experience el caribé sur

the caribbean coast of costa rica is a paradise for nature lovers, adventure seekers, beach bums and anyone looking to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life. a fifteen minute drive takes you from casa selva negra to the coast road, with its bewildering variety of beaches, restaurants, cafes, bars, wildlife, yoga studios and arts & crafts, many with a jamaican twist

there's even a shipwreck on the beach in manzanillo

three-toad sloth in puerto viejo

wildlife & nature to enjoy during your stay

ara manzanillo

this is a must-visit: the great green macaw reintroduction center, which has helped rescue these beautiful birds from near extinction. there are guided tours every day at 3:00pm, and you are guaranteed to see the gorgeous lapas up close and personal in the wild from the viewing deck

cahuita national park

cahuita national park is located in the small beach town of cahuita, around 45 minutes' drive from casa selva negra. there's a jungle trail alongside the beach, where you may see howler and capuchin monkeys, jesus christ lizards, iguanas, herons, snow egrets and possibly a sloth or two

it's best to go in with a guide, because in all likelihood they'll spot way more than you will!

although the park closes at 2:00pm, in my experience, the best time to see monkeys is an hour or two later in the day, when they come out of the park and look for food near the beach and the restaurant

jaguar rescue center

you probably won't see a jaguar, but you'll see a ton of rescued wildlife - including but not limited to sloths, monkeys, macaws, deer, turtles, a caiman, an alligator, a toucan or two, pigs and more - most of whom are being prepared for reintroduction to the jungle (but note that some cannot be reintroduced, and actually live at the center). There are excellent and highly informative tours every day at 9:30am and 11:30am. Your visit will actually help the center to continue its mission

refugio nacional de vida silvestre

this is just down the coast in manzanillo, and while it's not actually a national park, it has the appearance of one. it's maintained by the locals, for the benfit of everyone. you can take a long hike down the trail through the jungle, with a beautiful and secluded beach always close by. if you're lucky you might see some wildlife as well

playa grande

playa grande in manzanillo

the tiny town of manzanillo - at the very end of the coast road south - has some lovely beaches, and on playa grande it also boasts a shipwreck.! it's the photo-worthy rusting hulk of the yicel, which ran to ground in december 1991

where to eat

sapori italiani

great little neighborhood cafe/restaurant/bakery, run by our italian friend marco. excellent food, focaccia and coffee

located just a couple of hundred yards up the coast road from paraiso road, on the left

gypsea café at playa chiquita

lovely little spot for breakfast and coffee - the rice and beans casado is

el sol del caribe

nice caribbean style restaurant with reliably good food

baya baya | café · bar

fairly new and modern bakery cafe. recommend the coffee and the baked goods

amimodo ristorante pizzeria

you can eat their delicious food right on the beach. highly recommended

el rincón porteño

argentinian bakery and restaurant. excellent pizza and pizzetta on focaccia. also a good place to grab a medialuna & capuccino to go

bread & chocolate

there's a lot to like here - the food's fresh and very good, they make delicious chocolate goodies and an insanely good chocolate cake, and the coffee is top notch too. everyone's favorite place!

black & white restaurant

unpretentious little restaurant/coffee shop in puerto viejo with decent food and coffee

la leyenda de l’antico forno

great pizzas and a lovely garden

indigo espresso bar

lovely little hang-out spot on the tiny road to playa punta uva arrecife. great coffee and food, including an amazingly delicious medialuna

la nena

nice little caribbean cafe restaurant, with a fabulous signature dish of rice and beans con pollo caribeno

café jaguar – fine art & specialty coffee

lovely new art gallery & cafe spot with friendly service and a chill vibe. as of this writing the food offering is only postres (eg pastries and medialuna), but more food will be coming soon - and i also understand that they serve amazing sushi on friday nights