Caribbean coast of Costa Rica

[Jess]

Dear forum,

Anyone have any experience of cruising on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica? We are headed there next month and, other than making for the port of entry Puerto Limon, we cannot find any information on any other marinas / stops / anchorages / anything on the Caribbean side.

Any help, advice, much appreciated. Even charts for this coast seem fairly thin on the ground! We'll be in Panama for a lot longer but planned for 2 weeks in Costa Rica which seem like they'll be mostly land travel unless we can find out more.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Gerry]

Yup, it'll be mostly land travel. the only anchorage is Puerto Limon and that is totally commercial, interesting though. The coast here is shallow and dangerous. Four years ago there were no marina's, haven't heard of any since.

Probably stay at Bocas del Toro in Panama and travel via Sixeola into Costa Rica overland. It's an amazing crossing over an Indiana Jones look alike railway bridge that you walk across. don't look down at the raging torrents below between the untied railway sleepers! We actually drove across in a car we bought in Panama, wheels on the tracks, make sure nothing coming the other way and go for it, talk about a white knuckle ride!

 

[V1701]

Yes I was in Bocas a few years ago, diving not sailing. There is a marina there though and it's a decent enough place for a stop for a few days. I visited the marina to go see someone I'd met who had a boat there, remember there was a guy from another boat who was power walking up and down the pontoon which struck me as a bit odd. Not sure why he didn't just go for a walk, it's pleasant enough. Also remember loads of foreigners (yanks mostly) there trying to make a fast buck buying/selling land and property, this was 2007. Also remember meeting an absolutely rat-arsed by lunchtime skipper in a bar there looking for crew. Happy times! Back in UK again now, slaving for a while, must leave again soon...

Edit: Had a look at CM93 charts and it looks like Limon is definitely the only place on the Carib. side, a lot of it's marked as swamp. Here's Noonsite page...

 

[ccscott49]

All I remember was mosquitos with 6 foot wingspans!