Caribbean Coast
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Overview
The wildness of the Caribbean Coast thwarted 16th-century Spaniards in their quest to settle here and isolated the region for centuries afterward, making it distinctly different from the rest of Costa Rica. Influenced by indigenous peoples and West Indian immigrants, the Caribbean's culture has blended slowly and organically.
01 / Attractions
Must-see attractions
Cahuita
At the northwestern end of Cahuita, Playa Negra is a long, black-sand beach flying the bandera azul ecológica, a flag that indicates that the beach is…
Caribbean Coast
This misty, green coastal park sits on a broad floodplain parted by a jigsaw of canals. Referred to as the ‘mini-Amazon,’ Parque Nacional Tortuguero is a…
Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo
Caribbean Coast
Enter this underexplored national park and you will have an idea of what Costa Rica looked like prior to the 1950s, when 75% of the country’s surface area…
Centro Turístico Las Tilapias
Caribbean Coast
Enthusiastic owner Chito is a passionate naturalist who spent 20 years building and introducing wildlife into a 5km canal system just outside Siquirres…
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
West of town, this farm and botanical garden has long produced organic pepper and cacao, along with more than 150 tropical fruits and ornamental plants…
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Nestled into the Cordillera de Talamanca, 15km outside Puerto Viejo, this private 135-hectare reserve is centered on a former finca (farm), on land…
Copetillo Birdwatching/Donde Cope
Caribbean Coast
Guapileño artist-photographer Cope (co-pay) has converted this former tilapia farm into a paradise of hummingbirds, tanagers and other birds, with a…
Puerto Limón
The sea wall offers pleasant views of the rocky headland and the mesmerizing waves crashing against the concrete jetty. After dark this is a popular make…
02 / Plan with a local
03 / Articles
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