially if you want to go to Costa Rica. Spend time to get to know more about Costa Rica vacation travel information and other necessary details before booking a flight or a package tour to Costa Rica. This effort will ensure that you trip will be the best vacation possible. Search and Find the best time to go to, the tourist destinations that you have to see, hotel accommodations, local restaurants, culture, and more. Being familiar with all these will not only save you time and money but would make your trip more exciting at the same time.

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NEWS AND BLOGS ABOUT CARIBE SUR - THE OTHER COSTA RICA - Puerto Viejo, Manzanillo, Cocles, Chiquita Village, Limón, Costa Rica