Since my husband often has to go to Limon for business, I decided to join him for the weekend and explore that part of the country. In distance it really isn't that far from San Jose but there are a lot of trucks and buses on the road, so it takes about 4 hours to get there.We stayed at a lovely hotel called Cariblue, in Puerto Viejo, about an hour outside of Limon. The owners and staff were very friendly. It has a small restaurant and lovely 3 level pool, with a swim-up bar, where we spent all our late afternoons. My favourite part was the sloth hanging from a tree above my head as I was swimming. And then going to sleep with the howler munkeys screaming away.
It is a small town with a lively atmosphere at night and relaxing by day. You will see a combination of tourists and local surfers hanging around, riding bicycles or swimming in the bright blue ocean. Here most beaches have golden sand, but you can also find darker sand at playa negra. All along the coastline there are different beaches but all of them are nice and safe to swim. Even the ones with waves. And there are plenty of coconut trees and jungle to offer shade. We spent most of our time swimming and bathing in the sun at Cocles beach since it was right in front of our hotel. As with most places in Costa Rica there are a variety of things to do and it is know as one of the best places for snorkeling. I will gladly go there every weekend!
There are multiple small places to grab a bite as well as bigger seafood restaurants. My favourite was Coki Restaurant, just down the road from the hotel, with a nice ocean view. It has brightly coloured furniture and catches your eye at night with all their fairy lights. I enjoyed a refreshing Mojito and the food was delicious.
