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Jan
29
The annual Jungleman off-road marathon and half-marathon which has taken place in Puerto Viejo the last four years has been cancelled. This year’s race was supposed to take place on February 23rd with a route between Playa Negra and Cahuita National Park.
The organizers, Exploraciones Verde y Azul S.A., said that the events leading to the cancellation of the race were totally out of their control. The e-mail spoke of lack of support from sponsors and the government.
Although the organization’s website has not yet been updated to reflect the cancellation, organizers have disabled the registration page. They are also promising a refund of the registration fee to anyone who already registered.
The loss of this event is a loss for the community as well as the race brought attention and a different type of visitor to the area.
With reporting from A.M. Costa Rica: Organizers cancel jungle marathon planned for Puerto Viejo.
Jan
26
What’s Being Built on Main St?
January 26, 2008 | Tags: Community News, Local Business News | Comments Off
 Construction site on Calle Principal |
Anyone who’s been down Calle Principal in Puerto Viejo over the last few months has seen the large construction site where Chili Rojo used to be located. Perhaps you’ve been wondering what this large new space will be and how it will fit into our community?
Sources tell us it’s a “mini-mall” type of project planned by owner Chris Whitman. Of course, this being Puerto Viejo it won’t be a 7-11 and a gas station but small local businesses who want to expand and get new modern spaces to work in. The project is also said to be planning a large inner courtyard with many plants and perhaps some sort of water feature.
The biggest tenant will be Chili Rojo who will move back into the space when it was done with a huge new 300+ square meter restaurant on the 2nd floor. On the ground floor, plans are for 8 stores around the courtyard. We’ve heard that Chili Rojo owner Andrew is also planning a premium style coffee shop on the main floor with espresso machine and no doubt lots of tasty treats. Exploradores is also planning to move into the space with a new booking office for their rafting and other trips. So is Luna de Febrero which will sell souvenirs out of the site. An art gallery, another souvenir shop, a spa with massage and perhaps a bodega may round out the offerings that will be in place.
The site also has a parking area over by Cabinas Grant for customers of the merchants.
The site is being built by local contractor Tony, who also built Hotel Banana Azul as well as 37 houses at last count!
Best guesses for opening? Well estimates we’ve heard have ranged from May to September.
Jan
23
Court action threatened to block Marina
January 23, 2008 | Tags: Environment, Government and Politics | 3 Comments
 Many local residents fear the marina project could further damage the area’s coral reefs |
Back in October we wrote (Talamanca News, Oct 23, Community presents petition asking for more info and meeting on Marina) that various community residents and community groups had presented a letter to the municipality asking them to hold a public meeting on the proposed marina project to give the community a chance to ask questions of the municipality and of the developer on how they would mitigate environmental impacts and other questions on how the project would affect our commmunity. And while the mayor initially responded positively to that request, promising a meeting, it never came about. Instead interested residents held their own meeting in December (Talamanca News, Dec 12, Most Attendees at Marina Meeting Oppose Plans; Experts Highlight Risks), without the participation of either the municipality or the developer.
Well some local residents and community are tired of waiting for the municipality to offer public information on this $40 million mega-project and so have issued an ultimatum to the mayor of Talamanca. A letter demanding answers was sent Monday.
If no reply is received from Mayor Rugelis Morales Rodríguez within 10 days, the residents, supported by the Asociación Preservacionista de Flora y Fauna Silvestre, threaten to file an appeal with the Sala IV constitutional court, asking magistrates to pronounce the marina project illegal.
A release by the Asociación Preservacionista de Flora y Fauna Silvestre claims that the project will damage more than 18.5 hectares of living reef, which currently protects the coast form erosion.
The project announced by consortium Grupo Caribeño Internacional S.A. includes a huge marina for Playa Negra with berths for 384 boats. The plan includes the building of 2 breakwaters, a commercial zone, administrative offices, a artisan’s marketplace and yacht repair and maintenance facilities. The investors behind the group plan to invest $40,000,000 in the project and say it will create about 2,000 jobs. The plan has split the community, with many ex-pats and those who prefer the natural state of the community opposing it but many local residents seeing an opportunity for more jobs and money.
See more: A.M. Costa Rica: Puerto Viejo residents issue an ultimatum to local mayor.
Jan
21
Fun Tours Launched to Bring Affordable Group Tours to Puerto Viejo
January 21, 2008 | Tags: Local Business News, Tourism | Comments Off
Several local businesses have banded together to create a new association to offer group tours that highlight some of our areas best features! The new association is called Puerto Viejo Fun Tours and has a mission to:
• Provide affordable group tour options on a regular scheduled basis which include transport. Right now, the only option for visitors who want to visits sights such as the Gandoca-Manzanillo Reserve with a guide (the way to make sure you see the most animals and features!) is to arrange their own private transportation and guide which can be both expensive and difficult. With Puerto Viejo Fun Tours, it will be easy: there will be a calendar of events and an easy sign up procedure and multiple pick up points.
