españolHow to travel to Pachamama and other Frequently Asked Questions
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A bike is one of the best ways to get around once you're here |
Location and Getting Around
Pachamama is located near the world-famous Playa Punta Uva. Punta Uva is a small beach community about 8 km southeast of Puerto Viejo before Manzanillo. You can see our location on the Puerto Viejo satellite map and explore the area here. Puerto Viejo is the local centre for banking, shopping and services. The area between Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo includes the communities of Cocles, Playa Chiquita, Punta Uva and then Manzanillo. Beyond that is the Panama border (although the route to Panama requires you to go back inland).
Getting around the area – options include car rentals, bicycle rental, scooter rental, taxi and bus. A good number of our guests do not have a car; they arrive via the MEPE bus from San Jose, or they book a rafting trip which includes transportation to/from San Jose or Arenal from/to Puerto Viejo. Contact us and we can help with any and all travel plans. The bus to Puerto Viejo and Cahuita can be caught at our gate every morning at 8:30 with several other stops and returns during the day, and most of the area is an easy bike ride so a car is not necessary to enjoy the area. The area between Punta Uva and Puerto Viejo is a mostly flat, generally unpaved road and the road to Manzanillo is nicely paved for jaunts to the Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge. Check out this page for detailed information on all the options for getting around once you're here.
Travel to Costa Rica, Punta Uva, and Pachamama
We realize a lot of planning and expense goes into a Costa Rica vacation because we did it ourselves many times so we like to do our best to help you avoid/minimize any problems you may encounter in traveling to your destination(s). Getting to the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica is much easier than some would have you believe. Some people also head to Arenal before or after coming to Pachamama and/or go white river rafting and get transportation included to Puerto Viejo, San Jose, or Arenal. In our experience these diversions, and there are more, can be a great way to spice up a trip of more than a week to Costa Rica. Let us know if you are interested and we can make all the arrangements for you. You can get more detailed information about travel from the travel sites, but below is some more information about getting here. Please ask us any questions so we take this off your list of things to worry about and you can focus on the fun and relaxing part of your trip to the Caribbean coast.
Arrivals – Our arrival Airport is Juan Santamaria Airport in San Jose. From there it is about a 4 hour drive to Pachamama, but you need to add in immigration, customs, and meeting your driver, rental car, or bus. Generally people can arrive in San Jose in the late morning and have no problem making it to Pachamama for sunset. Any arrival in the afternoon will most likely have you arriving at sunset or after, which is no problem if you have a driver or are taking the bus, but we usually recommend that first time drivers do not leave after 2 p.m. just to avoid any night driving.
Flights – We like kayak.com for researching flights and there are more and different combinations appearing all the time with Spirit Air and Frontier now offering some flights. There are also some local airlines/flights that will take you into other Latin and Central American Countries along the way for reduced rates.
From San Jose, you could fly to Limon on a twin-prop service and then connect via bus or taxi to Puerto Viejo (1 1/4 hours from Limon) for around $125 and people enjoy the flight, but a driver will take you on this trip for about the same price for a family and with the transfers it isn't that much faster.
