In this post, I’ll share 9 Puerto Viejo beaches you need to visit on Costa Rica’s paradisaical Caribbean coast.
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About Puerto Viejo
There is a bit of a competition in Costa Rica, between the Pacific (west) and the Caribbean (east) coast.
The majority of tourists will visit only the Pacific coast, and many experienced Costa Rica travellers swear the Pacific has the best beaches in the country.
But I am firmly on team Caribbean!
Yes, the Pacific Coast is beautiful, and the beaches are undeniably stunning. But there’s just something about the Caribbean for me.
Puerto Viejo is the main tourist hub in Costa Rica’s Caribe Sur, or South Caribbean region. The area encompasses a string of beaches in the Limon Province, and they are the epitome of paradise.
Powdery white sands, swaying palm trees and warm, turquoise blue waters, the Puerto Viejo beaches belong on a postcard.
The Pacific is known for surfing, and whilst the Caribbean does have a short season between January – March, most of the year the waters are like a giant swimming pool, perfect for floating around. This is my ideal beach!
So if you’ve been smart enough to include the Caribe Sur on your Costa Rica itinerary, don’t miss these 9 beaches in and around Puerto Viejo.
How to get to Puerto Viejo
- 🚙 By car – like everywhere in Costa Rica, getting to Puerto Viejo is best done with your own rental car. It will give you a lot more freedom when choosing somewhere to stay and to get around the area. It is approximately 3.5 – 4 hours drive from San Jose.
- 🚌 By bus – you can get to Puerto Viejo via bus from San Jose. It is via Transportes MEPE and departs from their terminal in San Jose located here.
- 🚐 By tourist shuttle – otherwise, you can opt for a tourist shuttle. More expensive than the bus, but more reliable and stress-free, especially if you don’t want to go via San Jose, a shuttle will pick you up from your accommodation and drop you off in Puerto Viejo. There are direct shuttles from many different destinations around Costa Rica, like Manuel Antonio, La Fortuna or Tortuguero.
Getting to the Puerto Viejo beaches
- 🚲 By bike – the best way to get around in Puerto Viejo is by bicycle. Most beaches are within a few miles of town, off Route 256, which is flat and very easy to ride along. Your accommodation might offer bikes, otherwise, try Puerto Viejo Bike Rentals.
- 🚗 By car – if you’ve driven to Puerto Viejo in a rental car, you’ve got complete flexibility.
- 🚌 By bus – buses run north from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita, and south to Manzanillo. All the beaches on this list are easily accessed from bus stops.
- 🛺 By tuk-tuk – there are tuk-tuks around Puerto Viejo that can drop you off at beaches. If you’re going to a more distant beach, just be aware there might not be any around to take you back.
9 Best Puerto Viejo beaches
OUR ESSENTIAL ITEMS FOR A BEACH DAY 🏖️
We are massive beach bums and one of our favourite things to do when travelling is explore as many beaches, islands and slices of coastline as we can. These are all our must-haves for a perfect day at the beach…
- 🧖🏽♀️ Dock & Bay towels: none of these tiny microfiber travel towels that barely go around your waist with the ickiest feeling! These towels are light, big, sand-free and dry super fast.
- 💨 Blow-up pillows: these babies were one of our best purchases. We bring them on all our trips to use on planes, buses, camping or if hotels have terrible pillows. But their best use is at the beach, ultimate comfort to lay on your towel and read a book.
- 📓 Kindle: Brayden and I won’t leave home without our Kindles in our bags. An afternoon lying on the beach reading our books is our idea of heaven. Even if you think ‘you only like paper books’, trust me, a Kindle will change your life, especially for travelling. I’ve levelled up and gotten even boujier with this remote, so I can turn the page hands-free, what a world we live in haha!
- 💦 Insulated water bottle: to stay hydrated, avoid single-use plastic bottles and drink COLD water. We are big Yeti fans.
