Costa Rica has many contrasts that I have often written about in these posts.  However, I can think of no greater contrast than the Caribbean side with the rest of the country.  In this post I am specifically talking about the Southern Caribbean coast, the area from Puerto Limon to the Panamanian border. Some of my favorite beaches of the country are Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, Cocles and Manzanillo.  These beaches have that island feel.  As if you had landed on some small Southern Caribbean island.  The culture is very different than the rest of the country.  Many people of the area are of Jamaican descent.  Their ancestors were brought to Costa Rica from the islands to help build the railroad that was used to transport bananas and other products to the ports.  The vibe of these beaches is as laid back as you can get.  I often joke that when you visit a restaurant in the Southern Caribbean beach town of Cahuita you will be asked three questions; what would you like to drink? what would you like to eat? what would you like to smoke?  This is actually not a joke because that really happened to me on my first trip to Cahuita.  It seems that every aspect of life has its own Caribbean flavor.  The architecture is different, with stick-built cottages painted in pastel colors, rather than the block-style homes traditional in other parts of the country.  You will certainly hear lots of reggae music.  And the food, especially the seafood, is to die for.  Even the gallo pinto is different as they cook it using coconut oil.  In fact most great dishes on the Caribbean side have a little coconut flavor.  I guess I am a little “nutty” about Costa Rica’s Caribbean and I try to visit this area as often as I can.

Cahuita Photo Slide Show

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