Puerto Viejo and Bocas del Toro Go Together Like...

Puerto Viejo and Bocas del Toro Go Together Like…

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, and Bocas del Toro, Panama go together rama lama lama
ke ding a de dinga a dong… (Remembered for ever like shoo bop shoo wadda wadda yipitty boom de boom). Funny, because they are located in different countries, but together, combined, they make a perfect adventure.
We drove from San Jose to Puerto Viejo, I had never been there before, and although Cailey noticed the newly paved roads and busier shops and streets, it still looked like a rustic, surfer/Rasta town to me. Little stores and funky restaurants, and coffee shops line the long road along the beach. Our hotel was down a few tricky dirt roads with a few painted signs pointing to Coco Loco Lodge. When we arrived I was pleasantly surprised at the little village of cute cabanas on a green lawn. Ours was the last, with the best view, and surrounded by trees and flower bushes buzzing with hummingbirds.
Inside there was a queen bed and two twins, all with pretty mosquito netting (I never saw a bug inside, the nets were reassuring!) The cozy porch outside had a hammock and lots of salamanders scurrying around the walls.
We went to a nearby beach the first day. It was pretty and there weren’t many people on it…a few surfers and sunbathers, but peaceful and pretty. We drove, but next time we’ll rent bikes and beach hop. They were really cheap ($5.00 a day, and looked fun).

The second day we went to one of the best beaches I have ever been to in Costa Rica! It was a national park called Manzanillo…we drove and it took about fifteen minuets. Biking would be possible, but there were some large hills that I would personally avoid at all costs. The beach had locals fishing, and some tourists like us, but was otherwise empty and pristine. We walked along the long, gorgeous beach and then up a trail through the forest to a peak that looked out onto the ocean. There were millions of pretty crabs and fish in the water, and we walked along coral and white sand the whole way to find a secluded spot.

Most of the travelers that we met in Bocas had already met or seen each other in Puerto Viejo at Rocking Js, apparently the place to stay. I heard they have a tree house and also raucous bonfires at night. I also heard it was pretty filthy…but maybe in a good way, if you know what I mean.
On Monday we hopped on the 8:30 bus to the border…it was crowded with young travelers like us and also locals, babies and children in school uniforms. There is a 6 am direct bus, Interbus, but who gets up that early anyway? Unfortunately, we should have known better and taken the Interbus…the bus was so crowded that we had to sit on our luggage and at a few points it was so steamy with no air circulation I found myself holding my breath because it was more comfortable. As soon as we arrived at the border, the travelers and I stood with our bags looking around, considering what to do…adventure continued in Cailey’s blog, but if you meet a one legged man with crutches who says “if I’m faster than you it’s because I have three legs”… follow him.