Puerto Viejo was a cool spot with some pretty good beaches and consistent Reggae beat coming out of every bar and restaurant. We ate some incredible food, although I'm sure it can be partly attributed to the fact that we had been eating essentially the same tastes for the last 5 weeks at the hotel in Sarapiqui so anything new was a welcomed change! Some of the standouts were Loco Natural, Cafe Viejo, Chili Rojo and Maxi's all the way down at Playa Manzanillo. OUr first day was spent just chillin and getting settled at our hotel. By the time we were ready to go out, we spent some time at Cafe Viejo, had a local buy us some drinks and welcome us to his town and got a real good vibe right off the bat. Kim was exhausted and called it an early night and I of course was not ready to end the night so I headed out with some of the guys from the show for some reggae at a place that could no
Souley | Submitted 
Reggae Bike Rides and Amazing Food
Posted by
Souley 885 days ago
(http://www.travelpod.com)
Bagels in Costa Rica?
Posted by
Souley 939 days ago
(http://www.travelpod.com)
I have to get up at 4:30am to catch a bus to Puerto Viejo which is in Costa Rica on the Caribbean coast near the border with Panama where I will be for the next few days.Before I begin, this blog probably won't be as interesting as some of the last few because I have not left San Jose since my last blog. But, I know that there are those few out there who would like an update regardless! (And, I of course like sharing, as well all know). Last week, nothing all that exciting happened except a lot of homework, that’s exciting to some people, right? But last weekend I met up with my Cousin Hillary Grey’s friend who is here for the summer. We went to a restaurant called Bagelman’s! Which is most definitely the only bagel place in all of Costa Rica. I had a bagel with cream cheese, lox, and tomato. It was amazing and hit the spot! (It doesn’t compare to Famous, but it was still pretty
Costa Rica Crocs rocks and shocks
Posted by
Souley 943 days ago
(http://www.vueweekly.com)
'Are you sure there aren't any crocodiles in this river?" "Pretty sure. At least that's what the taxi driver said." "It wasn't nearly this deep when we crossed the first time." Earlier in the day, we had taken a jeep-taxi from the small town of Smara, Costa Rica, to nearby Playa Buena Vista. Since coming to Costa Rica, I've had a lot of great surfing experiences. I've seen guys ride the infamous Salsa Brava, a deadly reef break in Puerto Viejo and the biggest wave in the country. I've tried my best on some six- to eight-foot waves in Playa Hermosa, and learned that I'm not ready for them. ...
Adios Congo Bongo Hola Suerre Caribe Hotel
Posted by
Souley 950 days ago
(http://www.travelpod.com)
Well, I survived the night! I barely moved all night because I was scared out of my wits! The morning started with a cold shower. The owner seemed to pride himself on the fact that his houses had hot showers but there must have been a trick to it as there often is here in Costa Rica. Nicole and I quickly agreed that we are not nature people and decided to find a different hotel.
After 45 minutes of walking in the hot, humid weather with nothing to drink, we arrived at Suerre Caribe. .. and immediately booked it. Suerre Caribe is the only hotel in the Puerto Viejo area that has air conditioning! Bonus! Getting served in Costa Rica is a long process as the Ticos are in no hurry... Lunch can be a 90 minute ordeal....Since then, I have learned that there were 5 or 6 muggings there in the last 2 weeks and some locals told the teen group that they should not walk there in
After 45 minutes of walking in the hot, humid weather with nothing to drink, we arrived at Suerre Caribe. .. and immediately booked it. Suerre Caribe is the only hotel in the Puerto Viejo area that has air conditioning! Bonus! Getting served in Costa Rica is a long process as the Ticos are in no hurry... Lunch can be a 90 minute ordeal....Since then, I have learned that there were 5 or 6 muggings there in the last 2 weeks and some locals told the teen group that they should not walk there in
Beach Time Puerto Viejo Province of Limon Costa Rica
Posted by
Souley 951 days ago
(http://www.travelpod.com)
It was wonderful to sleep in a clean, air conditioned room last night. And it was even better to have a nice, hot shower this morning! After a quick breakfast at the hotel, I headed to the beach. I walked along the beach and had fun taking pictures. I also sat on the beach and read on my Kindle. It was so nice and relaxing! The weather was a little cloudy but, later in the morning, the sun was shining enough to give me a bit of ...
