Long Haul travel goes from fun to not very quickly Long Haul travel goes from fun to not very quickly. But there is nothing quite like the post flight shower. Would you agree? ✈️🛀🚿
🇬🇹Guatemala Places you need to visit in Gua 🇬🇹Guatemala

Places you need to visit in Guatemala: 

🧡Antigua
🧡Acatenango Volcano
🧡Lake Atitlan
🧡Semuc Champey
🧡El Paredon 

Is Guatemala on your bucket list?
Reintroducing myself 🙋🏽‍♀️🌴🐢🏝 Reintroducing myself 🙋🏽‍♀️🌴🐢🏝️

Had to repost this because my audio got removed on the original even though my voice is my voice and no one else’s so let’s hope it’s second time lucky 😅
2 week Costa Rica Itinerary 🍃✌🏽🦥🏄🏼

Day 1 – Landing in San Jose
Day 2-5 – Puerto Viejo
Day 5-7 – Tortuguero
Day 7-10 – La Fortuna
Day 10-12 – Manuel Antonio National Park
Day 12-14 – Dominical
9  things to NEED to do on your Barbados holiday🌴🇧🇧:

🐟 Oistins Fish Fry on a Friday Night
⚡️ Go for a drink and swim @thunder.bay.beach.bar 
🌅Watch the Sunrise
🐢Swim with Turtles
⛵️Boat cruise with @silvermoonbarbados 
🌮Sunset Dinner @seashed_barbados 
🐎Watch the racehorses at Pebbles Beach 
🌊 Walk along the Hastings Boardwalk 
🌅Watch the sunset
📸=🧡 📸=🧡
TRAVEL OFTEN AROUND YOUR 9-5⬇️ 🟠 Obvious c TRAVEL OFTEN AROUND YOUR 9-5⬇️

🟠 Obvious choice but make use of the weekends. Fly out on Friday night and home Sunday evening. Really good to squeeze in a mini city break. 

🟠 For longer holidays use the same method as above. Fly out on a Friday night and home the following Sunday. You can get almost 9 days away and only have to take 5 days off work.

🟠 Make use of your bank holidays. Tag on an extra day off around a bank holiday. For example around the Easter break. 

🟠If you are flying on weekdays fly out late evening and fly home early morning so you don’t have to take those flying days off work.

🟠 Work from your holiday. Commit to working one or two mornings whilst you are away. This can help in saving up a few half days when you get to the end of the year. However this is probably not worth it on shorter trips

🟠 If you are able to travel with work. Make a holiday out of that by tagging on a few days holiday after the work trip is over.

Do you have any other tips?
The cutest audio. I heard it on TikTok but I could The cutest audio. I heard it on TikTok but I couldn’t find it on here. It’s from @aftersunmovie ⭐️🎆🌞🌙☀️🌅

Not normally a quotes girly but I think this is so sweet 🥹
📍The SPACE - San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua 🇳🇮 @thespace.sjds 

This is the perfect hostel for travellers looking to unwind and relax (unless you are there on a Sunday when it’s part of the Sunday funday bar crawl 🙈)

🛌Dorm rooms start from £11 and Private from £50 🛌

🚖 It located a 6 minute drive and a 30 minute walk outside of the town. They do offer a free shuttle bus to town and from town everyday!
✌🏽This did well on TikTok so sharing it here ✌🏽This did well on TikTok so sharing it here 

🧡One thing I’m super grateful for is my supportive boyfriend no matter how ludacris my ideas.

✈️He loves to travel and explore new places but it’s definitely not on the same scale as me! 

💻 He also doesn’t have a job that gives him the same freedoms as mine does 

🌎I’ll be leaving him for a while  very shortly, and Ive talked about how I want to go away for a few months at some point in the future. 

❤️Despite the fact we miss each other he’ll always support my travels whether he can come with me or not.
BEST THINGS TO DO ON OMETEPE 🌋 📍Swim Ojo de BEST THINGS TO DO ON OMETEPE 🌋

📍Swim Ojo de Agua
📍Hike to San Ramon waterfall 
📍Sunset at Playa Mangos
📍Lunch at Santo Domingo
📍Hike Volcan Concecipon
📍Walk the sandbar at Punta Jesus
Have I sold you on Nicaragua yet? 🇳🇮🏄🏽 Have I sold you on Nicaragua yet? 🇳🇮🏄🏽‍♀️🌴😎
🇳🇮GUIDE TO LITTLE CORN ISLAND 🌽🏝️ G 🇳🇮GUIDE TO LITTLE CORN ISLAND 🌽🏝️

Getting There ➡️

✈️🛥️Plane and Boat - The best option for less time but a bigger budget and those who suffer from sea Sickness. 

