Puerto Viejo Forum: Le Cameleon?

jjenred-

We ventured to Puerto Viejo in January as a family, staying in Punta Uva-my wife, my eleven year old daughter, and myself. I was ready to be concerned about safety after reading TA, but we encountered absolutely nothing that unsettled us. We got around by bike for a week, including glorious nighttime bike rides to restaurants--bring headlamps if so inclined. We sometimes took taxis as well.

Unlike some Caribbean destinations--Jamaica and Dominican Republic, even St. Martin comes to mind--you won't be hustled for things--to buy drugs, timeshares, tours, though I have no doubt someone might try to sell you some reefer if you are out at night. I remember staying in Puerto Rico at a beautiful resort and the guards warned us about leaving at night, though maybe they wanted us to stay at the resort's restaurants. Anyways, we do far more adventuring in Costa Rica than in those places, and without any fear--Costa Rica is all about adventures. By the way, I lived in Manhattan/Brooklyn in the 80's, and I didn't think it was a very dangerous place, though I was careful to avoid certain places at certain times. Those same instincts will serve you well in Costa Rica, and everywhere else in the world. By the way, we are back to Puerto Viejo in August. We honeymooned fifteen years ago in St. Lucia, and I sure wish I had ventured to Costa Rica instead.

I think you will be fine at Camaleon...is basically is what you are looking for...i visit the area often...with my family and costumers...never ever in my 40 years driving people close or to the area...we never had any bad experience...

Vieques in Puerto Rico...is more active...not fair compare either one...

Of course for a city people Puerto Viejo or Cocles will be totally different but in a good way...nice way to find out if city people stress way to much...or Cocles people relax way to much!

Just buckle up and enjoy th ride in PARADISE!

Le chameleon looks amazing, and I have only seen it from the exterior. It is across the road from part of the most beautiful coast in the area.

It is contemporary looking with a little funk. Every time I go past - whether on a bicycle or a quad, someone is outside working on the grounds or building.

A resident here told me it is a very nice place inside.

Was in PV last July August...

There was a military drug check point

on the way in and way out where my car

was completely searched and got hassled for money

the lodgings town quite rustic sort of dirty

was hassled to buy drugs in town daily and nightly

to buy drugs...sort of like dodgier areas of PR

or even closer Negril Jamaica pretty dodgy

More of a hippy backpacker feel...

If you are not up for that on your HM

Consider the pacific side...

www.ylangylangresort.com

www.mangomoon.net

Have fun either way congrats,

OK....I'm a hippy backpacker....please don't tell my mother. I'm also a 56 yr old male with a professional occupation that pays me quite well enough to travel a lot of places, Puerto Viejo included. I have a braid to mid back because I want to and I carry some of my travel gear in a backpack because it's convenient and I like to.

OK rant over. I guess my point is that everybody is a little different and everybody likes what they like. We were in PV area in January (with the braid and the backpack...(tho it rode in the rental car with us) and I never felt in the least bit threatened, by other "hippies", by "normal" people, by the police, or by the locals.

We drove through the aforementioned POLICE CHECKPOINT at least 5 times and the first time we went through they asked for our passports....I put on my stupidface (i'm quite good at that) and said I didn't know we were supposed to carry them at all times. The policeman told us to take our passports to the police trailer (I dunno if it's there all the time) and ask a certain person to make copies and carry those. He didn't search, he didn't hassle for money, he didn't intimidate. When we passed through on later occasions (with our passport copies) we saw him and a couple of other officers, he asked us what we'd seen so far and the others asked if we were enjoying our stay. Maybe other travelers have felt threatened but I've never heard anybody mention it. It appears that the checkpoint is combat potential illegal immigration from Panama and further south and has little to do with tourists.

I read what you were looking for as a honeymoon location (congrats by the way) and I'd say Puerto Viejo is perfect. Cameleon wasn't finished when we were there but it looked very nice (a little fancy for the old hippy.....I couldn't let that slide) and it's in a great location very near the beach. Brand spanking new, very white and very classy resorty looking......

I've kind of tried to pull comparable locations outta my travel memory and the best I can come up with in the US would be maybe the Fla panhandle or the south Keys, not for comparable scenery (PV is was prettier and better nature)but for a grand mix of people, locals and travelers, that play a big role in making the area what it is. Rich, poor, gay, straight, resort types, hostel types, young, old,hippies, cowboys, the occasional raving conspiracy theorists, an elderly man writing and reading poetry to his wife on black beach north of PV. They're all part of the color, the fiber, the tenor of the place that we fell in love with and we're going back to in October.

Don't go to PV prepared to be afraid, also don't go prepared to be stupid (out alone late at night drunk looking for trouble). Exhibit a little common sense (much as you would at home anywhere), see the differences as you would see the differences between mountains and deserts that you visit, and I'm hoping (and kind of expecting) that you will fall in love with what we can't wait to go back to.

To quote one of the early "hippies"

......KEEP ON TRUCKIN

Happy Independence Day.....or just happy friday if you're having to work

joe

First of all congratulations!

You have picked a good spot!

Colin's reaction is spot on, Joe's as well and I am sure you will love it.

About qwovadis I can only say that his reactions to this area are becoming a bit silly, his agenda has been questioned before.

Qwovadis, I do not know what your issues with the Caribbean are, but being here in PV I can say I do not agree with you whatsoever. Drug checkpoint? Where?

The only checkpoint is a police checkpoint heading to Cahuita. That is where they look at your passport copy.

I guess they didn't like you or maybe you gave the policia attitude so they made your day.

I have not been harrassed or offered anything illegal whatsoever at any time.

And you can dis Negril until you are blue in the face for all I care, it makes no difference to me whatsoever.

It does, however, appear that you are really only seeking attention but really, this is silly and you are merely embarrassing yourself by your blatant ignorance here.

Oh, and jjrenred, have a look at my travel blog.

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g309265-i4753-k291…

And just so you know, Costa Rica is a peaceful country that does NOT HAVE A MILITARY FORCE. Police yes.

Yes, it seems that posts regarding the Caribbean from people who claim to be experts continues to get highly questionable... Like a doctor, if you are concerned about the validity... get a second opinion.

This is my experience as a resident of the area.

We have approx 50 guests a week over a period of 4 years that would pass through immigration checkpoint just outside Cauhita enroute to Puerto Viejo.

We have never had a guest complain that they were unreasonably searched or extorted for money. I have lived here for 5 years plus and go through there all the time and only on one occasion did an officer as to look in my bag. No big deal and officer was polite.

If this was an issue to be worried about, we would have heard about it and the hotels here would be on it. They could not afford to have immigration officials routinely extorting money from guests. If an incident did happen, it was an isolated incident.

Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean is located close to Panama border and like all these countries here, borders can be crossed illegally with ease. When you look at the people that are apprehended for most crimes, most of them do not live here.

This checkpoint is here to help stem flow of illegal immigration and monitor flow of goods from Panama into Costa Rica. It also helps cut down on illegal logging as well as you can not get logs out without going through this checkpoint.

For us that live here, most of us grateful for this checkpoint. As with any location, beach communities tend to attract a lot of undesirables that cause problems. Any attempt at keeping law and order in this country is usually welcomed.