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Location Info
Puerto Viejo is located near Limon on the Southern Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica (very close to the Panama Border). Don't go to the other Puerto Viejo, Sarapiqui. Magic Moon is located just Northwest of town on Playa Negra (Black Beach), away from the main road and traffic. We are just a couple hundred meters down the beach from the popular Hotel Banana Azul. Click here for an excellent area map which shows our location.
In Costa Rica, addresses are given in relation to well-known local points. So our local address if you need to tell someone how to get there is: 50 m south of Hotel Perla Negra Playa Negra Puerto Viejo de Limon
Getting Here
Coming from San José
Public Bus
By direct public bus: leaves daily from Terminal del Caribe at 8 am, 10 am, 12 noon, 2 pm & 4 pm. The bus trip from San Jose takes 4 to 5 hours. Cost is about $9. Full information on the bus and schedules can be found on the transport page on www.PuertoViejoSatellite.com which also has a wealth of local information on the area.
Although we are located before town, we recommend going all the way into town and taking a taxi the 2 kms back to our place, especially if you are coming in late. Tell the taxi driver to head toward ''Playa Negra'' and to turn right at Pen's Bar and continue 700 meters on the road going toward the Perla Negra Hotel until you see the Magic Moon sign.
Shared Ride Shuttle / Minibus
Shuttle door to door service: Interbus and several other
shuttle companies operating on a scheduled minibus service with A/C which will pick you up in San Jose
or Arenal (right from your hotel) and bring you directly to our guesthouse.
Rates start at about
$35 per person (a little more from Arenal and always half price for kids).
Use the transport planner to see shuttle schedules and prices as well as other transport options. You can also make a reservation. Shuttles must be booked in advance.
Private Driver
You can also have a private driver make this trip for you. The cost is $190 from San Jose for up to 8 persons and they will go on your schedule at your convenience. They will also meet your flight at the international airport and bring you straight here. Or you can book point-to-point transport from any point in Costa Rica. Use the transport planner to book this service.
Coming from San Jose International Airport
If you want to come directly from your flight at the San Jose
International airport to Puerto Viejo, we recommend either a private driver
or getting your bus ticket in advance. You can do the latter with the taxi/bus
service - the driver meets your flight at the San Jose airport and has already
prepurchased your tickets for your selected bus departure. Use the transport
planner to book this service. The shuttle services generally leave San Jose
to early to meet international incoming flights.
Driving
If you're driving, check car rental rates here:
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Follow the signs to Limon and then go right and continue South for an
hour to Puerto Viejo. About 2 kms before Puerto Viejo, just as the road meets
the beach , you will see a grocery store at your right side called 'Abastecedora
Violeta'. Turn left (where the bus stop and Pen's bar are) and follow the
straight pebble street 200 meters until it divides. Turn towards the beach and
continue for about 400 meters until you see the Magic Moon sign. The trip takes
about 4 hours.
A 4WD vehicle is not necessary to reach us but you might appreciate it when exploring the area if you get off the beaten track.
Detailed driving directions for the route to Puerto Viejo including the alternative route are available here.
Whitewater Rafting
No,
you don't actually travel here on the river but the rafting site is located
between San Jose or Arenal and the Caribbean and the company will pick you up in
one location and drop you off in another. So it turns a day of transportation
into a truly
memorable day.
The whitewater rafting trip on the Pacuare River has consistently had the highest reviews from all our guests. Trip includes pick up in San Jose or Arenal at your hotel, 4 hour, 18 mile rafting trip, eats and drop off at Magic Moon.
You can also do trip on return from Puerto Viejo to San Jose or Arenal. Single day river trips cost $99 per person. They take care of all belongings and valuables. Click here if you'd like more information on the rafting trip options or to have us book one for you.
General Questions
The website
Puerto Viejo Satellite is the best place
to start to find out more about the area.
There are informative pages there on the vibe of the area, on money issues (ATMs, currency exchange, etc), on restaurants and much more.
Another good website is greencoast.com which is aimed specifically at supporting sustainable tourism in the area.
Finally, you can become a fan of Puerto Viejo and post photos, comments and question on the Facebook Puerto Viejo page.
