The best beaches in Puerto Viejo

The beaches are why most people fall for Puerto Viejo. Along one stretch of coast you get everything from serious surf breaks to calm, palm-fringed coves made for a lazy swim.

Here is a beach-by-beach guide, running south from town, with honest notes on which are best for swimming, surfing and snorkelling, plus a word on staying safe in the water.

The beaches, one by one

Playa Negra. Just north of town, an easy black-sand beach that is great for a stroll and a sunset, with calmer water than the surf beaches.

Playa Cocles. The big surf beach a couple of kilometres south of town. Popular and lively, with seasonal lifeguards, but the currents are strong, so it suits surfing and sunbathing more than an easy swim.

Playa Chiquita. Not one beach but a string of small, calm, reef-sheltered coves tucked behind the jungle. Quiet and good for swimming and snorkelling, and where several of our villas sit.

Punta Uva. The postcard beach: turquoise water, a jungle-covered point and some of the calmest, clearest swimming and snorkelling on the coast. A local favourite.

Manzanillo. At the end of the road, the gateway to the Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge. Calm, clear water, a living reef offshore, and a laid-back village with a couple of great sodas.

Explore our guide to the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge →

Which beach for what

A quick way to choose:

• Calm swimming and families → Punta Uva, the Playa Chiquita coves, Manzanillo
• Snorkelling → Punta Uva and Manzanillo, on calm, clear days
• Surfing → Playa Cocles, and the famous Salsa Brava reef break for experts only
• A sunset stroll near town → Playa Negra

Staying safe in the water

Rip currents are real on the more exposed beaches, especially Playa Cocles. Swim where the water is calm and other people are in, keep an eye on children, and when in doubt choose the sheltered coves at Punta Uva or Playa Chiquita. The sea here changes from day to day, so check conditions before you dive in.

Key takeaways

Puerto Viejo’s beaches run from the surf of Playa Cocles to the calm, clear water of Punta Uva and Manzanillo, with the sheltered Playa Chiquita coves in between. Pick the beach that matches what you want, whether that is a swim, a surf or a snorkel, respect the currents, and you have one of the best stretches of coast in Costa Rica on your doorstep.