Costa Rica
ESMy trip
Aerial view of a forested coastline beside turquoise waters.

Costa Rica · Puerto Viejo & Cahuita

Free or nearly free

Public beaches, trails with a voluntary donation and town plans that need no tour.

8 places

  1. 1

    NatureOpen

    Playa Blanca–Punta Cahuita–Puerto Vargas coastal trail

    Starts at the Playa Blanca entrance (Kelly Creek), Cahuita town13 km from the centre

    Entry
    Free
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A flat trail along the park’s shoreline from the Kelly Creek bridge in town to Punta Cahuita and on to Puerto Vargas, with beach stretches where you can swim.

    Source: Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Cahuita National Park · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Time needed
    Officially 8 km one way (some guides say it is closer to 10 km); allow at least 2 hours without stops.

    Tip: According to SINAC’s management plan, the section between Punta Cahuita and Puerto Vargas closes at 14:00: start early if you want to walk it all.

    Nearby: Cahuita town and Afro-Caribbean culture (0.3 km) · Playa Negra (Cahuita) (1.6 km) · Puerto Vargas sector (Cahuita National Park) (3.1 km)

    Sources: Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Cahuita National Park · SINAC – Plan General de Manejo del Parque Nacional Cahuita 2016–2026

  2. 2

    NatureOpen

    Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge trail

    Starts at the end of the road in Manzanillo13.6 km from the centre

    Entry
    Free
    Hours
    6:30 to 15:00
    Booking
    Not stated

    A coastal trail through jungle and coves from Manzanillo village, with the Miss May Point lookout a few minutes in and a continuation toward Punta Mona. Expect monkeys, sloths, poison dart frogs and toucans.

    Source: Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Hiking the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge · 2025

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Voluntary donation (₡1,000 or $2 was suggested in the past).
    Hours
    Daily 6:30 to 15:00 (last entry), according to a guide updated in 2025.
    Time needed
    Miss May Point is about 15 minutes in; the round trip to Punta Mona (5 km each way) takes longer and the path becomes faint.

    Tip: A local guide is not required but helps spot wildlife and adds safety: robberies have been reported in this remote area.

    Nearby: Punta Mona (3.4 km) · Manzanillo village and beach (3.6 km) · Dolphin-watching tour in Gandoca-Manzanillo (3.6 km)

    Sources: Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Hiking the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge

    Find tours
  3. Punta Uva Beach3

    Photo: Jaimedelamata, CC BY-SA 3.0

    BeachOpen

    Punta Uva Beach

    About 8.5 km south of Puerto Viejo6.9 km from the centre

    Entry
    Free
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A beach with usually calm water, a reef close to shore and a rock arch at the point, good for swimming and unguided snorkelling on calm days.

    Source: My Tan Feet – Punta Uva visitor’s guide · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources

    Tip: With swell or murky water, snorkel visibility drops sharply: go on flat, morning seas. Kayaks and gear are rented on the beach.

    Nearby: Kayak or SUP on the Punta Uva river (0.8 km) · Ara Manzanillo (great green macaws) (1.7 km) · Playa Chiquita (1.9 km)

    Sources: My Tan Feet – Punta Uva visitor’s guide · Crystal Jungle Villa – Snorkeling in Puerto Viejo (2026)

  4. 4

    BeachOpen

    Playa Chiquita

    About 5 km south of Puerto Viejo5 km from the centre

    Entry
    Free
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A string of small coves with tide pools among rocks and reef, backed by jungle, between Cocles and Punta Uva.

    Source: ICT – Cahuita and Puerto Viejo mini-guide · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources

    Tip: The pools are best at low tide with a calm sea; wear water shoes for the rocks and urchins.

    Nearby: Jaguar Rescue Center (1.3 km) · Punta Uva Beach (1.9 km) · Surf lessons at Cocles and Playa Negra (2.5 km)

    Sources: ICT – Cahuita and Puerto Viejo mini-guide · Wikipedia – Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

  5. 5

    FoodOpen

    Puerto Viejo farmers’ and artisans’ market

    Behind the Casa de la Cultura, central Puerto Viejo0.2 km from the centre

    Entry
    Free
    Hours
    6:00 to 12:00
    Booking
    Not stated

    A weekly market with fruit, vegetables, cacao, bread and home cooking from local producers, behind the Casa de la Cultura.

    Source: Puerto Viejo Satellite – Feria Agrícola y Artesanal de Puerto Viejo · 2026

    Practical details and sources
    Hours
    Saturdays 6:00 to 12:00, according to its local listing; the craft market opens in the afternoons from Thursday to Sunday.

    Nearby: Puerto Viejo nightlife (0.1 km) · Afro-Caribbean food: rice and beans, rondón and patty (0.1 km) · Cycling the coast road (0.1 km)

    Sources: Puerto Viejo Satellite – Feria Agrícola y Artesanal de Puerto Viejo

  6. 6

    CultureOpen

    Cahuita town and Afro-Caribbean culture

    Central Cahuita, next to the Playa Blanca entrance13.3 km from the centre

    Entry
    Free
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A small town officially founded in 1915, with Jamaican-style wooden houses on stilts and a calypso tradition; calypso singer Walter Ferguson (1919–2023) lived here.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Cahuita · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources

    Tip: Ask about live calypso nights in town and combine the stroll with the park trail.

    Nearby: Playa Blanca–Punta Cahuita–Puerto Vargas coastal trail (0.3 km) · Playa Negra (Cahuita) (1.3 km) · Tree of Life (botanical garden and wildlife rescue) (3.1 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Parque Nacional Cahuita · Wikipedia – Walter Ferguson

  7. 7

    BeachOpen

    Playa Negra (Cahuita)

    1–2 km north-west of central Cahuita14.5 km from the centre

    Entry
    Free
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A long, quiet dark-sand beach north of Cahuita town, with some beginner surf when there is swell.

    Source: ICT – Cahuita and Puerto Viejo mini-guide · 2026

    Practical details and sources

    Tip: There is another Playa Negra north of Puerto Viejo: check which one you mean. Do not leave belongings unattended on the sand.

    Nearby: Cahuita town and Afro-Caribbean culture (1.3 km) · Playa Blanca–Punta Cahuita–Puerto Vargas coastal trail (1.6 km) · Tree of Life (botanical garden and wildlife rescue) (1.9 km)

    Sources: ICT – Cahuita and Puerto Viejo mini-guide

  8. 8

    AdventureOpen

    Cycling the coast road

    Route 256, Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo0.3 km from the centre

    Entry
    $3
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Bikes are the usual way to cover the 13 km coast road between Puerto Viejo, Cocles, Chiquita, Punta Uva and Manzanillo; you can rent one by the day in town.

    Source: Wikipedia – Puerto Viejo de Talamanca · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    About $3–12 a day, according to a 2025 blog.

    Tip: Bike theft is common: lock the frame and wheel, and do not ride at night on unlit roads. There are unpaved, potholed stretches toward Manzanillo.

    Nearby: Puerto Viejo nightlife (0 km) · Afro-Caribbean food: rice and beans, rondón and patty (0 km) · Puerto Viejo farmers’ and artisans’ market (0.1 km)

    Sources: Wikipedia – Puerto Viejo de Talamanca · Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Road conditions of specific routes

More guides for this destination