Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is the beating heart of Costa Rica's South Caribbean coast, a small, sandy-streeted town where reggae drifts from beach bars and the pace of life matches the slow roll of the waves. The atmosphere is relaxed and multicultural — Afro-Caribbean, indigenous Bribri, and expat communities all mix here.
Surfers come for the Salsa Brava, a powerful reef break that is one of the best waves in Central America when conditions are right. Everyone else comes for the beaches stretching south toward Manzanillo — Playa Cocles, Playa Chiquita, and Punta Uva are all within cycling distance. The Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge protects a stunning stretch of coastline where you can hike through coastal forest, snorkel coral reefs, and spot howler monkeys.
In October and November, the great raptor migration passes overhead at Kekoldi, with thousands of hawks and vultures funnelling along the Caribbean slope. Marine turtles nest at nearby Playa Negra and Gandoca. Further afield, trips to the Bribri indigenous community at Yorkin offer a glimpse of traditional life along the river.