PUERTO VIEJO – THE TOUCH

Have a drink and relax by the sea, listen to reggae music, watch the sunset.

 Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, originalmente cargada por bordenphoto.
Title: Redemption Song
Artist/Group: Bob Marley

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OTHER VERY NICE THINGS TO DO IN COSTA RICA

·         A visit to the Central Valley and the Volcanoes  Located south of San Jose, this region deserves a visit. Don’t miss Cartago, the oldest city of the country and former capital, established in 1563. The Sunday Market in Cartago is beautiful.
·         Manuel Antonio National Park  Spectacular beaches, bewitching views and lush and green tropical [...]

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WHITE WATER RAFTING – THE PACUARE

This probably was by far the most hilarious part of our trip.  We were staying at the Costa Rica Marriot in San Jose and made reservations for a one day Class IV white water rafting the Pacuare River.  The people of Aventuras Naturales picked up us at the hotel early in the morning and after [...]

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SALSA BRAVA – KILLER 6 METER HEAVY WAVE

One night after dinner I noticed that the boys, always looking for the latest news about waves, winds and swell, were listening carefully to a young man sitting not far from us.  As we knew later, he was a reporter working for a Surf Magazine, who was waiting for the exact moment in which the [...]

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PUERTO VIEJO AND SURROUNDINGS – TINY VILLAGE CHARM

Nowadays Latinos and African residents blend with young surfers, European expats and visitors from all over the world.  Rasta culture, sounds of reggae and calypso come alive in this charming tiny village.   But it wasn’t always the same.  An Afro Caribbean community, mainly Jamaicans, settled along the coast by 1800, founding the villages of Puerto [...]

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EATING – TASTE AND SMELL

A path through the jungle led us to the open air dining room of the “Shawandha”, under a huge palm roof and decorated in a Balinese – Tahitian style, where we really enjoyed our breakfasts and relaxing cocktail hours.  The menu offers fusion cuisine, blending French recipes with tropical flavors, which happens to be a [...]

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OTHER HOTEL OPTIONS IN COSTA RICA

 

Though I recommend  Shawandha Lodge as the best option in Puerto Viejo and surroundings if you are looking for a comfortable, clean, classy atmosphere and charming place, you may as well do a thorough search at  
 www.vacationcity.com/costa-rica/hotels/puerto-viejo
 
In San Jose, we enjoyed a four night stay at the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel San Jose, a feast on [...]

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PUERTO VIEJO SLEEPING – PERFECT JUNGLE SETTING

We had reservations in the SHAWANDHA LODGE for me and my husband and in the PLAYA CHIQUITA LODGE, just across the road, for our kids.  Not that we were willing  to be alone, but there were no other rooms available in the Shawandha by the time we made our reservations, in any case it turned [...]

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PUERTO VIEJO – THE SOUND

The Caribbean Coast music shows a strong african influence as well as popular music genres that include soca, salsa, cumbia and merengue.  The Southern Caribbean is the heart and soul of Costa Rica’s Afro-Caribbean community, the local rhythm is called sinkit, which blends drums and banjos.    
 

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PUERTO VIEJO – Crossing the Mountains

On our way to the Caribbean we took the Braulio Carrillo Highway Nº 32, the road to Limon is marked as Siquirres Highway.  The Braulio Carrillo is a modern highway that bisects the National Park.  By then, it was 10 p.m., and we ventured out to the darkest night I remember, only relying on the [...]

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