10 Things not to expect on Costa Rica’s Southern Caribbean Coast

The two coastlines of Costa Rica – Caribbean and Pacific – are about as opposite as you can get in landscape and lifestyle – kind of like New York and California. Most tourists to Costa Rica head west to the Pacific Coast beaches. It is the adventurer looking for the unique Costa Rica who chooses to explore the Costa Rica Caribbean Coast. Here are 10 things not to expect when you visit the Costa Rica southern Caribbean Coast:

1. The same weather. Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast experiences nearly complete opposite weather patterns. When the Pacific Coast is baking under a blazing sun, the Caribbean Coast is getting greener from tropical rain showers; and when the rest of the country is drenched in “Rainy Season,” it is Costa Rica Caribbean Summer thanks to a unique microclimate.

2. Dust and desert-like landscapes. It’s not called the Costa Rica dry season for nothing. The Pacific Coast gets drier and browner as time marches from January to May with little to no rain. That terrible dust problem you find elsewhere in the country – you won’t find it in the Caribbean. Regular showers all year keep the Caribbean green and lush … and cooler!

3. Huge mega resorts and hotel chains. When you're on the beach at Puerto Viejo or Playa Cocles on the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica all you see are sea, sky, sand and jungle. Hotels in Puerto Viejo are set back from the beach, are at the most two-stories high, and retain harmony with nature.




4. Resort prices. You can go to a hotel chain on the Pacific Coast if you want to pay $26 for a basic fresh fish sandwich.

5. Fast food chains. You won’t find McDonald’s here, or KFC or Pizza Hut. Only lots of real, authentic Caribbean cuisine and food from all over the world, thanks to Puerto Viejo’s cosmopolitan population.



6. Destruction of nature. On the Costa Rica southern Caribbean Coast, the jungle stretches right to the sea – thick, lush and full of wildlife. It hasn’t been bulldozed for those mega resorts or clear-cut for cattle.



7. Super highways. There is one main two-lane road from Limon to Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo, and the locals like it that way. The main mode of transportation around Puerto Viejo is beach cruiser bicycle. Time to relax and slow down.



8. Rush hour traffic. Other than maybe a group of people on bicycles heading to the beach or a party, you won’t see traffic over here.

9. Stressed out, pushy, rude people. Unless you bring them – or are one yourself. You’ll find most people on Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast are easygoing, friendly and happy.



10. Concrete jungle. It’s only the real deal jungle here, with not much concrete in sight.

Where to stay in the Southern Caribbean of Costa Rica When you visit Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, you want to stay at Hotel Le Caméléon. Just past Puerto Viejo, on Playa Cocles – one of the prettiest beaches on the Costa Rica southern Caribbean Coast – the upscale Costa Rica boutique hotel features ultra-chic rooms, beautiful tropical architecture and the fantastic beach club La Sula Sea Lounge.



Coming up on Saturday, April 4, La Sula Sea Lounge at Hotel Le Caméléon will host a fun Caribbean Calypso party. The festivities begin at 8:00 p.m. with drink specials, delicious Caribbean cuisine, live music by The Calypsonians and dancing till you drop.


New daily 30-minute flights on Nature Air or Sansa Airlines between San Jose and Limon make it easy to get to the Southern Caribbean of Costa Rica. From Limon, it is a short drive less than an hour to Puerto Viejo and Playa Cocles.

Article by Shannon Farley

 

The flavors of Costa Rica Caribbean cuisine

The southern Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica is a big melting pot of traditions and cultures. It is the heart and soul of the country’s Afro-Caribbean community, as well as home to indigenous populations of Bribrí, Carib, Miskito and Cabécar. There are descendants of Spanish conquistadors, North Americans who worked for United Fruit Company during the banana boom, and Chinese laborers who were brought to Costa Rica in the 1870s to work on the railroad along with the Jamaicans.

They mixed languages, customs and cuisine. In addition to Spanish, the main language spoken in Caribbean Costa Rica is Patois, a Creole blend of Jamaican English, West African dialects, French, Spanish and lots of local slang. Musical preferences are reggae and calypso. And the cuisine is very uniquely Costa Rican Caribbean. Coconut milk features in many dishes, along with ginger, curry, allspice, cinnamon, chili pepper and other strong spices brought to the Caribbean by spice traders.