🛩️Fly from Managua Airport to Big Corn Island (1.5 hours)
🚣🏼‍♀️Boat Taxi from Big Corn to Little Corn (30 minutes) 

💰Approximate total Cost for 1 way = £100-£110 

🚎⛵️Bus and Boat - The best option for more time but a smaller budget 

🚌Bus from Managua to Bluefields (7/8 hours) 
Ferry from Bluefields to Big Corn (6/7 hours) 
🚣🏼‍♀️Boat Taxi from Big Corn to Little Corn (30 minutes) 

💰Approximate total Cost for 1 way = £16-£20

🛌Where to stay 

😎Graces Cool Spot $
🤿Yemaya Reefs $$$

👙What to do 

🌴Walk around the whole Island 
😎Chill out on Otto Beach 
🤿Go Snorkelling 
🦈Go Scuba Diving 
🌮Have Tacos at Tranqillo Bar 
🍺Drink Victoria’s at Beach Bar 
🌅Watch the Sunset and Sun Rise 
💤RELAX 

Would you visit Little Corn?
10-Day Nicaragua Itinerary 🌴🌊🇳🇮 1 nig 10-Day Nicaragua Itinerary 🌴🌊🇳🇮

1 night - Leon 🌋
2 nights -San Juan Del Sur or Popoyo 🏄🏽‍♀️
2 nights - Ometepe 🌋
2 nights - Laguna de Apoyo/ Granada 🛶
3 nights - Little Corn Island 🌴🌽

📆For those of us who are limited to 25 days of holiday a year - 10 days in Nicaragua is TOTALLY doable. You’ll be on a tight schedule and will need to spend more on transport/taxis to get to places on time …. but it’s all worth it. ✈️

⏰If you have more time, I would say stretch to 14 days and up some of the stays to 3 nights. This will give you a chance to relax in each location. 💤

Full-time travel/time freedom is the goal but for now, I’m grateful that I get to experience snippets of these beautiful countries! 

Would you visit Nicaragua for 10 days?
My toxic trait is wanting to be everywhere doing e My toxic trait is wanting to be everywhere doing everything all at the same time ✈️🌍🌴🌅
Day 8&9 - Nicaragua 🇳🇮 Day 8 📆 🤿We p Day 8&9 - Nicaragua 🇳🇮

Day 8 📆

🤿We paid $20 each to go on a snorkelling tour with with our guesthouse (Graces Cool Spot) 

🦈It was a 2 hour trip and we got to see lots of nurse sharks, plus others saw turtles, stingrays and lobsters which I missed

🚤Later that afternoon we had to leave Little Corn 😫. We were planning to leave the next day but they weren’t going to be running the boats to Big Corn due to the wind….. so if we didn’t leave we would have missed our flight. 

⚓️Something to be aware of if you’re travelling to the corn island’s

Day 9 📆

✈️We flew from Big Corn Island back to the main land early in the morning. 

🚕We then got picked up from the airport and we decided to go back to Laguna de Apoyo and stay @paradisonicaragua 

🍺 We spent our last day drinking turbo shandy’s and swimming in the lake (which was a lot warmer than we expected)
🌎Favourite places in Central America 🧡I’ 🌎Favourite places in Central America 

🧡I’m totally in love with Central America and I haven’t even scratched the surface yet (more countries to visit and more places to visit where I’ve already been) 

🌎Whilst I find it difficult to say where my favourite place is because they are all so different, here are some of my favourite places in each country I’ve been to so far:

Mexico 🇲🇽

🌮Valladolid 
🏝️Isla Holbox 

Guatemala 🇬🇹

🌋Antigua (+ Acatenango Volcano hike) 
🌊Lake Atitlan 

Costa Rica 🇨🇷

🦥Puerto Viejo
🏄🏽‍♀️Dominical 
🍃La fortuna purely for @arenal.lodge 

Nicaragua 🇳🇮

🌋Ometepe
🌽Little Corn Island

Still have so many places to visit in these countries but these are my fave so far 🧡
Day 7 - Nicaragua 🇳🇮🏝️ Today was a ver Day 7 - Nicaragua 🇳🇮🏝️

Today was a very chill day 😎

🍳We woke up for some brekfast and then headed off to explore the island. 

