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At the southern end of Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast in the Limon Province, lies Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, a charming and vibrant seaside town with a unique blend of Bribri, Latino and Afro-Caribbean cultures.
It has wonderful beaches with fine volcanic sand lapped by warm water. The Salsa Brava waves that come ashore here are some of the most powerful in Costa Rica and attract surfers from around the world. This stretch of coast that neighbours Panama’s Bocas del Toro Islands is culturally a world apart from the rest of the country. Most residents here are of Afro-Caribbean descent and were drafted in from Jamaica, among other Caribbean islands, to work on banana plantations that still grow this important cash crop.
Visit any of the small laid-back towns around Talamanca and you’ll be greeted by the sounds of reggae and calypso music, the smell of jerk chicken and a challenging local dialect that blends Spanish and English. Talamanca town (called Puerto Viejo by the locals) is a lively place with a variety of bars and restaurants. Its fun to visit but the forest-lined beaches are the biggest draw. Punta Uva, Playa Chiquita and Playa Negra offer scenic spots for a few days rest on the coast.
The Gandoca-Manzanillo Reserve near the Panama border encompasses several rare habitats and hosts some extraordinary wildlife including tapirs, turtles, eagles, caimans and West Indian Manatees in its mangroves.
Cahuita National Park has one of the most stunning beaches in Costa Rica. The park was created in 1970 to protect the country’s largest coral reef and this amazingly colourful underwater world provides some of the best snorkelling and diving in the country. Over 35 species of coral, green turtles, carey turtles, lobsters and manta rays can be seen in the crystal clear waters.
Tell us what you love doing and we’ll curate a journey that’s perfect for you.
A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.
Visiting the Osa Peninsular, one of the top wildlife biospheres in the world, and seeing a pod of 30 humpback whales while snorkelling in the waters of Costa Rica are amongst James’s highlights of Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is simply the best spot in Central America for nature lovers, and is always John’s top recommendation for those wishing to hike, swim, zip, raft, ride or float through outstanding scenery and rich biodiversity.
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01285 601 784Plantations, fincas, primary rainforest and ravines of a truly beautiful wilderness area.
The Pacific Coast stretches from the Nicoya Peninsula in the north to the Osa Peninsula in the south. This coastal plain rises…
According to National Geographic, Corcovado National Park is 'the most biologically intense place on the planet'.
Costa Rica, straddling the tectonic plates of the Pacific and Caribbean, boasts 110 volcanoes, five of which are still active.
The wetlands of Costa Rica are some of the best areas to experience a variety of birds and wildlife.
These may be uncertain times but they are, without a doubt, still full of opportunity to discover the extraordinary safely. Through knowledge and expertise, we can connect you to those destinations embracing travellers with the added confidence of flexible booking and decades of insight.
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