South Caribbean
beaches

How to use this guide

This selection helps you pick a beach by what you want to do: swim and snorkel, surf or explore rock pools. Nearly all of them sit on the road from Puerto Viejo down to Manzanillo, and two more are next to Cahuita, to the north. Two days let you see them at an easy pace; with one, keep to the southern stretch.

For swimming, head to Punta Uva Beach, about 8.5 km from town, with reef close to the shore and kayaks and gear for hire. Carry on to the end of Route 256, to Manzanillo village and beach, also with calmer water and the way into the Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge. On the way back, stop at Playa Chiquita if the tide is low: its coves with rock pools are about 5 km from Puerto Viejo. Cocles Beach, 2 km out, is the surf beach and the least suited to swimming. To learn to surf when the sea is gentle, Playa Negra (Puerto Viejo) begins at the western end of town.

Give another day to Cahuita. The Puerto Vargas sector (Cahuita National Park), about 4 km from the village, opens onto a long beach and the southern end of the coastal trail, for $5.65 if you are a foreign visitor. Playa Negra (Cahuita), north-west of the centre, is long and quiet for the end of the afternoon. If money is tight, bear in mind that Puerto Vargas is the only one on the list with an entry fee.

Tips

• For snorkelling at Punta Uva, go in the morning and when the sea is flat: with swell or murky water you see very little.
• Cocles Beach has strong rip currents: stay out of the water, follow the signs and, if one pulls you, swim parallel to the shore.
• At Playa Chiquita, wear water shoes: there are rocks and sea urchins in the pools.
• Manzanillo has few shops and few cash machines, so bring cash. At Puerto Vargas, by contrast, the fee is fixed and parking is extra.
• There are two Playa Negras, one in Puerto Viejo and one in Cahuita, so be clear which you are heading to. At neither should you leave bags alone on the sand, and assume there are no lifeguards.