I live on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Many will tell you that its very different than the rest of the country. I'm here to say that is true. Very true. While the rest of the country is primarily Tico, the Limon province where I am, is not. The port of Limon, which sits about 45 minutes from me, is where Columbus landed in 1502 on his fourth visit. He named it the Gold Coast because of its natural beauty. Due to its inaccessibility, lack of a population center and general difficulty, this coast, and Costa Rica in general were paid little attention. However, not before the transatlantic slave trade brought men and women into Limon. When the banana barons first came into Costa Rica in the 1800s, they needed a steady port to transport the bananas out. That started a huge push to build a railroad from the now capital of San Jose, in the middle of the county. To do that, men were brought in from Jamaica and promised land tracks along the railroad for building. The project started in San Jose and ended here on this coast. The largest concentration of Afro-Caribbean culture in Costa Rica is here on this coast.
As you come down into Puerto Viejo from Limon, there is one road. A main artery that runs continuing through Puerto and down all the way to Manzanillo, where it dead ends into the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife preserve. That preserve goes to the Panamanian border. This little village has about 300 full time residents and if you blink you miss it. However, it is one of my all time favorite places here. The reserve is truly magical. I've seen Capuchin and Howler monkeys, anteaters, poison dart frogs, several species of toucan and macaw, as well as about a dozen other species of tropical bird. I've seen about a dozen lizard species, butterfly species and several great insect species including caterpillars. centipedes, scorpions, millipedes and spiders. We've seen pit vipers as well as other snake species there, and even some caiman. There are a few residents deep inside the reserve and while sitting talking to one, he confirmed to me that he sees the Margate cat several nights a week. There are also rumors of ocelots....but I can't confirm that. I do know we still have them here though.
The reserve hugs the coast and as such, part of it is gorgeous accessible beach with some pretty good tide pools and snorkeling. You have to get there at a decently early time, because once the tide starts to come across the reef break, everything gets a little muddy. The tidepools and the way the reef breaks makes the areas to swim fairly small. This means if you don't get there early, others will be on top of you in the water.
Coming out of the reserve though opens up the coast line to beach, and miles of it. Unless its a weekend or holiday, you will most likely have the beach to yourself, save the occasional local fishermen or family. The guide I use every time I go into the reserve lives in Manzanillo, and has for so long, he helped carve the original trails into the park in the 80s. He told me he has seen an anteater on the soccer field next to the school on occasion.
We often go down on electric scooter for the amazing jerk barbecue, to swim, enjoy the really good bakeries (there are two) and to wander around. There is a profound sense of peace that I have when I am there. Most people get down there and say it doesn't live up to the hype....In my head, I'm always like "what hype?" but then I smile. This place has stayed roughly the same since I first discovered this coast fifteen years ago. Most everything else around it has moved forward the way it always does. It's okay that some people don't get it. It's not for them. The village has a charm in its sleepy stubborn resistence to change, in the way the boats bob up and down in the choppy water before a storm, the way the locals sit out under Maxie's socializing.
If you ever get down here, check it out. It's worth the trek.
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