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The potholes can be big! |
Driving - Driving here is no problem even if it is your first time. Don’t believe all the horror stories, they are only partly true. However, if you do not get on the road by 2 p.m. you will be arriving in the dark and this is not recommended for first time visitors mainly because the roads can be poorly marked and there are some pretty good potholes (huecos) on the road as you approach Puerto Viejo to Punta Uva. It is easy to get on the highway to Limon and follow it for most of the trip. In Limon at the traffic lights you will see a sign for Cahuita and Puerto Viejo and your turn right and take that road all the way to Punta Uva and Pachamama. Yes, there is a mountain to drive over in the middle of the trip near San Jose and yes it can rain, but the highway through the Braullio Carillo National Park is beautiful and is one of the best highways in Costa Rica. The main problem with the drive is the other drivers so
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If you're considering renting a car and driving to Puerto Viejo, keep in mind that the Costa Rican company Poas Rent a Car is currently the only car rental company with an office in the Puerto Viejo area so they are the only option if you want to pick-up or return your car in Puerto Viejo. Use the search form on the right to search for the best priced cars on Travelocity
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Taking the bus from Puerto Viejo |
Taking a Bus – if you are staying in San Jose, or at any hotel in the country, you can use the Interbus for hotel transfer directly to Pachamama. We can make all the arrangements for you and the cost is generally $35 per person. The public bus is also an excellent option used by the majority of tourists and our guests coming from San Jose because it is cheap (about $8 per person), leaves San Jose 5 times a day (12 p.m. is direct to our front gate/last one 4:00 p.m.), and is clean and safe. All you need to do is catch a quick taxi ride to the Caribe bus station. Bus schedule and directions are here.
Shuttle Service - Shared ride van shuttles such as Interbus will pick you up at your San Jose hotel and deliver you directly to Pachamama. They run once a day in the morning San Jose to Pachamama and twice a day (morning and afternoon) from Pachamama to San Jose. To book:
Private Driver – Some people choose a private driver to meet them right at the airport door and deliver them to Pachamama. There is a flat rate for this service of $160 for up to 10 people and their bags (they also have larger vehicles for up to 20 people or a bus which can accomodate 50!. We can arrange this service to and from Pachamama. This is a nice option because the drivers will take care of all the details and know the good places to take breaks, and even provide as much or as little information you would like along the ride. To book:
River Rafting or Arenal Volcano – If you are into white-water rafting or would like to see Volcano Arenal, this might be a good option for you to get to Pachamama, or back to San Jose because the rafting outfits and Arenal tour outfits include transportation from either San Jose, Arenal or Puerto Viejo included in the price of the trip. Many guests therefore get picked up in San Jose/Arenal, do the rafting and get dropped off in Puerto Viejo (or vice-versa). For rafting, we suggest ExploradoresOutdoors.com because of our history of successful trips with them but if you contact us in advance and we can provide more information about other options. We can answer most questions and handle all the arrangements for you and you can also check the activities page for more information.
Get More Details on Rafting Trips or Make a Rafting Reservation
General Questions
How will the weather be for my trip? Pachamama and the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica is a tropical environment so unlike the Pacific side of the country where you have distinct very rainy and very dry seasons, the rain is spread out throughout the year. This is what makes for such a lush green environment here, and it also means that we have more predictable temperatures with it getting to be the warmest around mid-day in the mid-80s and dropping down to the 70s each night (we use blankets every night). There are a couple months where it rains more than others (May/Nov, but generally speaking the rains come in the late afternoons and during the nights and the days are open for activities. Of course it is the rain forest so you can expect rain from time to time, but rarely is a vacation spoiled because of rain and we even have a special listing of fun things to do when it is raining outside. Walking in the rain can be a fun activity in itself because it is refreshing, but not cold. This page gives some information about the current weather and what kind of weather you can expect.
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Some of the bugs are so big they're almost cute! |
Aren’t the bugs bad? Anyone who has been in the Midwestern US or other places where there are many large mammals usually comment on how few biting insects there are here. In fact most people live without screens and open the whole house with no problems and just sleep with the bug net. If there are mosquitoes, they generally are only around for a short period of time and are not in the numbers one might expect. The beach can have the little biting sand flies early in the morning and at sunset so it is always a good idea to have some protection if you will be there during those times or are eating dinner at a beach restaurant. Otherwise, we often forget where we put the bug spray because so much time passes between the need for it. There are no known malaria or dengue outbreaks, the two problems that can come from mosquitoes, in the area, but we are always keeping track of this. All our beds have bug nets and they are mostly so you can read at night and not have any bugs flying around.
