Cariblue is a mid-sized beach resort of about 50 rooms, suites and bungalows spread over two hectares of jungle garden on Playa Cocles, 1.5 km from Puerto Viejo. It is not a remote eco-lodge: think three restaurants, three pools, a spa and an optional all-inclusive plan. What earns it a place here is the forest it keeps, the sloths and monkeys that live in it, and a set of named conservation partners, including a sloth crossing project.
At a glance
| Location | Directly on Playa Cocles, 1.5 km south of central Puerto Viejo de Talamanca |
|---|---|
| Style | Beach resort with 51 rooms, suites and wooden bungalows, plus a family house |
| Setting | About 20,000 square meters (two hectares) of tropical jungle garden by the sea |
| Best for | Families and couples who want resort comforts with wildlife on the grounds |
| Getting there | About 4 to 5 hours by road from San José on Route 32; flights to Limón |
| CST status | Not in the official CST directory on 2026-Oct-21 |
Where it is
According to the resort’s FAQ, Cariblue sits in front of Playa Cocles, 1.5 km from the center of Puerto Viejo. The resort lends bicycles, which is how most people get around this stretch of coast. Cocles is a surf beach with open waves; calmer swimming and the reefs of Punta Uva and Manzanillo are a few kilometers further south.
The getting there page gives four to five hours by car from San José along Route 32 through Braulio Carrillo and Limón. MEPE buses and shared shuttles run the same route daily, and Sansa flies to Limón from San José’s airport a few times a day. The resort’s tour desk can also arrange a day of rafting on the Pacuare River on the way in, or a detour through Tortuguero.
Rooms and layout
The resort’s website splits the property into two zones. The beach zone has 29 rooms, including studios, lofts, apartments and ocean-view suites with balconies over Cocles. The jungle zone has 22 rooms, mostly wooden bungalows with porches and hammocks set back in the garden, plus a Jungle House of three linked bungalows that sleeps seven and a separate family house for up to eight.
Room types range from compact triples and standard kings of about 30 square meters to 55-square-meter suites and an 80-square-meter junior suite. Rooms have air conditioning, fridges, hot water and refillable dispensers for biodegradable toiletries. Free fiber Wi-Fi covers the rooms, pools and restaurants.
Food and facilities
The resort runs three places to eat. La Jungla, by the main pool, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with a Caribbean and Mediterranean menu. Sushi Wave on the beach does Nikkei cooking, a Peruvian-Japanese style. Beach Break is a sports and games bar with Caribbean food. A swim-up bar by the pool adds an afternoon happy hour.
Stays can be booked with breakfast, half board, or an all-inclusive plan covering meals and national drinks. There are three pools (one chlorine, one saltwater and a hot tub), a small gym, and the Surya Spa between the beach and the garden. The resort also sells day passes, so the pool area can be busier than the room count suggests.
Wildlife on the grounds
The FAQ describes a resident sloth family, agoutis (guatusas), toucans, and howler and white-faced monkeys in the two hectares of jungle, plus private garden trails. Small poison dart frogs are common on the paths, which is one reason pets are not allowed. Sightings depend on luck and timing, but the old trees around the bungalows are where most of the action is.
Sustainability
The resort’s sustainability page names its partners and gives a few numbers. According to Cariblue:
- The Sloth Conservation Foundation: together they have built a network of rope bridges so sloths can cross safely through the area.
- Planta mi Árbol: the resort funds the planting of 100 trees a month in deforested parts of Costa Rica.
- Rainforest Alliance: listed as a partner in reef protection and beach cleanups.
- Planet Conservation, Puerto Viejo Limpio and Salud para Todos: local groups working on sea turtles and recycling, beach cleanups, and health care for southern Caribbean communities.
- Bulk cleaning supplies cut about 168 gallons of plastic containers a month, a water station replaces more than 180 plastic bottles a month, and refillable dispensers replaced more than 4,200 small toiletry bottles.
- Waste is sorted for recycling and composted on site, and the restaurants favor local ingredients.
The page gives no energy or water figures, and Rainforest Alliance appears as a partner, not as a certification. Cariblue is not listed in the official CST directory. Read our guide to the CST certification to see how the national program scores hotels like this one.
Nature nearby
The tour desk books the area’s main outings: hikes and snorkeling in Cahuita National Park, forest walks in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, zip lining, rafting on the Pacuare, and visits to Bribri cacao farms in the Talamanca hills.
Who it suits
Cariblue is a good match for families with children, groups and couples who want a pool, several restaurants and air conditioning, with monkeys and sloths in the trees and the national parks as day trips. The all-inclusive plan is unusual for the South Caribbean and appeals to travelers who don’t want to go out every night.
If you want a small lodge with its own reserve, quiet nights and guided forest walks, this is the wrong place. Nearby, Congo Bongo Ecovillage offers houses inside a regenerated forest, and Samasati Nature Retreat sits in the hills above the coast. Browse all our Caribbean eco-lodges.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cariblue an eco-lodge or a resort?
A resort. It has about 50 rooms, three restaurants, three pools, a spa and an all-inclusive option. Its eco side is the two hectares of jungle garden it keeps and its partnerships with conservation groups, not a private reserve or a CST certificate.
Will I see sloths at Cariblue?
The resort says a sloth family lives on the grounds and it works with The Sloth Conservation Foundation on crossing bridges in the area. Sightings are common but never guaranteed; ask staff where the animals were last seen.
Is the all-inclusive plan required?
No. You can book with breakfast only, half board or all-inclusive. The all-inclusive plan covers meals at La Jungla and national drinks, according to the FAQ.
Can I bring my dog?
No. The resort does not accept pets, citing local authority advice and the poison dart frogs that live on the property.