Adventurous Escapes Exploring Costa Rica on Horseback
Posted by
Souley 954 days ago
(http://jauntsetter.com)
In February 2006, my husband and I set out on our first horseback riding vacation in Costa Rica. While most people visit the Pacific side of the country, our merry little group traveled from the capital to the rain forest and then down to a small town on the Caribbean side of the country called Puerto Viejo. We spent two-night in Puerto Viejo, one on either end of our excursion into the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge.
On both nights we were free to select our own restaurant for dinner. Based on a glowed review in our Fodor’s guide, we discovered La Pecora Nera, an Italian restaurant that rivals best in the United States and many in Italy.
It was hard to imagine the food would be amazing when the van dropped us off at the end of dirt path. But sure enough once we turned stumbled down the dark road, we found a beautiful and very busy open-air restauran
On both nights we were free to select our own restaurant for dinner. Based on a glowed review in our Fodor’s guide, we discovered La Pecora Nera, an Italian restaurant that rivals best in the United States and many in Italy.
It was hard to imagine the food would be amazing when the van dropped us off at the end of dirt path. But sure enough once we turned stumbled down the dark road, we found a beautiful and very busy open-air restauran
Jungle tours and wildlife watching Travel briefs (AP)
Posted by
Souley 954 days ago
(http://www.thonline.com)
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..
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..
We left consumerism in the dust to explore the real Costa Rica
Posted by
Souley 954 days ago
(http://www.winnipegfreepress.com)
It was that tone that advised us to hitchhike down CR's eastern coast towards Puerto Viejo...When you cross the border from Nicaragua to Costa Rica, you can pay a seven-year-old the equivalent of 50 cents to go get your passport stamped. The boy makes a small commission and you never come in contact with an agent of any sort.
It's just the way it is.
So we're in CR with absolutely no idea of how to get to our desired destination. We'd cabbed to the border deciding just to wing it -- a decision that sometimes works, but other times leaves you amply sampling the national beer in a border cafe, after being told that the last bus to Tamarindo left four hours ago.
But, imagine yourself in this border cafe, amidst coconut-cracker wrappers and hombres con bigotes, suddenly overhearing the words "Guaranteed the Rays will dominate the Sox in the ALCS," coming from
It's just the way it is.
So we're in CR with absolutely no idea of how to get to our desired destination. We'd cabbed to the border deciding just to wing it -- a decision that sometimes works, but other times leaves you amply sampling the national beer in a border cafe, after being told that the last bus to Tamarindo left four hours ago.
But, imagine yourself in this border cafe, amidst coconut-cracker wrappers and hombres con bigotes, suddenly overhearing the words "Guaranteed the Rays will dominate the Sox in the ALCS," coming from
Aguas Claras Playa Chiquita More Sun Less Money
Posted by
Souley 956 days ago
(http://www.concierge.com)
In case you missed the More Sun for the Money piece in the March issue of Condé Nast Traveler, we're doling out the Latin America and Caribbean deals here on the Daily Traveler all month.
Aguas Claras in Playa Chiquita, Costa Rica with cottages going for $70-$220
Set amid hibiscus bushes and palm trees, Aguas Claras is a relaxing retreat three miles south of Costa Rica's lively surfing capital, Puerto Viejo. The inn's five brightly colored stilted chalets are a short walk from the gorgeous (and surfable) Playa Chiquita and have ceiling fans, screened kitchenettes, and sitting areas. Breakfast at the on-site Miss Holly's Kitchen includes a fresh fruit salad, omelets, and baked goods.
