Miraviva

Eastern Costa Rica

  • Gandoca Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge

    Gandoca Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge

  • Toad, Tortuguero

    Toad, Tortuguero

  • Zip lining

    Zip lining

  • Tortuguero

    Tortuguero

  • Baby turtle, Tortuguero

    Baby turtle, Tortuguero

  • Cauhita

    Cauhita

  • White Water Rafting, Pacuare

    White Water Rafting, Pacuare

  • Tortuguero

    Tortuguero

  • Aninga, Tortuguero

    Aninga, Tortuguero

Costa Rica’s Caribbean side has a laid-back feel and offers beaches, nature and adventure.

The Caribbean coast stretches for some 125 miles between Panama and Nicaragua and is quite sparsely populated, but has splendid beaches, excellent fishing, great water sports and it has endless opportunities for getting close to nature.

This region is also the country’s most culturally diverse region with a significant indigenous population as well as those of Afro-Caribbean descent, which is evident in the music, food, language (most Afro-Costa Ricans speak Creole English, though the younger generation is bilingual) and even politics.

Some of the best beaches, such as Punta Uva, Playa Chiquita and Manzanillo are on the southern Caribbean Coast and they’re seldom if ever crowded. The sand is white and the water is turquoise.

Tortuguero

On the northern part of the coast is the pristine Tortuguero National Park. Covering 31,200 hectares on the Caribbean coast, this is the wettest part of the country (more than 6,000mm of rain per year) but home to one of the largest single tracts of lowland rainforest left in Central America.

There are no roads in Tortuguero, so access to almost everywhere is by boat through the canals and waterways that criss-cross the park. Look out for river otters and caimans in the water as your boat glides through the forest.

The park’s beaches – which stretch for some 35 kilometres along the coast – are a nesting ground for turtles. Hawksbill, Leatherback, Loggerhead and Green Turtles are the main species to be found. The main nesting and egg-laying seasons are typically the wettest months, being June to October, with hatching a few weeks later.

Pacuare

The Pacuare River, which runs down to the Pacific Coast is one of the best rivers for white water rafting with exciting Class III and IV rapids, along with numerous other adventure activities. We have no hesitation at all in recommending a visit to Pacuare Lodge, which is an outstanding hideaway eco-lodge on the banks of the fast-flowing Pacuare River. Pacuare can be conveniently combined with Tortuguero using a combination of river and road transport.

To discover more about Costa Rica’s Caribbean side and the broad variety of experiences it offers give us a call or send us a message

Places we love to stay