Where is Puerto Viejo?
Puerto Viejo is located on the southern Caribbean Coast approx 4 hours by bus or car from San Jose. Here is a map of local region of Puerto Viejo. For a photo tour of Puerto Viejo, click here.
How do I get there?
For very detailed instructions (public bus, tourist bus or rent a car) on how to get to our place right from airport, Download getting-here-TA.doc .
How do I get there?
You can take bus or car. Tourist buses are comfortable and deliver you door-to-door, but more expensive (approx $29pp). Interbus is generally the most reliable (but note that they do not allow pets). click here to fill out an Interbus reservation request.
You could also check the websites of the other services: Fantasy Tours (Gray Line) & Easy Ride (allows dogs).
Personally I take local bus at Caribe Terminal in San Jose. It leaves 5 times a day and takes approx 4 hours. 
Cost is approx $7.50 Local bus information is here. (No, you will not be riding with chickens, pigs etc). The direct buses to Puerto Viejo are reasonably new, comfortable and fast. You could hardly get here quicker by car.
You can also now fly with Nature Air from San Jose to Limon. At Limon airport is a shuttle bus that will take you to Puerto Viejo. Trip is about 1 hour from Limon airport.
If you are interested in renting a car, all the major car rental companies operate from San José International Airport or San José downtown although only one company (the Costa Rican company Poas) operates in the Puerto Viejo area. Check the Puerto Viejo Satellite transport page for more info on car rentals in Costa Rica and driving conditions in the area.
For the truly adventurous that want a trip down to Puerto Viejo that is truly memorable, you might
consider doing the rafting trip on the Pacure River. Trip includes pick up at your hotel in San Jose, 4 hour, 18 mile rafting trip, eats and drop off at your hotel in Puerto Viejo. We can book this trip for you if desired.
Why should I go there? What makes Puerto Viejo worth visiting?
If you don't see the Caribbean coast, you are really missing half the country. I am semi-retired and looked all over for a place to get off the North American treadmill and Puerto Viejo was it for me. But, who cares what I have to say? Here is a link to a board of many people who have visited Puerto Viejo and read what they have had to say. Give it a read and see you think Puerto Viejo is for you. Lonely Planet Thorntree Boards is another good place to read posts about Puerto Viejo.
If you have an "a-type" personality and are used to 4 & 5 star hotels with swimming pools, tennis courts and golf courses, you most likely will not like Puerto Viejo.
Why not peek at our photo gallery?
How do we get around if we do not have a car?
Most people rent bicycles here. It is perfect place as the one road runs up and down beach areas with NO HILLS. You can also rent motor scooters. They can be a lot of fun for an expanded tours of surrounding area.
What is the weather like?
Contrary to common opinion that it rains all the time on the Caribbean, there are actually places such as Manuel Antonio that get more inches per year. The difference is that on this side, it is more spread out over the year. Also note that most rain comes at night and days clear by early-late morning.
You can view a rain chart that shows trends in rain patterns and temperatures. It also has a link to current weather conditions for Manzanillo which is about 13 kilometers south of PV. You will note that while there is some trends, it's still a crap shoot. And most time, when it rains, it may be short, but a dump an amount of water you might have never seen before. It can be very magical.
What about surfing in the area?
Surfing is very popular in this area. Casa Sol y Arena is located on Playa Negra. Some local surfers that prefer to be on their own like to surf in this area. Just down from our house towards town is a great beginners surfing break. It is very popular with younger (non-adult) surfers and instructors. For the more avid surfer, best is Salsa Brava or Cocles beach which is just at south end of town. For more info on surfing in Costa Rica, check out CR Surf.
Is the house and area safe?
The house is very secure compared to most rentals and also includes a concrete and steel locked closet for cameras, lap tops etc. As for area, petty theft is a problem throughout Costa Rica and especially beach towns. Puerto Viejo is no more affected than any other places. Violent crime against tourists very rarely happens.
What is there to do in addition to just playing on miles of beaches?
There are tons of activities here in Puerto Viejo and surrounding area. Check out our activities photo album or you can also visit our TOURS page and see what might interest you before you arrive.
What are good places to eat in town?
One the charms about Puerto Viejo that many visitors comments on is the huge selection and variation of so many places to eat in Puerto Viejo.
From street vendors, sushi to high end Italian, you could spend 2 weeks here just sampling all the many places to eat. Mainly because there are so many foreigners from all different countries and backgrounds here and many of them operate local eating places trying to eek out a living.
And the best part that to date there is no MacDonalds, KFC, or Burger King. Here is a photo tour of some of the places we go.