- 🏝️ Sand-free beach mat: we only bring this if we’re on a specific tropical trip, but if you’re going to be beaching every day, having an extra mat to lie on instead of your towel is a treat! It’s sand-free, water repellent and comes with plastic pegs so it doesn’t blow away in the wind.
- 🌴 Hammock: another item we don’t always bring, but if we know we’re primarily going to be on beaches/islands, this lightweight travel hammock is amazing. The new rope system is so easy to string up anywhere with clips (instead of tying hundreds of knots).
- 👜 Tote bag: when I’m travelling, I can’t pack all my usual beach stuff, like my big beach bag I have at home. Instead, I bring this canvas tote bag, but it’s bigger and sturdier than the standard ones, with tons of pockets to organise your stuff.
- 👝 Dry bags: we also always use dry bags (aka dry sacks) to protect our electronics at the beach, and to keep our dry stuff dry, even when we’re chucking in wet towels and swimmers.
1. Playa Punta Uva Arrecife
- 🏖️ Best for – picture-perfect Caribbean beach
- 📍 Location – Google Maps
- 📏 Distance from Puerto Viejo – 9 km / 5.5 mi
- 🚗 How to get there – drive, ride a bike from Puerto Viejo, or take the bus to Manzanillo and get off outside of Punta Uva
- 🅿️ Parking – free areas to park cars or bikes right behind the beach
- 🚻 Amenities – virtually nothing at the prettiest (southern) end of the beach, a handful of restaurants in the northern end
- 🤿 Activities – swimming, sunbaking, snorkelling
If you’re looking for a postcard Caribbean beach in Puerto Viejo, Playa Punta Uva Arrecife is the one!
Punta Uva is a small village south of Puerto Viejo that is actually home to a couple of different beaches. Most people just lump them all together as ‘Playa Punta Uva’, but this has created a bit of confusion.
Punta Uva means ‘Grape Point’ in English, and as the name suggests, there is a rocky point that divides the bay into two main beaches.
What most people are looking for when they come to Punta Uva is Playa Punta Uva Arrecife meaning Punta Uva Reef Beach.
This is where you’ll find the swaying palm trees, powdery white sand, crystal clear waters and coral reefs.
It doesn’t help matters that the labels on Google Maps are wrong too, but if you’re looking for the most beautiful beach in Puerto Viejo, head for this exact location.
We spent hours lazing under a palm tree, drinking fresh coconuts straight from the tree, and floating in the calm, warm waters. It was paradise!
🌴 To find out more about this beach and the Punta Uva area, check out our guide
Our top accommodation choices near Playa Punta Uva Arrecife
2. Playa Punta Uva
- 🏖️ Best for – kayaking and sloth spotting
- 📍 Location – Google Maps
- 📏 Distance from Puerto Viejo – 8 km / 5 mi
- 🚗 How to get there – drive, ride a bike from Puerto Viejo, or take the bus to Manzanillo and get off outside of Punta Uva
- 🅿️ Parking – limited parks for cars or bikes right behind the beach
- 🚻 Amenities – kayak rentals, a hotel with a restaurant behind the beach
- 🤿 Activities – kayaking, hiking, surfing
Playa Punta Uva is the other beach in Punta Uva, to the north of the point. Many people come here expecting to find Arrecife Beach, but this is quite different.
Playa Punta Uva is still a beautiful beach, but it’s a lot rougher, with deeper, darker-toned water. It’s worth visiting though, as there are some different activities on offer here.
A river known as Sloth Point empties onto the beach here. You can rent a kayak and paddle upstream looking for sloths and other wildlife.
When we visited, it lived up to its reputation and we spotted 3 sloths! Including one climbing down from a tree to do his weekly business.
If the conditions are calm enough, you can kayak in the ocean too, out to the point where there are some unique sea caves.
Depending on the season, the water can be really rough here, and it becomes a surf spot.
It’s possible to walk onto the point instead, with some gorgeous jungle trails. You get a decent view of the sea caves from land, and a great vantage point to look at the beaches on both sides of Punta Uva.
