Where
Between the Cocles and Sixaola rivers, Talamanca canton.
Costa Rica / Puerto Viejo / Manzanillo
Caribbean Coast · Limón
Manzanillo,Costa Rica.
Where the coast road ends: a small Afro-Caribbean village, long quiet beaches and a wildlife refuge that runs on toward the Panama border.
Endof the coast roadGandoca-Manzanillorefuge
Why go
The end of the road
The paved road south of Puerto Viejo stops at Manzanillo. Beyond it there is forest, trail and sea. The village is small, Afro-Caribbean in character and set inside a protected refuge, which is much of why it has stayed quiet.
≈ 20 minby local MEPE bus from Puerto Viejo
≈ 5 kmeach way to Punta Mona (sources vary)
8:00–16:00refuge hours per ICT: confirm
Day tripfor most people
Our take. Manzanillo is a day for most people. Stay only if you want few restaurants and a lot of forest.
Best for the walk to Punta Mona, snorkelling on calm days, birdwatching and long quiet beaches.
A Manzanillo day
The bus out
About 20 minutes from Puerto Viejo.
The refuge trail
Walk toward Punta Mona, or just as far as Tom Bay.
A long lunch
At one of the few restaurants where the road ends.
The bus back
Check the last departure before you settle in.
The refuge
Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
Between the Cocles and Sixaola rivers, the refuge protects beach, wetland, reef and forest in the southeast corner of the Caribbean coast.
Costa Rica’s tourism board describes golden-sand beaches, wetlands, lagoons, reefs and seagrass beds, with a coral reef offshore. It protects endangered manatees and sea turtles, and calls it the only natural habitat of the mangrove oyster. There are two sectors: Manzanillo, on the coast road, is the one most visitors use; Gandoca, reached by the Bribri–Sixaola road, is the quieter lagoon side.
Hours
8:00–16:00 daily per ICT; confirm before you go.
Entry
Listed as free by ICT; confirm locally.
Wildlife
Manatees and sea turtles are protected here, per the tourism board; birdwatching tours run in the area.
Office
+506 2759-0600
Forest trail in the refuge
A white egret on the sandTurtles
Leatherbacks on Gandoca beach
Nesting runs from about March to July, peaking in April and May.
JFMAMJJASOND
Peak, April–MayNesting, about March–July
The beach has been protected by a conservation programme since 1986 (WIDECAST). Turtle-watching goes through authorised local programmes with a guide, and sightings are never guaranteed. Hours and fees change, so confirm with the refuge office.
Punta Mona
The walk to Punta Mona
The refuge’s best-known hike follows the coast south from the village to Punta Mona, the Monkey Point headland. Local information: Puerto Viejo Satellite.
Distance
≈ 5 km each way (local sources vary). The first stretch, out to Tom Bay, is a bit over half an hour and the best marked.
Time
A half day, round trip, starting on the beach south of the village.
Terrain
Beach and forest trail; depending on the season you may need to wade a small river.
Guide
Strongly recommended beyond the first stretch, for the wildlife you would otherwise walk past and for security.
Bring
Water, food, sun protection and shoes you do not mind getting wet.
Prefer to go with a guide?
There is a guided hike in the Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge.
Prefer to go after dark? Guided night walk in the refuge →
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Beaches and the water
Long sand, calm days
Manzanillo’s beaches run for kilometres at the edge of the forest. Playa Paulo Mena, a remote beach reached by a coastal trail of about half an hour, is quieter still.
Swimming
Ask about rip currents before you go in. Manzanillo is one of the nine beaches with Red Cross lifeguards under an agreement with the tourism board.
Snorkelling
Off the sand on calm, clear days. At other times the sea can be rough.
Food
A handful of restaurants where the road ends, with irregular hours. Plan lunch ahead.
Money
Bring cash; do not count on a card.
Puerto Viejo has the wider choice of places to eat and stay: see where to stay.
Getting there
Twenty minutes from town
The coast road from Puerto Viejo is paved and flat the whole way.
By bus
MEPE local service via Cocles, Playa Chiquita and Punta Uva; about 20 min, several times a day. The cheapest way out. Check the timetable at the stop and note the last bus back.
By taxi
Quicker than the bus. Agree the fare first.
By bike
By day only. The stretch beyond Punta Uva is quiet: ask locally first.
Bikes, taxis and the bus in more detail: getting around Puerto Viejo. Timetables: Puerto Viejo Satellite.
Where to sleep
Manzanillo has a handful of restaurants and small lodges, and Puerto Viejo has the wider choice of places to stay. Our stay guide compares the five areas of the coast.
Sources. Costa Rica Tourism Board, Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge; Puerto Viejo Satellite, Manzanillo; Puerto Viejo Satellite, local transport; El Observador, ICT and Cruz Roja lifeguard agreement; WIDECAST, Gandoca sea turtle programme. Hours, fees and timetables change: confirm before you go. Photographs are credited on Photography credits.