The Caribbean Sea and Costa Rica are home to some fantastic beaches, and Manzanillo Beach in Limon can be placed upon the lexicon of the like.

From Puerto Viejo down the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica there are a number of great and uncrowded beaches. You can take a slow ride on a rented bike down the coastal rode, and stop from one beach to the next. Along the way you find Playa Cocles, Playa Chiquito and Playa Grande. From the lookout point at Playa Manzanilla you can see down the shoreline to the north and south.

Small fishing vessels and palm trees line the shoreline here, and the town of Manzanillo reserves its peace filled attitude for the enjoyment of those that play party to this fantastic location. There are a number of small general stores, some good Afro-Caribbean inspired restaurants that serve up the best the sea provides, which is quite good, and beach is great place from which to set out on a snorkeling adventure.

Items that you may want to consider bringing to Manzanillo would be a swimsuit, snorkeling gear, hiking boots, a camera, sun screen and a little extra cash. There are banks and atms in the small city of Puerto Viejo, but you won’t find banks in Manzanillo. The dirt road that lines the main beach will lead you into the jungle where you can hike into the lookout points and the smaller beaches that dot little spaces here and there along the tip of the convex coast line.

Local lodgings and restaurants are not like the grand resorts that you’ll find in the Guanacaste area, and they hold their own inimitable charms. Some of the area hotels and guesthouses include Congo Bongo, Villa Toucan and Almonds & Corals Lodge. For food in Manzanillo look to Maxi’s, Soda La Playa and Cool & Calm Café. The food in Manzanillo is something you really don’t want to miss out on.

Manzanillo is around five hours and four minutes from San Jose, Costa Rica. It is four hours and eleven minutes from Juan Santamaria International Airport in Alajuela, Costa Rica, and seven hours and twelve minutes from Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia, Costa Rica. If you care to look into travelling via plane, the domestic airlines Nature Air and Sansa Air fly to the nearby city of Limon, Costa Rica.

Beach: Playa Manzanillo 
Location: Manzanillo, Guanacaste.
Items to bring: a swimsuit, snorkeling gear, hiking boots, a camera, sun screen, a little extra cash
Distance from San Jose: 5 hrs 4 mins
Distance from Liberia: 7 hrs 12 mins
Hotels nearby: Congo Bongo, Villa Toucan, Almonds & Corals Lodge
Ways to get here: bus, private shuttle, taxi, rental car