Puerto Viejo de Talamanca Sights

  1. Finca La Isla Botanical Garden

    To the west of town is the Finca La Isla Botanical Garden, a working tropical farm where the owners have been growing local spices, tropical fruits and ornamental plants for over a decade. Part of the farm is set aside as a botanical garden, which is also good for bird-watching and wildlife observation (look for sloths and poison-dart frogs).

    Read more about Finca La Isla Botanical Garden

  2. Jungles of Talamanca

    West of Puerto Viejo, the Jungles of Talamanca is actually a small tropical nursery and cacao finca (chocolate farm). This Bribrí family welcome visitors to their home, where you can see them toast the cacao over an open fire then hand grind it into delicious chocolate or rich cocoa butter. For flavor, they might add nutmeg, black pepper or cinnamon, all grown on site. The resulting product is truly decadent.

    Read more about Jungles of Talamanca

  3. Parque Nacional Cahuita

    Parque Nacional Cahuita contains one of the last living coral reefs in Costa Rica. It's accessible from the beach, but the best way to see the creatures under the sea is to hire a guide with a boat in Cahuita. If you prefer to walk, hike along the beach trail - you'll reach a sandy stretch cut off from the coastline by a rocky headland known as Punta Cahuita. The offshore coral reef has Cahuita's best snorkeling.

    Read more about Parque Nacional Cahuita