🚶🏽‍♀️We headed north of our hotel at Graces cool spot and walked as far around the island as we could, taking in all the beautiful views along the way. 

🌴The most popular beach on the island is Otto beach and we were going to stop here but the bar was shut and after all the walking we were super hungry. 

🍃We decided to walk through the island and into the main “town”. 

🎶We stopped off at a reggae bar  called “Beach Bar” for lunch and stayed there for ages drinking and catching some sun and going for dips to cool off. 

🌮We then headed back to get read for Tacos and Triva night at Tranquilo cafe. The tacos were AMAZING but our trivia was terrible. We came last 😅

One of my favourite days of the trip!
Day 6 - Nicaragua 🇳🇮 ✈️Today we had to Day 6 - Nicaragua 🇳🇮 

✈️Today we had to wake up super early to catch our flight to the Corn islands.

🚕We headed from Leon to Managua airport which was approx 2 hours drive (of course we used our fave driver David) 

🔖We checked in for our flight which was very easy  they give you a baggage receipt  which you must keep hold of as they check it the other end when collecting your luggage. 

🛩️💵The flights were roughly $111 one way with La Costena airlines (they are not on Skyscanner so we had to  book directly) 

💰We then had to pay a $2 tourist tax to board the flight 

🛫The flight was totally fine (I was a tad nervous but had no need to be. 

🚎The flight kind of works like a bus which was so new to me. There are no assigned seats so you just pick whatever is free. 

💙It first lands Bluefields airport where it lets passengers off and more people on. If you’re flying to Big Corn you just stay on the plane. 

⏰In total it was about 1.5 hours 

🚖Once we landed in Big Corn we had to catch a taxi to the ferry port. This cost us $1 per person 

💰Once we got there we then had to pay ANOTHER tourist tax for around $1 to enter the port. 

⛴️We then waited for our ferry to little corn. There are only 2 ferries a day to Little Corn 10am ($20) and 4:30pm ($10). Take a look at this last picture for more info on this. 

🏨Once we arrived we were greeted by someone from our guesthouse ( Graces Cool Spot) at the port and he walked us to the hotel. 

🍹Once we checked in we got showered up and had a little explore. We then spent the evening at at tranquilio cafe drinking cocktails with some lovely humans that we met at our guesthouse. 

Picture locations 📸
📸Big Corn Island Ferry Port
📸Big Corn Island Airport
📸Graces Cool Spot
📸Tranquilo Cafe
📸Little Corn
Graces Cool Spot- Little Corn Island 🇳🇮🌽🏝️

I did not want to leave. If you’re visiting Nicaragua, Little Corn is a MUST!
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Christina in the Clouds

Adventure around a 9-5

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Beach Holidays, Central America, Costa Rica · February 14, 2023

Best Things to do In Puerto Viejo: The Ultimate Bucket List

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Hidden on the glistening shores of Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast lies the laid-back, hippie town of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. Due to its location, this tropical paradise often gets missed on the ‘traditional’ tourist path. Which, in my opinion, makes Puerto Viejo all the more appealing.

Whilst the town is small, there are still many wonderful things to do in Puerto Viejo. Whether you want to sip Pina Coladas overlooking the beach, try your hand at surfing, or go in search of some sloths. You are guaranteed to leave this town with a full heart and a smile on your face. 

After a fabulous two-week holiday in Costa Rica, I realised that Puerto Viejo was my favourite place of all. I completely fell in love  ❤️ with the chilled-out vibes, the vibrant atmosphere, and the influence of Caribbean culture (I certainly won’t be shocked if you do too). 

If you are looking for a destination that will truly capture your attention then Puerto Viejo is the place you need to visit! 

So, what are the best things to do in Puerto Viejo? Read on below to find out!

Punta Uva - Things to do in Puerto Viejo

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to make a verified purchase through the links in this post I will earn a small commission. This will be at no extra cost to you. Thank you 

Contents show
1 Sunset Cocktails at Puerto Pirata
2 Playa Cocles Beach
3 Cahuita National Park
4 Explore the town by Bicycle
5 Dinner at Koki Beach
6 Kayak through Punta Uva Mangroves
7 Party at Salsa Brava Rasta Bar
8 Take a trip to Manzanillo
9 Relax on Punta Uva Beach
10 Book on a Chocolate Tour
11 Wander through the boutique shops
12 Visit the Jaguar Rescue Centre
13 Happy Exploring

Sunset Cocktails at Puerto Pirata

Overlooking Puerto Viejo beach lies the super cool Tiki Bar, Puerto Pirata. Puerto Pirata is one of the best sunset viewing spots in all of Puerto Viejo, it also has the best cocktails in town and extremely friendly and helpful staff. One of my favourite things to do in Puerto Viejo of an evening was to head down to Puerto Pirata just before sunset and sip on some delicious Pina Coladas whilst watching the sun sink below the horizon.