• Support local businesses, guides, transport providers by providing a regular reliable source of income.
• Support ATEC with their goal of promoting sustainable tourism in the area. With every tour sold, a donation will be made to ATEC.
The goal is to have a complete weekly schedule so that there will be something fun to do every day of the week! For right now, they are starting with a Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge Hike every Saturday. The cost is $39 per person and includes van transportation to and from Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo, a four hour hike with a trained naturist guide who will make sure you have the most opportunities to spot wildlife such as monkeys, sloths, iguanas, snakes, toucans, hummingbirds, owls and much more. The guide will also give information and show off our exotic flora such as bromeliads and orchids. The tour includes the opportunity to learn about local Afro-Caribbean customs too.
Each Saturday morning this tour will depart from one of our pickup points:
- Hotel Banana Azul, Playa Negra, 7:30 am
- ATEC, Puerto Viejo Center, 7:45 am
- La Costa de Papito, 8am
- Maxi’s in Manzanillo, 8:15am.
Advance booking is required and only a limited amount of spaces are available so that the group doesn’t get too big for everyone to have a great experience. You can find out more or book your space at www.puertoviejofuntours.com or by asking at Banana Azul, ATEC or La Costa de Papito.
Local businesses who are interested in finding out more about selling this tour to their clients, can contact tours@puertoviejosatellite.com.
Jan
14
Near Drowning Raises Awareness of Need for Water Safety
January 14, 2008 | Tags: Accidents and Natural Disasters | 2 Comments
 Alfredo, Agustin and Giovani on Playa Negra; the Banana Azul employees who heroically risked their own lives to save the lives of two guests who were drowning. |
A frightening incident on January 7th near the end of our spate of stormy weather highlighted the need for everyone visiting Puerto Viejo to be aware of water safety issues and check with locals about the conditions before swimming.
A tourist was swimming on Playa Negra in front of Hotel Banana Azul and realized that the current was dragging him out and he couldn’t get back in to the beach. His girlfriend ran back to the hotel for help and Agustin left the front desk to run and help. He brought a boogie board into the water, swam out to the man and gave it to him and he managed to get in.
But another tourist had joined the rescue effort; he had also paddled out with a boogie board but was now unable to paddle back in. Agustin swam over to him and tried to calm the man down who was certain he was going to die but he was still unable to make any progress. Giovani joined them in the water with another boogie board and they gave the man this and attempted to get him in still with no luck. Then a wave crashed on the second man who then lost his boogie board. Meanwhile they could feel the current dragging them out and started to worry for their own safety.
Finally, Alfredo joined the fray with a surfboard strapped to his ankle. The three of them managed to get the man onto the surfboard and together they managed to paddle him in after much effort. The whole incident lasted about 45 terrifying minutes. The man lay on the beach utterly exhausted for an hour before he was able to move.
Unfortunately our beaches in Puerto Viejo do not have lifeguards (with the exception of Playa Cocles which has a lifeguard paid for by local businesses) so it is your responsibility to ask about local conditions before you get in the water. Thankfully these men were not swimming alone and so their plight was noticed.
Kudos to all those involved for putting their own lives at risk to save another. We are so thankful it turned out as it did.
Jan
12
Tourism Chamber CATCAS Reorganizes; Opens it’s Doors Wider
January 12, 2008 | Tags: Community Calendar, Community News, Tourism | Comments Off
| January 28, 2008 | ||
| 3:30 pm | to | 5:30 pm |
The local Chamber of Commerce/Tourism (Camara de Turismo del Caribe Sur or CATCAS) has announced some changes which were approved in their general meeting in October.
 Local artisans are invited to join CATCAS |
1) The new CATCAS will accept tourism-related business as before but also now is inviting all other businesses or artisans operating throughout the region to join;
2) They will now be representing the communities/subregions of Cahuita, Hone Creek, Upper Talamanca, Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo;
3) They will nominate a new executive council which will have representatives from all of the communiites/sub-regions.
4) Each sub-region as well will nominate a commisson of persons from that community who will present to the excecutive council the issue or problems that require attention, and
5) They will establish a foundation (FUNDAPROCARIBE) with persons of integrity, honesty and prestige. This foundation’s fundamental objective will be to raise funds and donation for specific educational and social projects in our communities.
They are inviting everyone who would like to become part of the new CATCAS or who would just like to know more to come to a meeting Monday January 28 at 3:30pm at the Casa de la Cultura in Puerto Viejo.
