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I spent 3 weeks Volunteering in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica and used my free time to explore the surroundings and see what the town has to offer. If you have been following me for a while, you might know that I am a backpacker on a budget. If you can relate and want to save some bucks – go ahead and explore the best Budget Activities in Puerto Viejo!
Low Budget Activities
Rent a bike and explore neighbouring villages
In my case, I had a bike free to use through my Worldpackers stay. But it is pretty easy to find a place to rent a bike in Puerto Viejo. Many locals as well as tourists use them daily to go around as everything is pretty close. To rent a bike for a day, you will most likely pay less than 10 $.
And there are lots of places to explore. You could visit some beaches around Playa Cocles and continue to walk on the little path next to the jungle. That’s where I got to see a baby sloth, an iguana, monkeys, horses and a parrot all just right next to the beach.
If you bike further you can reach places like Punta Uva, with the Instagram-famous palm tree, or Manzanillo. Both are small villages right at the beach and you will find a few small restaurants or street food/drinks there.
If you end up in Manzanillo, you have the option to rent a kayak and go on a tour on the river through the jungle.
Just keep in mind to always lock up your bike – better safe than sorry.
Enjoy Puerto Viejo’s beaches
This one seems pretty obvious but this is definitely an activity good for the budget! And Puerto Viejo has lots of beaches you could spend your time at.
If you have never seen a black sand beach you should definitely visit Playa Negra. I loved the contrast of the black sand next to the greens of the jungle and the blue ocean. Other options are Playa Cocles or Playa Chiquita which are also very nice beaches.
Take some fresh (and cheap) fruits from a local vendor, water and sunscreen and you’re ready to go!
Cahuita National Park
The Cahuita National Park is about a 20-30 min bus ride away from Puerto Viejo. To get on the bus you will have to buy a ticket at the ticket office across from the bus stop. This is also where you can ask for departure times.
Once you reach the bus stop nearby the National Park you have to walk a few minutes to the entrance. We got lost there a little bit as we weren’t exactly sure where the entrance is. However locals are really friendly and helped us out! The park does not have an entrance fee but works by donation. Donate your preferred amount before entering the park to support maintaining it.
Cahuita National Park is home to lots of wildlife such as racoons, monkeys, sloths or the beautiful blue Morpho butterflies. Nature is very protected in Costa Rica, which is why you won’t find any cages or fences here. Cahuita was the first park I visited in Costa Rica and I was fascinated by all the animals running around freely and being able to see them from so close. You are basically just walking on a path through nature surrounded by wildlife and the Caribbean Sea.
If you want more information and the best chances of spotting animals high up in the trees you can also book a tour guide who will accompany you through the park.
The park has two entrances/exits and you can walk in either direction from one side to the other or return to your original entrance. Just keep in mind that you will have to start heading back in time before the park closes, but there are various signs throughout the park to help you leave on time.
To get back to Puerto Viejo you will have to exit the park and walk to the bus stop. Since we had no clue about when or if there is another bus coming, we chose to share a taxi which cost pretty much the same as the bus.
Join A Salsa Class
Last year I discovered a new love for Salsa and Bachata, so when I got to Latin America, of course I was on the hunt for more classes to take.
While being on a budget in Puerto Viejo I soon discovered that there are a few options to join Latin Rhythms dance classes – and that some of them are even for free!
When I was there, there was a free Salsa class at Restaurant Chaman every Monday. Usually Selina’s also hosts a Salsa Night once a week that is free to join. Other hostels such as Hotel Puerto Viejo, La Tribu or Casa Wolaba may also host Latin Rhythms classes.
I personally wanted more than just one lesson a week, which is why I purchased a block of 5 classes at VolAir Studio. These classes were a lot of fun especially because three of those classes ended up being a private lesson because no one else signed up for those classes – yeyyy.
Join a Yoga Class
There are lots of different places offering Yoga classes in Puerto Viejo. However, I only went to AmaSer and those were my most favourite yoga sessions ever. AmaSer is located up a little hill in the jungle. You will enjoy a class in an open space listening to the sounds of the jungle and enjoying great views of the coastline.
As of January 2023 the classes cost 5$ and allow drop-ins. AmaSer also features a great café so you can enjoy amazing breakfast or fresh smoothies after yoga.
The Botanical Garden
More of an unknown activity in Puerto Viejo, this one is very interesting and doesn’t cost a fortune.
The Botanical Garden is located here. Opening hours may change but it is definitely worth stopping by. The entrance fee of around 6-7$ was definitely worth it!
We got a little introduction and could walk through the gardens full of exotic plants. We even saw some Morpho butterflies and spotted some Agoutis. Agoutis are little brown mammals which from far could look like a rabbit/squirrel/guinea pig mix – definitely super cute.
After the tour we got to try some exotic fruits that grow in the gardens. Most of them I have never seen or heard of so that was an amazing experience.
Other Activities
Bribri
My favourite activity during my stay in Puerto Viejo was a day in Bribri!
Bribri is a small indigenous town in the mountains about 20 min outside of Puerto Viejo. Up until this point I have heard about the indigenous living in the towns throughout the mountains – but honestly that was all I knew. However when we went on a day tour to see Bribri we have learnt a lot about their culture and their way of living with nature. It was absolutely fascinating.
We booked a tour following a recommendation of a friend’s friend and just by texting on Instagram. Our tour guide, Këysh, basically showed us his home and where he grew up with his family. We got to meet some of his elderly family members, who Këysh told us about. They only speak Bribri, so we could not talk with them personally. Këysh also wanted us to see him as a friend and not just a guide we booked for a tour. He told us to ask whatever comes to our mind as he loves to share his culture with others.
We saw traditional houses entirely made of materials the jungle provides and learned about the techniques used to prepare those materials. After a short tour through we roasted, grinded and drank fresh cacao while listening to Këysh’s stories. We also got to try some fruits and different types of grilled bananas – and yes there are different types of bananas, something I learned on that tour as well. To end the day in the best way Këysh took us to a secret waterfall that we got to enjoy all by ourselves.
For a cost of around 60 $ per person this day was more expensive than all the other things listed above but it was definitely worth every cent. An activity I would highly recommend even if you are a backpacker on a budget.
Tours and surf
In Puerto Viejo you will also find tour offices or hostels/hotels that offer tours to various attractions. Ziplining, diving, cayaking, jungle tours, coffee or cacao tours – you will pretty much find everything you could be looking for on a little walk through town!
Depending on the time of the year Puerto Viejo is also a good place to surf. You can find rentals and lessons along Playa Cocles for example and can go for a surf in the Caribbean Sea!