Puerto Pirata - Things to do in Puerto Viejo
Puerto Pirata - Things to do in Puerto Viejo

Playa Cocles Beach

With Crisp white sand and impressive 7-foot waves, Playa Cocles is one of the best things to do in Puerto Viejo for those who love to surf (or want to give surfing a go). There are a handful of well-established surf shops and schools in Playa Cocles, so you will be well looked after whether you just want to rent a board or take some lessons. One of the top-rated surf schools in Playa Cocles is Surf Meds Carbe. 

Playa Cocles is just a short 10-minute drive (and 50-minute walk) from Puerto Viejo and is easily accessible by car/taxi, cycle and foot.

There isn’t much else to do in Playa Cocles apart from surfing, so if that’s not your thing you can probably give this one a miss! 😅

Cahuita National Park

Recognised as one of the best places in Costa Rica to see sloths, a trip to Cahuita National Park should definitely not be missed off your Puerto Viejo itinerary. 

Expect to see pristine white sandy beaches, an abundance of unique wildlife and thick lush greenery. And don’t be shocked if you hear some strange noises coming from the depths of the jungle, that’s probably the sounds of the Howler Monkey echoing through the canopy. 

Being able to completely immerse myself in nature made visiting Cahuita National Park one of my favourite things to do in Puerto Viejo. 

Cahuita National Park Things to do in Puerto Viejo
Cahuita National Park -Things to do in Puerto Viejo

Cahuita is located just 30 minutes from Puerto Viejo and is easily accessible by public bus, shuttle or taxi. Alternatively,  If you have rented a car or bike there are guarded car parks which you can pay to use (expect to pay around $2-3 USD to park for the day). 

It’s also important to note that whilst the entrance to the park is actually free (Cahuita is one of the only free national parks in all of Costa Rica)  you will be asked for a donation of $5 USD for park maintenance. I would definitely recommend donating this if you can.

Cahuita National Park - Things to do in Puerto Viejo

Explore the town by Bicycle

One of the best things to do in Puerto Viejo is to cruise through the town and its surrounding areas by bicycle. Almost all of the places that I have mentioned in this post are easily accessible by bike. Plus, it’s a great way to soak up all of the stunning scenery that Puerto Viejo has to offer.

Booking.com

And, one of the best things about Puerto Viejo is that the roads have been newly paved, so unlike most of Costa Rica, the roads are pot-hole free and cycle ready! 

There are a handful of bike rental companies in the town centre so you won’t be short of choice. You can rent a cycle for as little as $5 USD a day. Make sure you are super-mindful about locking your bike when you park. I’ve heard some stories about bikes getting stolen and tourists having to pay out to the companies to resolve the issue.

Puerto

Dinner at Koki Beach

Seafood lovers, dinner at Koki Beach is the one for you. As you would expect from a seaside town the seafood is super fresh and just all-around delicious. I had the grilled octopus dish and it was honestly the best octopus I have ever eaten! Do not skip dinner at Koki Beach.

Koki Beach - Puerto Viejo

Kayak through Punta Uva Mangroves

At high tide, you can meander through the thick, lush mangroves of Punta Uva in search of more of Costa Rica’s fantastic wildlife. Such as toucans, monkeys and of course, the sloth! Willies tours are one of the top-rated companies to book with. Don’t miss out on this trip as it’s one of the most incredible things to do in Puerto Viejo.

Party at Salsa Brava Rasta Bar

Love Reggae, Reggaeton Music and chilled-out vibes? Then make sure you pay a visit to Salsa Brava Rasta Bar both during the day and at night! The bar itself is no-thrills and it’s probably better to order a beer from here rather than a cocktail, BUT the music and the atmosphere is vibrant and it overlooks the beach. I totally fell in love with the place.  

I honestly could have stayed in this bar all night, but unfortunately, my jet lag got the better of me!