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You bring the swimwear, we'll lend you a boogie board |
What should I bring? Bathing suit, tanktop, flip-flops, sunglasses, and sunscreen would suffice for the minimalist, but we also recommend some additional items to make the most of your trip: light tropical clothes (for guys we like the REI quick dry shorts, tank tops, sports/tech shirts, bathing suit with zip pocket, ladies- same, but cami-tops, blouses, skirts and capris are great too. A light jacket may be good in San Jose and Arenal, but is not needed here (a very lightweight poncho is good to have instead), hiking shoes (many like the versatile sandals like Keens, we have those and the Solomon Techamphibians—something that will protect your feet hiking through the forest and beach while drying quickly), bugspray (avon skinsosoft makes sunscreen/bug repellant that we like to use, but Off with a low Deet is good if bugs are biting, or there are many natural ones that work well too), a baseball cap or sun hat (the kind with the neck flap can be nice), beach towels, or better yet a quick dry blanket or tapestry, a small soft-sided cooler/beach bag for excursions, water/liquid bottles (we use Nagalene), some Ziploc/small garbage bags (good for wet stuff and keeping things dry), camera (digital is nice, disposables are good, some bring big lenses for wildlife, but they are not needed), binoculars (7x42 is best for light and range, but any will do), and a flashlight (LED headlamps are good for nighttime bike rides to Selvins, or back from sunsets at the beach etc).
How safe is the area? Costa Rica is generally a safe place to visit and you rarely hear of violent crimes against tourists, but petty theft is a problem throughout the country and precautions for having a safe trip are well known and effective. The Southern Caribbean is known for having more relaxed atmosphere and is generally considered safer than many beach towns on the Pacific side of the country and San Jose, but there is still some petty crime. Punta Uva is fairly removed from this type of activity and Pachamama participates in a local security force on horseback and motorcycle that patrols the area and the beach to protect visitors and their belongings. Punta Uva beach is considered among the safest, and most beautiful, and our kids and friends visit it daily with no problems. Local efforts have been ramping up to tackle the petty crime and Pachamama is very secure with a gated entrance we lock each night, a river on one side and private reserve on the other sides. We have lockboxes in the rooms, but we also have a secure area in our house for any items you would like for us to watch for you. and we provide our guests with information.
Can I drink the water? The water is generally considered safe to drink in Costa Rica, which surprises many people. In our area and at Pachamama, the water is safe to drink and is tested regularly, but most choose not too because it is so high in mineral content that the taste takes getting used to and we don’t need that many minerals. We stock water in the bungalows and house for our guests.
What about the money and can I use my credit cards? US Dollars are accepted pretty much everywhere, but you are always better off using colones and the conversion and changing process is very simple. The government recently put the currency on a sliding scale so it remains fairly stable and easy to work with and there is a bank and a money changer in town that can do conversions from other currencies, travelers checks, and cash advances on most credit cards. There is also an ATM in Puerto Viejo (see location) that takes Visa cards with the star and plus symbols. Visa is the most widely recognized card in the country so if you just have MasterCard or American Express you may want to make sure to have other options to obtain money.
Can I access the internet? There are several options for internet access in the area. Two places in Puerto Viejo offer computer terminals with high speed internet to handle anything from Skype phone calls to transfer and upload of photos etc. They are generally $1 an hour. There’s also a wireless hotspot about a mile from Pachamama where you can bring your laptop and get a cocktail, coffee, or lunch and catch up. We do not have high-speed yet in our area, but we keep pestering the state owned monopoly and can provide our guests with dial up access if they have a prepaid internet card from RACSA (the local monopoly, cards available from ATEC in town) or an international dial up account (we suggest maGlobe.com, not cheap, but it works), or we can log you in for emergencies.
Additional comments from our visitors about frequently asked questions
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Any other questions?
Please feel free to ask! We are Bill & Cathy Carroll.
Our phone number in Costa Rica is ++506-2759-9196 (from the USA/Canada dial 011-506-2759-9196) or email us at info@pachamamacaribe.com.