The 12km of coast between the languorous hamlet of PUERTO VIEJO DE TALAMANCA , 18km southeast of Cahuita, and Manzanillo village is one of the most beautiful stretches in the country. Though not spectacular for swimming, the beaches - Playa Chiquita, Punta Uva and Manzanillo - are the most picturesque on the entire coast; there's also plenty of accommodation, and it's livelier than Cahuita.

It's surfing that really pulls the crowds; the stretch south of Stanford's restaurant at the southern end of the village offers some of the most challenging waves in the country, and certainly the best on the Atlantic coast. Puerto Viejo's famous " La Salsa Brava " crashes ashore between December and March and from June to July. September and October, when La Salsa Brava goes away to wherever big waves go, are the quietest months of the year.

The village itself lies between the thick forested hills of the Talamanca mountains and the sea, where locals bathe and kids frolic with surfboards in the waves. It's a dusty little place in daylight hours but reasonably well cared for, with bright hand-painted signs pointing the way to cabinas , bars and restaurants. The main drag through the centre, potholed and rough, is criss-crossed by a few dirt streets and an offshoot road that follows the shore. As in Cahuita, many Europeans have been drawn to Puerto Viejo and have set up their own businesses; also like Cahuita, most locals are of Afro-Caribbean descent. In recent years, Puerto Viejo's backpacker and surf-party culture has created a small drugs scene , though this is fairly low-key and shouldn't adversely affect your stay. Nevertheless, it's best to make sure your room is well secured at night, and to avoid wandering through the quiet fringes of the village alone in the small hours.