Aguas Claras in Playa Chiquita, Costa Rica with cottages going for $70-$220
Set amid hibiscus bushes and palm trees, Aguas Claras is a relaxing retreat three miles south of Costa Rica's lively surfing capital, Puerto Viejo. The inn's five brightly colored stilted chalets are a short walk from the gorgeous (and surfable) Playa Chiquita and have ceiling fans, screened kitchenettes, and sitting areas. Breakfast at the on-site Miss Holly's Kitchen includes a fresh fruit salad, omelets, and baked goods.
Trouble in Puerto Viejo Paradise
Posted by
Souley 956 days ago
(http://www.nydailynews.com)
College friends Emily Howell and Emily Eagen - "The Emilys," they called themselves - felt they had found Eden in Costa Rica. The young women had become pals at Antioch College in Ohio. When Howell ventured to Costa Rica for a semester abroad in 2000, Eagen paid a visit. The country is "better than anywhere," Eagen enthused to her family back in the Midwest. "I have found paradise."
One weekend during Eagen's visit, they rented an SUV and drove to a cabin near the beach in the tourist town of Puerto Viejo, a surfing and nightclub hot spot south of Limon. The Emilys must have felt no particular need to worry about safety. For decades, Costa Rica had been regarded by travelers as the safest Central American nation.
But that reputation was beginning to fray by 2000, especially in coastal towns like Limon. Stickups and carjackings of vacationers were increasing, al
One weekend during Eagen's visit, they rented an SUV and drove to a cabin near the beach in the tourist town of Puerto Viejo, a surfing and nightclub hot spot south of Limon. The Emilys must have felt no particular need to worry about safety. For decades, Costa Rica had been regarded by travelers as the safest Central American nation.
But that reputation was beginning to fray by 2000, especially in coastal towns like Limon. Stickups and carjackings of vacationers were increasing, al
Restaurant Recommendations in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
Posted by
Souley 956 days ago
(http://www.associatedcontent.com)
Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica is a destination often unheard and seldom compared to the popular tourist hot spots such as the Bahamas, Hawaii, Jamaica, or other island getaways; however, from the perspective of someone who has experienced all these destinations, Puerto Viejo is just as worthy of such praise and recognition. Puerto Viejo is an isolated Caribbean paradise, where wild horses roam the streets, beach bums congregate, and the Costa Rican motto of "Pura Vida" or "pure life" is embraced to its fullest. Puerto Viejo is not the ideal destination for the type of traveler who wants to be cooped up in museums for the extent of their trip, but if one is looking for eco-tourism and adventure travel, there is no better place than Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. Costa Rica often garners the attention of ...
Costa Rica continues to protect its ecological beauty
Posted by
Souley 956 days ago
(http://www.sanmarcosrecord.com)
I got my first glimpse of ecology-minded Costa Rica as my plane descended toward San Jose International Airport.
The Central American nation, whose name is Spanish for “rich coast,” has protected about 27 percent of its territory in the form of 24 national parks or nature reserves. In 2008 it ranked first in the Americas and fifth in the world on the Environmental Performance Index, a gauge for quantifying a nation’s environmental policies.
As an ecological tie-in, the purpose of my visit was to explore Selva Verde (Spanish for “green jungle”), one of Costa Rica’s first rain forest resorts with an ecology educational component.
After touching down at the airport, I boarded the lodge’s van for the 42-mile, two-hour ride over an excellent road that ran through the steep, lush, rain-forested mountains. During that time, I caught a glimpse of sprawling
The Central American nation, whose name is Spanish for “rich coast,” has protected about 27 percent of its territory in the form of 24 national parks or nature reserves. In 2008 it ranked first in the Americas and fifth in the world on the Environmental Performance Index, a gauge for quantifying a nation’s environmental policies.