🦥 Read more about Sloth Point and Playa Punta Uva in our guide
Our top accommodation choices near Playa Punta Uva
3. Playa Negra
- 🏖️ Best for – swimming close to town
- 📍 Location – Google Maps
- 📏 Distance from Puerto Viejo – 0.5 km / 0.3 mi
- 🚗 How to get there – walk
- 🅿️ Parking – on-street parking if driving
- 🚻 Amenities – chairs and tables
- 🤿 Activities – swimming, sunbathing
Playa Negra, meaning Black Beach in English, is a unique black sand beach just outside the centre of Puerto Viejo.
True to its name, the sand really is black! It is really strange how different the beaches can be, with Playa Blanca (White Beach) just up the road from here.
Playa Negra was our favourite beach near Puerto Viejo to go swimming. For most of the year, it is a calm bay with few waves, and the water is deep and sandy enough to swim and dive.
It’s an easy walk from town, and the bay stretches on for quite a while so you can always find a quiet spot.
There is a row of palm trees growing on the shore, providing shade to lay under. The location I pinned above was our favourite part of the beach, as there were some concrete tables and chairs under the palms to leave your things on. Black sand is very fine and gets stuck on everything!
The palm trees here were also loaded with coconuts, hanging low enough to reach with some shoulder rides. Bring a knife and straw to enjoy some fresh cocos while you sunbake.
There aren’t any amenities on the beach, but the main road runs behind it, so you’re not too far away from drinks, food or a bathroom if you need it.
We loved that it was quiet and there weren’t any vendors to bother you. The perfect place to relax with a book.
Our top accommodation choices near Playa Negra
4. Playa Puerto Viejo (aka Chino Beach)
- 🏖️ Best for – sunsets and restaurants on the beach
- 📍 Location – Google Maps (Playa Puerto Viejo) and Google Maps (Chino Beach)
- 📏 Distance from Puerto Viejo – in town
- 🚗 How to get there – walk
- 🅿️ Parking – on-street parking if driving, plenty of places to lock up bikes
- 🚻 Amenities – mixed in different parts of the beach but close to everything in town
- 🤿 Activities – tidal pools, eating and drinking on the beach, watching the sunset
Playa Puerto Viejo is basically a collection of all the beach areas in the centre of town.
It’s not really one beach due to the rocky geography of the area, it’s just different patches of sand to enjoy.
Chino Beach is one small section of this area, named for the small tienda behind the beach that is referred to as ‘El Chino’ (in this part of Costa Rica and Panama, supermarkets and convenience stores are referred to as ‘Chinos’).
The whole area is very rocky, so in most areas, the water is not deep enough to swim. There are some large sandy pools that are great to sit and float in, mostly concentrated around here in front of Salsa Brava Restaurante.
There are a couple of shipwrecks around this area too. This one is the bigger one, it even has trees growing on it. It’s possible to swim out to the old boat, climb up and jump in the water.
The beauty of this area is being able to walk just steps from your accommodation to the beach, enjoy a morning coffee, sit under a palm tree and read a book or have a meal or cocktail right on the sand.
We loved Puerto Pirata Tiki Bar which did a great happy hour from 5 pm – 7 pm, with all cocktails 1,000 Colones off. Try the green jaguar, it was absolutely delicious!
You can catch the sunset from any of the beaches around here, and we were treated to a gorgeous glow-up on our final night in Puerto Viejo.
Our top accommodation choices near Playa Puerto Viejo
- 💰 Roots Family
- 💰💰 Casa BOHÖ
- 💰💰💰 Namu Hotel Garden & Spa
5. Playa Cocles
- 🏖️ Best for – surfing
- 📍 Location – Google Maps
- 📏 Distance from Puerto Viejo – 2.5 km / 1.5 mi
- 🚗 How to get there – drive, bike ride or walk
- 🅿️ Parking – lots of trees to lock up bikes behind the beach, car parks on the road
- 🚻 Amenities – surfboard rentals and lessons, lounge rentals, restaurants and food stalls behind the beach
- 🤿 Activities – surfing, swimming, sunbathing
Playa Cocles is the heart of surfing in Puerto Viejo.
