Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [446]
Aquamor Talamanca Adventures (2759-9012; www.greencoast.com/aquamor.htm) Shawn Larkin’s highly recommended outfit is devoted as much to conservation as recreation. As well as diving packages, staff also lead kayak and snorkeling tours (per person US$40) and rent equipment for independent use.
ATEC (Map; 2750-0191/398; www.ateccr.org; half-day/full-day hikes US$35/50) This community organization, based in Puerto Viejo, offers a variety of tours into the refuge. Check the website for the latest offerings.
Casa de Guías (2759-9064) A much-needed, though poorly organized initiative to hook up travelers with local guides. Offers guided hikes (four hours US$35) and turtle-watching. Also, enquire about boat tours and sportfishing.
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Sleeping & Eating
There are many options for sleeping and eating in the village of Manzanillo (Click here). Five kilometers southeast of the village, you’ll find Punta Mona (8321-8788; www.puntamona.org; dm incl 3 meals US$45, transportation US$10; ), an organic farm and retreat center that is an experiment in permaculture design and sustainable living. Covering some 40 hectares, it grows more than 200 varieties of edible fruits and veggies, which comprise about 85% of the huge vegetarian meals that are included in the daily rate. Check the website for myriad volunteer opportunities here. To arrange accommodations and transport, email ahead or visit the farm’s office in Puerto Viejo, which is located behind ATEC (Map).
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BRIBRí
This bustling, no-stoplight town in the foothills of the Talamanca mountains lies at a bend in the paved road that connects Cahuita to Sixaola and the Panama border. There is little in the way of traveler trappings here – the village is primarily an agricultural center and a spot for nearby indigenous communities to take care of errands. Though it has little in the way of sights, it makes for a pleasant place to break away from the tourism industrial complex that dominates the coast.
From Bribrí, a 34km road – mostly paved – takes the traveler to the border.
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Information
Banco Nacional (100m north of the bus stop; 8:30am-3:45pm) Changes US dollars; plan on standing in a long line.
Internet Veloz (per hr ₡500; 8am-6pm) Up a flight of rickety stairs from the bus stop.
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Sights & Activities
Nestled into the Talamanca Mountains, 2km outside the village (just beyond the Volio waterfall), is Aiko-logi (2750-2084, 8997-6869; www.aiko-logi-tours.com; day tour incl transport & lunch US$60, overnight stay per person incl meals US$99; ), a private 135-hectare reserve centered around the site of what was once a small finca, on a piece of land fringed with dense primary rainforest. It’s an ideal spot for bird-watching, hiking and splashing around in crisp, clean swimming holes. Day tours from Puerto Viejo and Cahuita can be arranged, as can overnight stays at Aiko-logi’s tent platform. This is a small outfit; reserve ahead.
On the road between Bribrí and Cahuita, just north of the Sixaola turn-off, find the studio of Fran Vásquez (2751-0205), a self-taught folk painter whose colorful acrylic landscapes are well known in Puerto Viejo and San José. Look for a brightly painted sign outside a small, one-story house with chickens in the yard.
You can inquire about tours to indigenous villages at Restaurant Bribrí.
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Sleeping & Eating
There are a few basic lodging options, a supermarket and the requisite Musmanni bakery. Accommodations tend to fill up on market days (Monday and Tuesday).
Cabinas El Piculino (2751-0130; d with/without air-con US$41/28; ) has 22 clean, simple brightly painted rooms with private hot showers; all have TV and most have air-con. Credit cards are accepted. A recommended soda (casados ₡2500; 6:15am-8:30pm Mon-Sat), run by the same family, serves a fine sopa consomé de pollo (chicken soup) as well