As an ecological tie-in, the purpose of my visit was to explore Selva Verde (Spanish for “green jungle”), one of Costa Rica’s first rain forest resorts with an ecology educational component.
After touching down at the airport, I boarded the lodge’s van for the 42-mile, two-hour ride over an excellent road that ran through the steep, lush, rain-forested mountains. During that time, I caught a glimpse of sprawling
Costa Ricas Best Caribbean Beaches
Posted by
Souley 957 days ago
(http://www.concierge.com)
We've told you about Banana Azul and Aguas Claras, a couple of gems straddling the rasta-hippie enclave of Puerto Viejo on Costa Rica's south Caribbean Coast. I just got back from a week in this tropical paradise, where the jungle-backed beaches are the real draw. Here's the lowdown on the four best beaches, all within a rented-bike ride of Puerto Viejo.
Playa Negra is a peaceful expanse of black sand that curls from Cahuita National Park south into Puerto Viejo. The farther north you stray from town, the more deserted the beach gets; you won't have to hike to far to find your own patch of sand. Best of all, the palm trees fringing the length of Playa Negra are perfectly spaced for hammocks. Banana Azul, which is tucked into the jungle between Puerto Viejo and Cahuita, rents them out or you can pick up one on the cheap from the vendors along Puerto Viejo's main drag.
Playa Negra is a peaceful expanse of black sand that curls from Cahuita National Park south into Puerto Viejo. The farther north you stray from town, the more deserted the beach gets; you won't have to hike to far to find your own patch of sand. Best of all, the palm trees fringing the length of Playa Negra are perfectly spaced for hammocks. Banana Azul, which is tucked into the jungle between Puerto Viejo and Cahuita, rents them out or you can pick up one on the cheap from the vendors along Puerto Viejo's main drag.
health clinic in Puerto Viejo
Posted by
Souley 957 days ago
(http://www.crescent-news.com)
My wife and I just returned from Costa Rica from a very nice vacation. While there It made me think, we live in a great country, freedom, not too many bars on the windows. I visited a local health clinic in a small village in the Caribbean called Puerto Viejo. There was no line up outside, no one waiting for care. I wondered why? I work as a flight nurse in Montana and our ER gets bound up with patients who have sprained ankles, abrasions, minor falls, etc. Some are there because they were in a small fender bender who when they call their insurance company. They say go get checked out, so you can't sue us later. I am thoroughly amazed at what we use an er for? Please excuse the french. We are a lazy bunch of pansies. You wonder why our system is failing? Wake up America. Read, educate your selves. We are not entitled to anything. What made our country great? Signe
Waiting in line
Waiting in line
Munoz and Vindas claim Curcuito Nacional de Surf Daystar
Posted by
Souley 957 days ago
(http://www.surfersvillage.com)
With Torres out, the youngster Muñoz made it all the way to the Open final heat, won it, and grabbed the 2008-2009 Costa Rica National Costa Rica Surf Championship title. The win was culmination of a hat-trick for Muñoz, as the surfer from Esterillos also won the Championship titles for the Junior and Boys categories as well.
The situation in the Open was that Torres needed to reach at least 5th place in this date to earn the national title, but in his semifinal heat, the surfer couldn’t find the waves, and came in 4th place. With Torres situated at 7th in the Gran Finals Terraza – Reef, this opened a window for Jaco’s Jairo Pérez and Muñoz to fight for the championship with the points earned with the 6 stars of the date.
The situation in the Open was that Torres needed to reach at least 5th place in this date to earn the national title, but in his semifinal heat, the surfer couldn’t find the waves, and came in 4th place. With Torres situated at 7th in the Gran Finals Terraza – Reef, this opened a window for Jaco’s Jairo Pérez and Muñoz to fight for the championship with the points earned with the 6 stars of the date.
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NEWS AND BLOGS ABOUT CARIBE SUR - THE OTHER COSTA RICA - Puerto Viejo, Manzanillo, Cocles, Chiquita Village, Limón, Costa Rica