While there may not be 70-foot point break waves like in the movies, Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast still sports some of the top surf spots in the country and will bring Costa Rica’s best surfers to the region at the end of January for the first national surf competition of the 2016 season.
Warm sand in a rainbow of colors from gold to black, gray and white welcomes you to stretch out in the sun and soak in life’s radiance. Raucous parrots and vibrant toucans fly overhead and call out from the deep green forest. The Caribbean Sea is spellbinding with its spectrum of blue and turquoise; the rhythm of waves lulling you into a satisfying relaxation. Best yet, the sea is wonderfully warm, perfect for splashing, playing, surfing, snorkeling and a dozen other adventures.
The fabulous Le Caméléon Hotel on the gorgeous beach of Playa Cocles provides you with exclusive upscale lodging in Puerto Viejo Costa Rica. The Costa Rica boutique hotel sits in front of the sea surrounded by wild jungle, just 3 km from Puerto Viejo town center. 
Le Caméléon Hotel is currently offering four steal-of-a-deal special offers:
Less crowded than the beaches of Southern California, Hawaii and Australia, the warm water waves of Costa Rica are a favorite destination for world surfers. And lesser known than the very-developed Pacific Coast, the laid-back southern Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica is a hot spot for Costa Rica surfing with lots of great waves.
Puerto Viejo also is home to the most powerful wave in the country – Salsa Brava, a thick Hawaiian-style barrel wave that builds in deep water and pours over a shallow coral reef lining the coast. It is called the “heaviest wave” in the country, and is for expert surfers only.
A lifeguard watches Playa Cocles and right in front is where most surfers gather. “This beach break offers a more consistent break, with lefts and rights breaking close to the beach. This wave tends to jack up with a big swell due to the steep beach entry … beware of currents. 
When visiting, be sure not to go surfing alone, and always check with local surfers about riptides, strong currents and reefs.
If you have not seen the film Chocolat, stop now and go rent / buy / download it so you know what I am talking about. If you have seen it, you know the expressions of ecstasy on the faces of the townspeople as they are transformed by Vianne’s exotic chocolate creations.
In Costa Rica, cacao beans were used as currency by the indigenous tribes for thousands of years up until near modern times of the 1930s. You can learn about cacao’s long history in Costa Rica and its importance in the Bribri indigenous culture on the Bribri Chocolate Tour near Puerto Viejo, on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean Coast. The tour, easily booked through Le Caméléon Hotel, takes you to the fascinating Bribri Indigenous Reserve in the foothills of the Talamanca Mountains.
On the Puerto Viejo Chocolate Tour, you will visit “the Chocolate House”, where the Bribri women will teach you about how they produce their organic chocolate using the tribe’s ancient methods. You'll get to try things like fresh dried cacao beans and homemade chocolate. Then, browse their selection of chocolate for sale – infused with nutmeg, cinnamon, spicy chili pepper, black pepper, mint, coffee, vanilla and more – to savor and remember your visit.
The place to stay when visiting Puerto Viejo, on the southern Caribbean Coast, is Hotel Le Caméléon. The vibrant Costa Rica boutique hotel fronts the dazzling, turquoise Caribbean Sea and golden sand of Playa Cocles – one of the area’s most beautiful beaches. Hip, modern and upscale, Le Caméléon features ultra-chic rooms, beautiful tropical architecture, and lush jungle gardens that create an ambience of intimate privacy. The elegant Le Numu Restaurant & Bar is one of the area’s top restaurants, and the newly remodeled La Sula Sea Lounge beach club is the place to hang out by the shore, meet friends for a cool drink or a light meal.
New beginnings are old hat at upscale Hotel Le Caméléon in Costa Rica, where their motto is “Every day is a new day”.
The posh hotel opened five years ago with great fanfare, heralding a change in tourism on the sleepy backwater coast toward trendy and upscale. “In April 2009, the hotel was inaugurated by former president and Nobel Prize winner, Oscar Arias, while he was in office. Arias came to mark a new era in the region in the infrastructure and image of the province of Limon and the Caribbean,” said Frederic Spahr, general manager of Le Caméléon. “Le Caméléon was the first luxurious hotel to open in the region. Before, Puerto Viejo was mostly for backpackers.”
Le Caméléon strikes an idyllic balance between relaxing seclusion and the area’s vibrant Caribbean culture. Keeping with their name’s theme, the hotel is decked out in stylish white with splashes of tropical colors that change hue every day. Ultra-chic rooms in four categories are tucked in the jungle and gardens or overlooking the pool. Le Numu Restaurant & Bar serves a fantastic fusion of French and Caribbean cuisine. Numu means chameleon in the language of the Bribri, the area’s indigenous people.
The new La Sula Sea Lounge facilities feature five shaded, thatched-roof ranchos/palapas, more day beds and lounge chairs, and a full bar and kitchen onsite serving light beach fare and drinks. Each palapa has a different seating experience ranging from lounge-like couches to more traditional dining – of course, all in white with touches of red.
The latest celebrity stars of Costa Rica are cute and lovable, with masked furry faces that seem to smile beatifically. In a country full of exotic wildlife, sloths are one of the most well-known animals, and those at the Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica are gaining fame on the popular TV show Animal Planet’s “Meet the Sloths”.
The Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica rescues, protects and rehabilitates sloths, along with studying and researching the extraordinary mammals. They offer a fun and highly-recommended half-day tour for visitors to Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast. They are open to the public Tuesday through Sunday (closed Monday) starting at 8:00 a.m. The “Buttercup Tour” – named after the sloth that changed the lives of Sanctuary owners Judy Avey-Arroyo and Luis Arroyo forever – begin every hour on the hour; the last tour is at 2:00 p.m.
Caribbean Coast, Costa Rica Hotels
Not as well traveled, simply because Costa Rica's larger Pacific Coast gets most of the attention, the southern Caribbean keeps a quieter, more peaceful tone. Surfers know about Cahuita, Puerto Viejo and Gandoca, renowned for their great waves. Scuba divers and snorkelers certainly know about the marvels of the crystal-clear Caribbean Sea and coral reefs at the Cahuita National Park and offshore from the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge.
Le Caméléon ("The Chameleon") is one of the finest hotels on Costa Rica's Caribbean Coast that caters to upscale travelers. The unique boutique hotel with a relaxed vibe is across the street from the beautiful golden sand Playa Cocles, where the hotel has a private beach club.