This information was supplied by and more information can be solicited from Rolando Soto J., the president of CATCAS.
Jan
9
Race is fun way to bring Marina issue up in community
January 9, 2008 | Tags: Community Calendar, Environment, Sports | Comments Off
| January 26, 2008 |
On Saturday, January 26 COVIRENAS (Committee for Community Vigilance of Natural Resources) of Puerto Viejo-Cocles and the Corona del Mar Surf Club are sponsoring an event intended to spark open discussion about the proposed marina in Puerto Viejo. The plan is a kayak or longboard race beginning from in front of the lifeguard tower in Cocles, traveling across the area of the sea where the proposed marina may be, ditching your boat or board by the famous barge in front Buen Precio Pulperia and sprinting on the beach for the last 50 meters to the events stage on Black Beach–by Pan Dulce road which ends the area the marina is proposed to encompass. The event will start in late morning with music on Cocles Beach and surf contests. The organizers are looking for folks to support the event by donating conservation-minded prizes for the winners of different categories for the race. Everyone from people with serious sea legs to land-lovers are welcome to participate. Boat-less folks are invited to bike the route to show your support. Sign up the morning of the race on Cocles Beach. For more information about the competition write to martequi@yahoo.com or call 876 2830
To get involved with the committee that’s respectfully working to bring the municipal government and Marina investors to town to provide details to the community about the plan for the marina please call don Guido at 756 8165 or write to atecmail@gmail.com or swing by ATEC to get more details.
See more: Greencoast.com: Clean Ocean Big Water Paddle Board Race.
Jan
8
Child killed by speeding vehicle; task force formed to discuss problem
January 8, 2008 | Tags: Accidents and Natural Disasters, Community Calendar | Comments Off
| January 18, 2008 | ||
| 3:00 pm | to | 5:00 pm |
Last week, on the 2nd of January, a couple from France who were here visiting for a few months, were returning from their friends’ home to their own rental house in Manzanillo, with their two small boys ages 4 and 18 months. They had about one and a half kilometers to walk along the main road into the pueblo. It was a clear afternoon about 3:30 P.M. They were positioned single-file along the edge of the road, just passing a big pot hole. A speeding motorist approaching from the opposite direction suddenly saw the dangerous pot hole, swerved to miss it, hit the gravel along the edge, lost control of his vehicle, careened sideways across the road and slammed into the father and his 4 yr. old son. The father was thrown onto the hood of the vehicle and into the brush suffering a head concussion. The boy ended up under the vehicle in the ditch. He died en route to San Jose in the ambulance several hours later. Consequently, one family’s lives have been irreparably shattered forever and an entire community mourns their loss The culprit is not alcohol – the driver was sober. The culprit is not the pot holes – they are a part of every road in this country. The culprit is the irresponsible act of speeding on winding, unmarked, unsafe roads frequented by pedestrians and bicyclers, locals as well as visitors.
On January 18th, at 3:00 P.M. at the MINAE building in Manzanillo, the issue of SPEEDING DRIVERS will be addressed, as part of the planned Association meeting. Also, a multi-purpose Task Force is being formed to work towards developing a keener awareness throughout this area – from Hone Creek to Manzanillo – about driving safely, responsibly, and respectfully. Hopefully a strong anti-speeding campaign can change habits and save lives.
If you are interested in being a part of this Task Force, or if you have questions or queries regarding this issue, please come to the meeting in Manzanillo or contact Julie at 759-9005 or via e-mail at julsimstander@racsa.co.cr.
Jan
1
December was wettest month in almost 3 years
January 1, 2008 | Tags: Environment | 1 Comment
It sure felt like it and now local resident Charlotte’s rain gauge confirms it: December was very wet! She recorded 25.8 inches / 655 mm of rain in December, the most since 27.9 inches fell in January 2005 and substantially more than our December average of 16.5 inches.
2007 rainfall was 14.2″ in Jan, 2.8″ in Feb, 6.9″ in Mar, 6.9″ in Apr, 12.4″ in May, 10.2″ in June, 12.2″ in July, 7.9″ in Aug, 7.6″ in Sept, 6″ in Oct, 22.6″ in November and 25.8″ in December confirming the trend that most reliably “dry” months of the year are September and October.
Of course we Caribbean residents don’t complain about the rain. It makes everything so beautiful and green! Plus the rain is spread out over the year and not so seasonal like on the Pacific where getting drenched then drought is the norm.
Click on over to the Weather page to see the full weather chart in an enlarged version as well as local forecasts and info at any time. Or if you just want a soundtrack to go with the rain, head on over to the Photos, Videos and Blogs page and see the video Puerto Viejo “When it Rains”.
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