Costa Rica » Caribbean Coast Guide

Whilst Costa Rica’s wild east coast may not fit the typical picture-postcard image of the Caribbean, its jungle-lined shores provide numerous other enticements.

To the north, the wetland forests of Tortuguero are positively teeming with wildlife, while the heady Afro-Caribbean culture of the south coast provides an interesting contrast to the rest of the country.

The stretch of coast running south from Puerto Limon towards the Panamanian border was, until quite recently, quite cut-off from the rest of the country. As such the region has its own distinct atmosphere, shaped in large part by its Afro-Caribbean heritage. Most of the residents are of Jamaican descent, with Creole, known as “Mekatelyu”, often spoken in place of Spanish.

The coastline is dotted with small villages, where the pace of life is laidback and the culture friendly and informal. Reggae replaces the more frenetic Latino beats in local cafés and surfers flock to the shores to catch the famous ‘Salsa Brava’ wave.

Banana cultivation is the region’s staple employment and the surrounding landscape is chequered with fields of towering green plants. Somewhat surprisingly, bananas rather than coffee are Costa Rica’s most valuable export, and the South Caribbean is one of the main areas of production.

Aside from the variety of water sports on offer, activities such as aerial zip wiring, cycling and canopy tours provide plenty of energetic ways to explore the jungle which lines the coast.