When you visit Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean Coast, be sure to try these Caribbean cuisine favorites:

Rice and Beans: Not to be confused with gallo pinto, or the traditional white rice and black beans that are served everywhere else in Costa Rica; Caribbean Rice and Beans is a mixture of white rice, red beans and coconut. It is usually served with fresh fish, chicken, pork or beef.

Rondón: This seafood stew is named from the English word “run-down” – as in whatever the cook could “run down” or find that day to mix into the soup. Rondón is made with whatever seafood is available, tubers like sweet potato, cassava, taro and potatoes, plantains and coconut milk with spices

.Patí: A spicy meat pie in the shape of a turnover; usually made with ground beef, onion and chili pepper.

Agua de sapo: Literally meaning “toad water” (however, no toads are involved), it is a refreshing lemonade made with brown sugar, lime and ginger.

Pan Bon: Dark bread made with flour, dried fruit, walnuts, butter, egg whites, vanilla, hibiscus seeds, honey and sugar.

Johnnycake: Coconut bread

Plantintah: A pastry made with ripe plantains

Coconut-encrusted shrimp: Covered in crunchy coconut and fried, this is the best way to eat big, fresh Jumbo shrimp or fresh lobster.

You can enjoy Costa Rica Caribbean cuisine and creative international dishes at the elegant Le Numu Restaurant & Bar at Hotel Le Caméléon in Playa Cocles.
Just past Puerto Viejo, Playa Cocles is one of the prettiest beaches on the southern Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica. The upscale Costa Rica boutique hotel features ultra-chic rooms, beautiful tropical architecture, lush jungle gardens and the fantastic beach club, La Sula Sea Lounge.
The Costa Rican airline Nature Air now operates daily flights to Limon from San Jose. From Limon, it is an easy drive under an hour to Puerto Viejo and Playa Cocles.

Article by Shannon Farley

Three beaches in the Costa Rica Southern Caribbean you have to visit

Three of the prettiest beaches on the Southern Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica are Playa Cocles, Playa Chiquita and Punta Uva. That is if you like long stretches of gorgeous picture postcard Caribbean coastline with warm turquoise ocean and graceful tall palm trees. When you are on the beach on the Costa Rica Southern Caribbean Coast, all you see are sea, sand, sky, trees … and maybe the occasional other person or pretty tropical bird or monkey.

There are no high-rise mega-resorts or unending rows of condos like on many of Costa Rica’s Pacific beaches. Here, everything blends in harmony with the rainforest.

Playa Cocles begins 1.5 kilometers (just under a mile) south of Puerto Viejo Costa Rica , a funky beach town and “capital” of the Southern Caribbean region of Costa Rica. Its soft golden beach stretches 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) to Playa Chiquita. There are trails that hug the beach passing under giant trees, past bright tropical flowers, sea grapes and lots of greenery. Watch for monkeys, colorful tropical birds, sloths, green iguanas and crabs.

Playa Cocles is a top Caribbean Costa Rica beach for surfing and boogie boarding. For lovers of the underwater world, the Southern Caribbean has some of the best coral reefs and marine life in Costa Rica. Coral reef extends along the coast from the Cahuita National Park to the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge. 

The picturesque beaches of Playa Chiquita and Punta Uva, just past Playa Cocles to the south, are also excellent for snorkeling.

La Sula Sea Lounge of Hotel Le Caméléon is one of the best places to relax on Playa Cocles. Lounge on a day-bed by the sea. Sip a refreshing tropical drink from the bar and have a light snack, before grabbing a siesta in one of the hammocks under a palm tree.

The upscale Costa Rica boutique hotel at Playa Cocles features ultra-chic rooms and beautiful tropical architecture in lush jungle gardens; the elegant Le Numu Restaurant & Bar is one of the area’s top restaurants.

Getting to the Southern Caribbean of Costa Rica and Playa Cocles is now easier than ever with a new 30-minute flight by Nature Air between San Jose and Limon. Hotel Le Caméléon is offering a three-night vacation package until Mar. 27, 2015 that includes round-trip flights on Nature Air, accommodation, some meals, VIP access to the La Sula Sea Lounge, and a tour to the Jaguar Rescue Center.
 Article by Shannon Farley