Puerto Pirata - Puerto Viejo

Take a trip to Manzanillo

Not to be confused with the Playa Manzanillo on Costa Rica’s west coast. This Manzanillo is just a 20-minute drive from Puerto Viejo. Manzanillo is a calm and tranquil fishing village with yet another stunning beach and some great cafes and restaurants. If you are craving some respite from the livelier Puerto Viejo then a trip to Manzanillo could do the trick.

Relax on Punta Uva Beach

Featured on the list of Costa Rica’s Blue-Flag (cleanest) beaches is the beautiful Punta Uva. Punta Uva is one of the best beaches in Puerto Viejo if not all of Costa Rica. The rich golden sand and the palm tree-studded shores make Punta Uva a popular destination for both tourists and locals alike. 

What makes Punta Uva even more special is the law against building anything within 50 metres of the high tide line. Meaning the beach is free, open and ready for you to enjoy. Make sure you do not skip a trip to Punta Uva as it’s one of the most beautiful things to do in Puerto Viejo.

Punta Uva - Things to do in Puerto Viejo
Punta Uva - Things to do in Puerto Viejo

Book on a Chocolate Tour 

One of Puerto Viejo’s greatest exports is chocolate and it has an abundance of cacao farms in the area. During the tour, you’ll learn all about how they grow and harvest cacao and how they transform this into delicious chocolate. No chocolate tour would be complete without some taste-testing, so you’ll be pleased to know you’ll get to try a variety of different types of chocolates. You can book your chocolate tour here

Wander through the boutique shops 

As you are strolling through Puerto Viejo town you’ll notice that there are lots of cute and quirky clothes/souvenir shops. If like me, you’re keen to get your hands on some sloth-themed memorabilia then make sure to have a peak inside some of these stores. 

These shops came in very handy when my boyfriend’s luggage was lost in transit en route to Costa Rica. He managed to pick up some really nice t-shirts from a super cool Costa Rican Brand at Wanderlust Puerto Viejo (and I also nabbed a very cute beach bag). Wanderlust Puerto Viejo in my opinion is the best clothes/souvenir shop in all of Puerto Viejo.

Things to do in Puerto Viejo

Visit the Jaguar Rescue Centre

The admirable Jaguar Rescue Centre looks after ill, injured, illegally trafficked and orphaned animals. These can include wild cats, sloths, monkeys, and reptiles as well as a few other endangered species. 

The purpose of the JRC is to provide 24/7 care to these animals in order to rehabilitate them and hopefully (if possible) re-introduce them to the wild.

You can help to support the JRC by booking a tour around the grounds, where you will be able to get up close with the animals and learn all about their plight from extremely knowledgeable and passionate guides. Tours start from $24 USD and you can here to book your tour directly with the JRC.

Puerto Viejo

Happy Exploring

I hope you have a wonderful time exploring all that Puerto Viejo has to offer. If you have any more questions about anything discussed in this blog post, please feel free to reach out!

Looking for more Costa Rica inspiration? Check out my guide to Dominical

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Comments

  1. Kristen Valenti says

    March 2, 2023 at 11:12 am

    Love the chocolate tour!! I would definitely want to do that. 🙂 Great post and beautiful pics, Christina!

    Reply

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I'm Christina a part-time traveller who is exploring the world around my 9-5. From canyons to coasts, I love all kinds of adventures. I've created this space to provide you with all the travel inspiration and my top tips for seeing more of the world in less time.

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christina.inthe.clouds

Long Haul travel goes from fun to not very quickly Long Haul travel goes from fun to not very quickly. But there is nothing quite like the post flight shower. Would you agree? ✈️🛀🚿
🇬🇹Guatemala Places you need to visit in Gua 🇬🇹Guatemala

Places you need to visit in Guatemala: 

🧡Antigua
🧡Acatenango Volcano
🧡Lake Atitlan
🧡Semuc Champey
🧡El Paredon 

Is Guatemala on your bucket list?
Reintroducing myself 🙋🏽‍♀️🌴🐢🏝 Reintroducing myself 🙋🏽‍♀️🌴🐢🏝️

Had to repost this because my audio got removed on the original even though my voice is my voice and no one else’s so let’s hope it’s second time lucky 😅
2 week Costa Rica Itinerary 🍃✌🏽🦥🏄🏼

Day 1 – Landing in San Jose
Day 2-5 – Puerto Viejo
Day 5-7 – Tortuguero
Day 7-10 – La Fortuna
Day 10-12 – Manuel Antonio National Park
Day 12-14 – Dominical
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