Although the waves are very seasonal (surf season is usually January – March) there are usually at least some waves at Playa Cocles year-round.
There are surfboards lined up for rent along the sand, but you’ll be lucky to find anyone awake to rent you one. You can organise lessons here too.
The beach is long, wide and sandy with lots of room to spread out without it feeling crowded.
The swell was quite small when we visited, so we enjoyed swimming here. But it is definitely rougher than other beaches in the area, with strong currents.
Just offshore is Isla Cocles, which you can paddle out to if the conditions are right.
Palm trees line the shore, and there are food carts set up on the road. Keep your eyes out for the ladies selling patties, they are Costa Rica’s version of empanadas, and for 1,000 Colones they are delicious!
Playa Cocles has become more than just a beach and is now a mini suburb of Puerto Viejo.
Restaurants, accommodations and supermarkets line the road behind the beach, and it’s common to stay around this area.
We stayed in the jungle behind Playa Cocles at Casa Eden and had everything we needed in this area without needing to ride into Puerto Viejo unless we wanted to.
Our top accommodation choices near Playa Cocles
6. Playa Chiquita
- 🏖️ Best for – a peaceful and empty beach
- 📍 Location – Google Maps
- 📏 Distance from Puerto Viejo – 6 km / 3.5 mi
- 🚗 How to get there – drive, ride a bike from Puerto Viejo, or take the bus towards Manzanillo
- 🅿️ Parking – lots of trees to lock up bikes behind the beach, car parks on the road
- 🚻 Amenities – nothing
- 🤿 Activities – beach walking, swimming, wildlife spotting
Playa Chiquita is the next beach south of Playa Cocles. The unique thing about this beach is the difficulty of accessing it.
Unless you know where to look, it seems the beach is completely private with a few accommodation options concealed in the rainforest.
But there are a few narrow paths leading through the forest that provide public access to the beach. The most well-known path is near to Paradise Beach Restaurant, but there are plenty more if you keep your eyes peeled.
There are no amenities on the beach. It’s blissfully quiet and peaceful.
Bring everything you need (food, drinks etc.) but do be wary of leaving your belongings on the beach while you swim. Thefts have occurred in the past.
If you’re lucky, you might spot birds like macaws flying overhead, and listen out for noisy howler monkeys playing in the trees.
The beach stretches on for quite a while with a few different sections divided by rocky outcrops. The conditions vary a lot depending on where you are on the beach. Some parts are calm and good for swimming, but others can be quite rough with rocks and corals.
At low tide, you can walk the entire stretch of beach, from the end of Playa Cocles in the north to Playa Punta Uva in the south. Follow this trail on AllTrails.
Our top accommodation choices near Playa Chiquita
7. Playa Puerto Vargas (Cahuita National Park)
- 🏖️ Best for – swimming and cooling off after hiking
- 📍 Location – Google Maps
- 📏 Distance from Puerto Viejo – 13 km / 8 mi
- 🚗 How to get there – drive or take the bus from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita. Enter the national park and hike to the beach (Puerto Vargas entrance is closest to this particular beach)
- 🅿️ Parking – if driving, you can park your car at either entrance to the national park
- 🚻 Amenities – toilets and showers
- 🤿 Activities – swimming, sunbathing
Some of the best Puerto Viejo beaches are found inside the Cahuita National Park, north of town in neighbouring Cahuita.
Of the beaches inside the park, Playa Puerto Vargas was our favourite, for a few reasons.
Firstly, it’s much quieter than the other beach, Playa Blanca. This is because a lot of visitors don’t hike the entire trail through the park, and Playa Puerto Vargas is at the opposite end of the park to the main entrance.
