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Stay Right on the Beach!
Not interested in Golf Courses, Tennis Courts, Country Clubs and “pre-fab” vacations? Looking to experience some more culture and nature on your vacation in Costa Rica? Banana Azul in Puerto Viejo might be just what you’re looking for.
Your hosts Colin Brownlee (from Vancouver, Canada) and Frédéric Spahr (from Québec City, Canada) welcome you to a hotel built out of local hardwoods that has 14 beautiful guest rooms, all with private bath and free wireless internet to accommodate adventurous travelers looking for a comfortable, tranquil place to stay while visiting the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica.
Our brand new pool and 8 person cool water jacuzzi, which flows into the pool, are now open. Relax under one our new shade ranchos and enjoy some poolside bar service.
Explore Banana Azul and Puerto Viejo
We have photo tours of the hotel, of Puerto Viejo, of our the area beaches, of the local Bri Bri culture, of things to do in the area and places to eat.
Check out our room rates or our packages.
Got questions? We’ve got answers on how to get here, getting around while you’re here, things to do here and practical and safety concerns.
Unspoiled Beaches & Caribbean Melting Pot
Until recently Puerto Viejo has been basically this undiscovered jewel in Costa Rica that has attracted mainly a backpacker and surf crowd. The whole area is one huge melting pot of cultures. On top of the foreigners which are mostly South American, Canadian and European; you have 3 distinct local cultures living here (Indigenous, Jamaican Caribbean and Spanish)
Today, in addition to miles and miles of unspoiled beaches, and thousands of hectares of jungle, Puerto Viejo offers, a huge selection of all types of restaurants, craft shops, tours, nightlife. And if you are looking for more adventure, I have created a photo album of the many things to do in the area.
There are the BriBri natives which have lived here for centuries, The Jamaicans which initially came over as workers to build the railroad for the banana trade and then Costa Ricans from Spanish descent. In 2002 there was a census done for the area and they found people from 49 different countries in a population of just over 2,000.
Puerto Viejo is definitely not for everyone, but that is what makes it special.
If you have not included the Caribbean of Costa Rica in your travel plans, you are missing half the country.
Highly Rated! — “People have great things to say about the place and they all appear to be true” “This place is paradise. That’s all there is to it. The hotel is beautiful; the food is fantastic; the beach is gorgeous. I can’t say enough good things about it.” Read More.
Tucked just inside the jungle abutting a striking black sand beach, offers simple accommodations a mile north of hippie-chic Puerto Viejo. Each of the 14 guest rooms has a sea view, a queen bed, and hardwood floors and walls.
Lonely Planet Pick for Puerto Viejo! Lost in the jungle at the far end of Playa Negra this wonderfully wild hotel is right on the cusp of a dramatic black-sand beach and sloth-filled rain forest. Each wood-paneled room has a hammock-swinging balcony looking onto the Caribbean meters away. Read More.
World’s Best Affordable Beach Resorts! A 14-room retreat on a black-sand strand, embodies the areaÂ’s laid-back feeling. Bright wood-paneled rooms feature such tropical touches as dangling bromeliad plants and locally made easy chairs.
Whimsically designed open-air hotel, where the beach breezes, along with the friendly bar and $10 dinners, keep the place full.
The Sunday Times of London Included in their list of the 100 Best Hotels in the World! Read More.
Read Colin’s story about how Banana Azul got started.
Rated Highly Recommended. “This newer hotel is earning fast friends and hearty praise.” Read full review.
