Road Trip to Puerto Viejo, Limon, Costa Rica – A BGYT Experience

Hey Ya’ll!

I have been in Costa Rica now for the past 3 weeks staying off the beaten path in a small town called La Virgen, Sarapiqui. It is just shy of 2 hrs north of San Jose. I am doing a work Exchange with The Brown Girl Yoga Sanctuary – BGYT, meeting new people and practicing Self Dedication which is so needed. We are surrounded by lush green preserves, howler monkeys that greet us with howls almost every morning and throughout the day, all kinds of birds including parrots and Toucans (which I have yet to see), frogs, big and small iguanas, cows, horses. Everything!!!

BGYT – HIT THE ROAD!

Anyway, the BGYT group decided to venture out for an overnight trip to Puerto Viejo and to CELEBRATE one of our Tribes birthday!!

I have been eagerly awaiting an ocean siting & some mingling so I was looking forward to it!! We all packed a few things fpr a short stay and hopped in a Green Rivers Rafting & Kayaking company- transport van driven by Kevin and we made our way to the coast.

It is a 4 hour trip so, I suggest you plan accordingly to pass the time. Either sleep, download some movies or audio books etc…

Once we arrived on the coast, I could hear the waves crashing, the air smelled different. It was a different kind of aliveness. It felt comforting and familiar.

As we drove down the street to our overnight destination stay at La Tribu hostel for women we passed Playa de Negra, the black sand beach, which was beautiful with the turquoise ocean in the background. We moved thru town as people were milling about on bikes, scooters & walking. Music was playing everywhere. It felt like Ease. I was soo eager to plant my feet on the ground and explore my new surroundings.

LA TRIBU…

We reached La Tribu, which is an awesome hostel space for women. They offer 8 room women only dorm rooms with bathrooms in each room as well as community showers and toilets, a hair and makeup area and extra sinks. There was a cooling jacuzzi and awesome seating area for working, lounging, chatting and games. The Kitchen was exemplary. One of the best I have seen in a shared hostel space. They thought of every kind of traveler and there was a long table for community dining. Last but not least they offered bikes for daily rental. The hostel was down a small side street just a block from the beach and restaurant row. It was quiet and all the residents and staff were cool. Everyone in our tribe liked the spot so we unloaded our bags, changed into swim wear and set out to explore the town.

BGYT - IN THEZE STREETZ

Some of the group decided to grab lunch after the long ride and some of us headed straight for the sand. The area of Puerto Viejo is super chill, yet bustling with so many kinds of restaurants, bars, boutiques, souvenir shops, grocery and liquor shops, bike and moped rentals and tour options. You literally can find anything you need in only a few steps.

The next day I rented a bike and decided to see where the main road leads. I ended up taking an 8km one way route to Punta Uva a few towns over and witnessed amazing beaches and another area I’d love to explore at a later time. The bike ride was not stressful, but a definite workout. While there was no bike path traffic including larger vehicles respected the bikers and walkers so it was a trip of ease as I felt safe exploring. Even with a bum knee I honored by Self Dedication to make sure I intentfully move my body. I traveled 16 km in total and with more time easily could have made it further.

Couple of places you may want to check out:

Accommodations:

La Tribu Women only hostel – find on Booking.com

Selinas Hostel mixed hostel – www.selina.com/costa-rica/puertp-viejo

Cabinas Kuakua #3 – www.abnb.me/QNpV65tOlwb

Bars/restaurant hot spots:

Hot Rocks

Salsa Brava

Johnnys Space

Places to Eat & Coffee:

Coffee & Nuts

Internal Alchemy

De Gusibus Bakery

Bread & Chocolate

Black & White – good juices

Madre Tierra- lots of plant based options

Grow Puerto Viejo – Vegetarian

Joe Snack Point – Caribbean food – plant based options

Cool things to do:

Paratrike – Paragliding, hiking, kayaking – www.Jungleaircr.com

Surfing – Surf the Jungle surf school

Rent a moped or bike

Hair braiding

Chocolate Experience

Cahuita town tour

Wildlife hike

Learn to dance Bachata & Salsa

As we wrapped up our overnight trip, I thought about the town, and people who welcomed us. It was a cool time. I highly recommend a tour around the surrounding towns as they are super accessible and add a slightly different element to the coast.

One day was just enough to get a taste of Puerto Viejo and get excited about what the coast has to offer. I plan to return to try out some of the other cool things to do and get to know the locals more.

~Ali