🌴 We actually entered Cahuita NP from the Puerto Vargas entrance and hiked towards town. This is the opposite of what most people do, but we think this is the best way to experience the park. I’ve explained this more in our Cahuita National Park guide.
Secondly, because it is an insanely beautiful beach!
The beach looks like it goes on forever, stretching for miles. It’s actually the same stretch of sand as Playa Negra all the way back in Puerto Viejo.
The water was warm and calm, the beach was wide and sandy with plenty of places to rest in the shade. There are toilets and showers here at the ranger station, so you can rinse the salt and sand off before continuing on the trail.
Our top accommodation choices near Playa Puerto Vargas
8. Playa Blanca (Cahuita National Park)
- 🏖️ Best for – swimming, wildlife spotting
- 📍 Location – Google Maps
- 📏 Distance from Puerto Viejo – 17 km / 11 mi
- 🚗 How to get there – drive or take the bus from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita. This beach is right next to the Kelly Creek Station entrance (aka main entrance)
- 🅿️ Parking – if driving, you can park your car in Cahuita
- 🚻 Amenities – toilets and showers at the main entrance
- 🤿 Activities – swimming, sunbathing, looking for wildlife
Playa Blanca is the largest and most popular beach in Cahuita National Park.
Meaning White Beach in English, the name refers to the powdery white sand found here.
The beach stretches on for a few kilometres from the main entrance in Cahuita, along the main trail through the national park.
The closer you are to the main entrance, the more people there will be. If you’re walking from the other side of the park (Puerto Vargas) as we were, I would recommend stopping and enjoying the beach before you get too close to the entrance.
The beach is quite narrow and eroded here, especially at high tide, and is lined with rainforest. We found a big beach almond tree to laze under in the shade.
The water is calm, shallow and warm and I spent a very long time floating on my back soaking up the serenity. Pure bliss!
This part of the park is full of wildlife, so you’ve got a good chance of seeing animals like racoons, capuchin monkeys and even sloths along the beach. Keep your eyes peeled!
Our top accommodation choices near Playa Blanca
9. Playa Manzanillo
- 🏖️ Best for – swimming, hiking, local vibes
- 📍 Location – Google Maps
- 📏 Distance from Puerto Viejo – 13 km / 8 mi
- 🚗 How to get there – drive, bike ride (if you’re up for it!) or take the bus from Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo
- 🅿️ Parking – street parking if you’re driving
- 🚻 Amenities – restaurants and amenities available in Manzanillo town behind the beach
- 🤿 Activities – swimming, hiking
Manzanillo is a small village south of Puerto Viejo near the border with Panama. It hasn’t experienced the same boom in tourism, so it still has a local feel and laid-back Tico vibes.
Playa Manzanillo is the main beach in town. It’s a stunning beach, with golden sands, clear waters and palm trees. Some sections of the beach are calm, but some are quite rough, depending on the time of the year.
There is a large shipwreck that has been covered with colourful graffiti which is cool to see and take photos of. At low tide, you can walk right out to it, and some people even climb inside!
The beach extends in either direction. It morphs with Playa Grande to the north, which runs all the way towards Punta Uva.
To the south, the beach enters the boundary of the Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, where there are lots of hiking trails to explore.
Outside of the weekends and holidays, the beach is usually empty. You can enjoy a gorgeous Caribbean beach without the crowds.
Make a day of it, and have a bite to eat at one of the local restaurants in Manzanillo after you’ve hiked some of the trails and had a swim.
Our top accommodation choices near Playa Manzanillo
Final thoughts: Puerto Viejo beaches
I hope this post has you excited about all the beautiful Puerto Viejo beaches! It really is a Caribbean paradise, and you could easily while away a week beach hopping and soaking up the reggae vibes. Let me know which beach you like best!
MORE PUERTO VIEJO POSTS
- 20 Best Things to do in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
- Playa Punta Uva Arrecife: Costa Rica’s Best Beach
- Cahuita National Park Complete Visitors Guide
OUR COSTA RICA TRAVEL GUIDES
