In Endless fields of banana trees, colorful Caribbean-style homes and palm-lined shores welcome you to the other side of Costa Rica, where Jamaican reggae vibes and Patua slang distinguish this region as more island-Caribbean than Central American; culturally more African-roots Rastafari than Spanishheritage Tico. Southern Limon province is unlike anywhere else you’ve been, with eclectic cultural flavor to perfect your Costa Rican beach experience. An hour south of Limon, your first stop is the charming beach town of Cahuita, home to miles of protected whitesand beaches, undisturbed mangrove wildlife, calypso reggae and the best coconut ice cream on the Caribbean. Trail-blaze Cahuita National Park, keeping your eyes out for monkeys, sloths, tropical birds and reptiles before relaxing on the sandy shores, cooling off with an early-afternoon swim in the mellow sea.

Continue South on the bumpy road to Puerto Viejo for a little more action, with local shops, vendors, reggae bars and international restaurants lining the town center. Surfers can’t miss the daring Salsa Brava reef break, or catch a tan on the wide-open white-sand shores of Playa Cocles. After sunset, soak up the lively Caribbean vibe in town before settling at the perfect spot for dinner in the breezy open air. Fresh seafood swimming in coconut-infused Caribe sauce is a taste of local flavor at El Parquecito or share Japanese boatfuls of all-you-can sushi at Jordan’s Jacuzzis. Before retiring to your jungle bungalow, end the day mellowing your senses with live calypso music under the stars.

Rise with the sun and begin your day of beach adventure with breakfast at Kiré, where the chocolate-banana crepes are sweetly divine. Rent beach-cruisers for the day to experience the area from a unique perspective, filling your bicycle basket with Caribbean “panbon,” a spicy cinnamon sweetbread, as you pedal south to the secluded cove of Punta Uva, 6 kilometers from Puerto Viejo. Relax beneath a shady noni tree, listening to the gentle surf on Punta Uva’s palm-framed shoreline—truly one of Costa Rica’s most intimate hidden beaches.

Continue down to Playa Manzanillo for an energizing swim and people-watching in this typically Caribbean fishing point. Rent snorkel gear to explore the remote coral reefs offshore, teeming with bright species of tropical reef fish, boasting some of the best snorkeling in the country. Begin your unhurried trek home, stopping intermittently along the way to discover shore-side cafes and romantic private beaches that make Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean so uniquely enticing and distinctively unforgettable.