Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui

It is only 17 kilometers from Horquetas to the larger town of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui. Before the road and railroad were built, the town served as an important stop on the arduous trade route from the Caribbean, via the San Juan and Sarapiqui rivers, into the Meseta Central. Today Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, with its 5,000 inhabitants, is the starting point for tours into the Barra del Colorado Nature Preserve and the Tortuguero National Park. It also serves as the northern entrance to the Braulio Carrillo National Park.