Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [437]
Drinking
Restaurants often metamorphose into rollicking bar scenes after the tables are cleared. For excellent people-watching over beer, try Soda Tamara. If you want to see and be seen, hit Koki Beach or Café Viejo.
Tex-Mex (6am-2am) A rowdy open-air bar on the main drag has live music, pool tables and movies on big screens playing most nights. Minty mojitos and Bloody Marys made with fresh tomato juice make this a popular place.
Baba Yaga (8388-4359) Go on Tuesday for ladies’ night, Sunday for reggae night.
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Entertainment
There is plenty to do after the sun goes down – including drink, dance and drink some more.
CINEMA
Jungle Internet plays outdoor movies on the street on most nights after sunset. Pop in during the day to find out what’s playing.
LIVE MUSIC & DANCING
Maritza’s Bar (2750-0003) This nonfancy local spot has regular live bands and DJs that play reggae, rock and salsa, and all the funky beats in between. If you’re lucky, you might just hear a reggae version of the Cuban classic Guantanamera.
Johnny’s Place (1pm-3am) A Puerto Viejo institution, where DJs spin reggaetón, hip hop and salsa to a mix of locals and travelers who take up the dance floor and surround the late-night beach bonfires outside.
El Parquecito (7pm-midnight) On the other side of town, this pleasant outdoor lounge features jamming weekend bands that play reggae and calypso classics – among many other things.
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Shopping
Makeshift stalls clutter the main road, selling all manner of knick-knacks and Rasta-colored accoutrement. For finer crafts, try Lulu Berlu Gallery (2750-0394; 9am-9pm), which carries folk art, one-of-a-kind clothing and mosaic mirrors, among many other items.
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Getting There & Away
All public buses arrive and depart from the bus stop half a block southwest of Maritza’s Bar. Grayline (2262-3681; www.graylinecostarica.com) runs a private daily bus service departing Puerto Viejo at roughly 2:15pm bound for San José (US$35). Reserve ahead.
Bribrí/Sixaola ₡1100; 30 minutes/1½ hours; departs roughly every hour from 6:30am to 7:30pm.
Cahuita/Puerto Limón ₡400; 30 minutes/1½ hours; departs roughly every hour from 5:30am to 7:30pm.
Manzanillo ₡400; 30 minutes; departs 7:30am, noon, 4:30pm and 7:30pm.
San José ₡4100; five hours; departs 7:30am, 9am, 11am and 4pm.
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Getting Around
A bicycle is a fine way to get around town, and pedaling out to other beaches east of Puerto Viejo is one of the highlights of this corner of Costa Rica. You’ll find rentals all over town (in addition to many hotels):
Freedom Motorsport (2750-0728; per half-day US$55; 8am-5pm) Motorized four-wheelers for rent seven days a week.
Tienda Marcos (2750-0303; bicycles per day US$5; 8:30am-5pm)
Tuanis Bike Rental (bicycles per half-/full-day US$4/5; 7am-6pm)
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PUERTO VIEJO TO PUNTA UVA
A 13km road winds east from Puerto Viejo, through rows of coconut palms, alongside coastal lodges and through lush lowland rainforest before coming to a dead end at the sleepy town of Manzanillo. The road was paved for the first time in 2003 – dramatically shortening the amount of time it took to drive or cycle the route. The weather and buses, however, have since done a number on the tarmac and it is now an extravaganza of crater-sized potholes. (Take your time driving, unless you want to lose an axle.)
If you want to stay close to Puerto Viejo while having access to a nice beach, Playa Cocles has a good mix of isolation and amenities, offering a wide variety of places to stay and eat. After that, the pickings get thin until you get closer to Punta Uva, where you’ll find a cluster of lodges and restaurants – as well as one of the prettiest beaches in the region.
Buses heading from Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo will drop you at any of these places along the way.
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Sights
Admittedly, Echo Books (11am-6pm Fri-Tue; ) is a strange place for a bookstore